It is very difficult to give a definition of sketching. No compact definition is available. The meaning of ‘Sketching ‘given in Oxford Dictionary is a drawing made very quickly and not including many details.
But Sketching usually means a quick look, a quick line. Sketching, for the expert is a form of note taking, a visual short hand. The sketches are drawn with the help of actual models or with the help of memory.
Sketching should not necessarily be taken as a mere rough outline; it may be very detailed and finished one. Sketch need not be a very realistic or exact rendering of an object or a person. An artist can choose to depict some salient features and ignore the other minor details.
As a preparation of a big drawing a sketch may be drawn which need not show all the intricate details. It is enough to highlight some typical characteristics or traits. From the rough outline a full-fledged drawing can be prepared by using the techniques of composition and light and shade.
From this point of view a sketch may be regarded as a rough outline. As it gives a complete idea of a picture, it may be considered as having its own artistic identity. An artist’s style is developed gradually according to his own natural inclination and method of drawing. It can’t be forced or fitted into a particular pattern. The beginners need not imitate the old masters blindly or mechanically.
