Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
CONTEMPORARY STYLE
Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Style: Contemporary
Color: Orange
Eye
Located in New York, NY
Oil Pastel and pencil drawing on heavyweight printmaking paper. This is a bargain, one of those works that you might say in the future: "Oh, I bought it for almost nothing, and now i...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Oil Pastel
It's Easier Said Than Done
Located in Denver, CO
David Rathman is known for his sensitively rendered paintings of stereotypically male motifs from American history and contemporary culture.
He was the recipient of a Bush Foundatio...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Paper, Watercolor
"Woman with long orange dress" figurative water colour, china ink on paper.
Located in Roscoff, FR
Woman with Long Orange Dress,’ figurative watercolor, China ink on paper, 65x50 cm. The artist has crafted a delicate piece that precisely captures the elegance of a woman in a long ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Watercolor
The Painter - Drawing by Mino Maccari - 1930s
By Mino Maccari
Located in Roma, IT
Seductive Woman is a China ink Drawing realized by Mino Maccari (1924-1989) in the 1970s.
Hand-signed on the lower margin.
Good condition.
Mino Maccari (Siena, 1924-Rome, June 16...
Category
1970s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Ballpoint Pen
Masked - blue nude - by Paula Craioveanu - original art inspired by Matisse
Located in Forest Hills, NY
Masked
Part of my Blue Nude series, inspired by Matisse. Ultramarine tempera on paper.
Masked Nude was part of solo show "Nude in Interior" see pictures.
Shipped rolled in a tube, d...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Tempera
Georgian Contemporary Art by Nina Narimanishvili - Quick Sketch, Circus
Located in Paris, IDF
Mixed media & acrylic on paper
Nina Narimanishvili is a Georgian artist born in 1999 who lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. Nina has been painting since childhood and over time he...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Mixed Media, Paper, Acrylic
Solitude - original large art Blue Nude by Paula Craioveanu 39x27.5in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Solitude", pencil and ultramarine tempera on paper, inspired by Matisse.
Part of Nude in Interior series.
Large drawing. Shipped rolled in a tube, directly from Florida, US.
39x27.5in / 100x70cm
Artist Statement
"I started by painting interiors, being interested in space and perspective through my studies. These scenes evolved, when I added the human figure. I focused more on the human figure and its relation to the background. The human figure is more present than ever in my paintings now.
As a woman artist I’ve been preoccupied with the female form and its imagery. One of my goals was to capture the solitary moments and the nude’s relation to the surrounding space.
My interest turned from depicting the space to rendering the atmosphere and the scene as a whole, the feeling a woman adds to the environment: warmth, desire, joy, a feeling of power and control, or the opposite – sadness, despair.
Here is a collection of figurative paintings, exploring the nudes in interior spaces, seeing the nudes from my perspective, as a woman artist, considering the physical and spiritual realities of a woman’s body, in a new level of intimacy. My paintings are the opposite of objectifying a woman’s or a man’s anatomy. Painted works, featuring female nudes and a also men nudes, in a reversal of the male-artist/female-muse pattern, validate the feminine experience, defining myself through it.
I was interested in how one experiences the body in a sensual form, and later focused on my own body, as I experience it myself, looking into the mirror and reconnecting.
My work challenges the tradition of the nude by capturing my point of view, the gaze of a female painter, by using photography, drawings, sketches, and painting on canvas, for, both physical and psychological exploration.
My art tries to create a visual language for emotion, beauty, feelings of intimacy and in the same time autonomy, captured with paint and vivid colors. My intense interest in color and the gestures of the brush strokes are the means I see and convey the subjects in space, as living, passionate beings."
Paula Craioveanu
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Tempera, Pencil, Paper
APOLLO - original large art by Paula Craioveanu - Neo Mythology
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Apollo"
Original art, signed
100x70cm / 30x27in
ink, graphite, tempera on paper
large size, shipped rolled in a tube directly from the artist's studio
Antiquity is an endless inspi...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Tempera, Pencil
Siesta - original ultramarine large nude by Paula Craioveanu 39x27.5in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
Siesta
100x70cm / 39x27.5in
Nude in Interior, pencil and ultramarine tempera on paper, inspired by Matisse.
Large drawing. Shipped rolled in a tube, from Florida, US.
