Kings Journal: The guidance of "trash sketches"

Ah Kings Journal is back and probably no one missed it. xD
Don't worry I am realistic. Most of you are here for the art and not to read my articles about random topics. I am also a patron of some artists to get the sexy stuff.
Nevertheless for those who do enjoy my journals I have something to talk about:
How I prepare my artworks!

The answer is: Trash sketches
When I start working on a new artwork I begin with a rough sketch. Something extremely simple to "catch" my idea.

The rough sketch determines the proportions of the character(s), the pose, angle and the overall composition of the artwork.
A composition means the placement of objects and how the view is guided. An artwork with an harmonic composition is pleasant to look at. A good example is the triangle.

The triangle composition is very popular for centuries.

You could try to find some triangles in classic paintings, too, when you see some.
The triangle can also be smaller or there can be multiple ones within one painting.

Why a sketch is better than making notes

Instead of sketching I could make a note. I did so in the past, but most ideas sound better in my head, than they do look in reality.
A quick trash sketch (that's how I call them) offers a direct, visible feedback of a pose.
Does it look good or bad?!

The only thing which is needed to answer that question is a tiny bit of imagination.
A trash sketch hints the potential of an artwork and all I must do is trusting in this potential.

And do you notice, that you could draw a triangle from Kimahri's head down to his feet and then to Wakka's right hand?!

Another big advantage of a trash sketch is saving time. One can not sketch super, pretty poses and faces just to end with the conclusion, that the sketch actually looks boring or bad. Time is precious as an artist and it should not be wasted.

With a trash sketch you can also avoid one of the biggest issues when drawing:
The "I work on this artwork and it just looks so bad, I think I should stop working on it" moment. If you have ever sketched something or drawn for a certain amount of time, there might have been a moment, when you looked at your creation and massive doubts suddenly popped into your mind. It is a moment when half of the artwork is done and the other half is missing and it does not look good in that state.

I made the experience that my trash sketches offer me enough "sight into the future" to decide about the quality of an artwork before I start working on it. I know how it must look when it is finished, because the trash sketch is my blueprint, my plan, my concept, my guidance - call it whatever you like. The effect is the same: A trash sketch is very helpful.

This trash sketch above shows how I am going to draw David King and the oni. This pairing won the Commission Chance and this rough sketch will lead to the final artwork.

I also use trash sketches  to remember future projects.

Could that be my Werewolf avatar?! ;)

So that's it about trash sketches.
I hope you enjoyed this short journal and insight into my work.
I know that some of my patrons are interested in drawing or draw already and sharing my experience a bit might be helpful.

In general you should be careful with watching drawing tutorials on Youtube. Many of them are not meant to teach you anything, they are just an extra long ad for an artist disguised as help. Not to mention, that the end of those videos tend to show super perfect paintings, which no beginner will be able to reproduce.
So my humble advice is: Draw sketches, which can evolve one day. It is your art style and no one has the right to rate it right or wrong.

Thank you for your interest.