Artist Statement
"I started by painting interiors, being interested in space and perspective through my studies. These scenes evolved, when I added the human figure. I focused more on the human figure and its relation to the background. The human figure is more present than ever in my paintings now.
As a woman artist I’ve been preoccupied with the female form and its imagery. One of my goals was to capture the solitary moments and the nude’s relation to the surrounding space.
My interest turned from depicting the space to rendering the atmosphere and the scene as a whole, the feeling a woman adds to the environment: warmth, desire, joy, a feeling of power and control, or the opposite – sadness, despair.
Here is a collection of figurative paintings, exploring the nudes in interior spaces, seeing the nudes from my perspective, as a woman artist, considering the physical and spiritual realities of a woman’s body, in a new level of intimacy. My paintings are the opposite of objectifying a woman’s or a man’s anatomy. Painted works, featuring female nudes and a also men nudes...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Tempera, Pencil
CENTAUR - original large art by Paula Craioveanu - New Mythology
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Sea Centaur"
Original art, signed
100x70cm / 30x27in
ink, graphite, tempera on paper
large size, shipped rolled in a tube directly from the artist's studio
Antiquity is an endless ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Tempera, Pencil, Ink
ENIGMA original art Paula Craioveanu Neo Mythology
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Enigma", original ink and pencil on sepia paper.
Part of Neo Mythology series.
Like the immortal mythological heroes, my subjects remind us of the human ability to remain beautiful ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Tempera, Paper
MODERN EVE - nude - by Paula Craioveanu - original art
Located in Forest Hills, NY
Part of my Nude series, inspired by Matisse. Ultramarine tempera on paper.
Shipped rolled in a tube, directly from the artist's studio. Shipping anywhere in the world, flat rate. Registered airmail.
Artist Statement
"I started by painting interiors, being interested in space and perspective through my studies. These scenes evolved, when I added the human figure. I focused more on the human figure and its relation to the background. The human figure is more present than ever in my paintings now.
As a woman artist I’ve been preoccupied with the female form and its imagery. One of my goals was to capture the solitary moments and the nude’s relation to the surrounding space.
My interest turned from depicting the space to rendering the atmosphere and the scene as a whole, the feeling a woman adds to the environment: warmth, desire, joy, a feeling of power and control, or the opposite – sadness, despair.
Here is a collection of figurative paintings, exploring the nudes in interior spaces, seeing the nudes from my perspective, as a woman artist, considering the physical and spiritual realities of a woman’s body, in a new level of intimacy. My paintings are the opposite of objectifying a woman’s or a man’s anatomy. Painted works, featuring female nudes and a also men nudes, in a reversal of the male-artist/female-muse pattern, validate the feminine experience, defining myself through it.
I was interested in how one experiences the body in a sensual form, and later focused on my own body, as I experience it myself, looking into the mirror and reconnecting.
My work challenges the tradition of the nude by capturing my point of view, the gaze of a female painter, by using photography, drawings, sketches, and painting on canvas, for, both physical and psychological exploration.
My art tries to create a visual language for emotion, beauty, feelings of intimacy and in the same time autonomy, captured with paint and vivid colors. My intense interest in color and the gestures of the brush strokes are the means I see and convey the subjects in space, as living, passionate beings."
Paula Craioveanu
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Tempera
Golden Orchid - Modern Flowers Inc, Ecolina Painting, New Expression
Located in Salzburg, AT
Grażyna Rigall is a painter, illustrator, author of stage designs and music videos. - The artist is interested in the merging of the world of fauna and flora with the world of man, p...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
Just Banana
Located in New York, NY
Oil Pastel on black paper cutout.
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Oil Pastel
Blue Nude 1 - original tempera on paper by Paula Craioveanu inspired by Matisse
Located in Forest Hills, NY
Blue Nude. Inspired by Matisse.
Part of my "Nude in Interior" series
Original, signed.
50x70cm / 20x28in actual size
ink, graphite, tempera on paper
Shipping rolled in a tube from ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Tempera
Fawn
By Henry Hablak
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Fawn" is an original ink, colored pencil, and gouache on paper artwork by Henry Hablak measuring 30"h x 22"w.
Henry Hablak is a tattoo artist and illustrator based out of Philadel...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Color Pencil, Gouache, Paper
Hercules after Carracci V - Contemporary Art, Red, Yellow, Male, Lion, Nude
Located in Berlin, DE
Hercules after Carracci V, 2014
Tempera on paper (Signed)
27 3/5 H × 39 2/5 W in.
70 H × 100 W cm
On the subject of his new works the artist stated:
“There is not enough orange, ye...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Egg Tempera
Figures in a Concert Hall - Ink and Watercolor by Jean Demelier - 20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Figure in a concert hall is an original artwork realized by the french artist, poet and writer Jean Demelier.
Original ink and watercolor drawing on cardboard.
Good conditions.
Si...
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Watercolor
Portrait of Guelfo Bianchini - Drawing by Sergio Barletta - 1959
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of Guelfo Bianchini is an original pen and watercolor drawing on paper realized by Sergio Barletta in 1959.
Hand-signed and dated on the lower margin.
In very good conditions.
Sergio Barletta (1934) is an Italian cartoonist and illustrator, who has also published some humorous and political satire books. From the age of 22 is active in Rome, where he worked as an illustrator and art director in some monthly magazines like “Costume”, Diners Club house organ, BP Review, IBM, and others. In 1965 started the joint-working with Marino Gallery in Rome, and in 1966 in Milan with Humour Graphic’s group, at Levi Gallery and others in the following years.
In these years graphic work and illustration are mixed with painting and photography, also with satirical drawings...
Category
1950s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Pen
"Elite Workers", Small-Scale Modern Figural Collage w Watercolor by Dick Crispo
By Dick Crispo
Located in Soquel, CA
Modern small-scale watercolor and collage, a mixed media composition featuring a modified photograph with colorful watercolor accents by Dick Crispo (American, b. 1945). Titled "Elite Workers" at the top. Signed and dated "D. Crispo 87" in the lower left corner. Presented in a cream mat with foamcore backing. No frame. Paper size: 10"H x 7"W
Dick Crispo, born in New York City on January 13, 1945, has resided on the Monterey Peninsula since 1955. An award winning artist, Crispo has studied at the Carmel Art Institute under John Cunningham and Sam Colburn...
Category
1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Paper, Magazine Paper, Photographic Paper, Pen
Horses - Ink and Watercolor by Michele De Luca - 1983
Located in Roma, IT
Horses is an original drawing artwork in pen and watercolor on reddish paper realized in 1983 by Italian artist Michele De Luca.
Hand-signed on the lower right and dated.
With the ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Watercolor
Swans
Located in Jersey City, NJ
"Swans," 2013. Found materials collage. Figurative, abstract, pattern, swans, yellow, orange, red, purple, black, blue, and white.
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Found Objects
Nude - Original Mixed Media by Sergio Barletta - 1994
Located in Roma, IT
Nude is original artwork in mixed media, ink and tempera applied on cardboard, realized by Sergio Barletta in 1994.
Hand-signed on the lower right, dated on the lower left. Image Di...
Category
1990s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Tempera, Mixed Media, Ink
Nude - Original Charcoal Drawing by Emile Deschler - 1986
Located in Roma, IT
Nude is an original drawing in pencil realized by Emile Deschler in 1986.
Hand-signed in pencil by the artist on the lower right.
Good condition except for some small holes.
Emile...
Category
1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Charcoal
Man and Moon - Original Mixed Media by Sergio Barletta - 1961
Located in Roma, IT
Man and Moon is an original painting in mixed media on paper realized by Sergio Barletta in 1961.
Applied on passepartout:65 x 49.5 cm.
Hand-signed on the lower left and dated on t...
Category
1960s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor, Mixed Media, Ink
Le Nourrice - Black China Ink and Pencil Drawing - 1951
By Flor David
Located in Roma, IT
"Le Nourrice" is a black China ink and pencil drawing on paper glued on ivory-colored cardboard, signed and dated by Flor David (1891-1958).
The artwork represents Le Nourrice - Groupe du Theatre...
Category
1950s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Pencil
Telephone - Mixed Media Drawing by Mino Maccari - 1960s
By Mino Maccari
Located in Roma, IT
Telephone is an original artwork realized by Mino Maccari in the 1970's.
Mixed media colored drawing, charcoal and watercolor.
Hand-signed by the artist on the lower margin.
Goo...
Category
1960s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Charcoal, Watercolor, Mixed Media
Portrait of Berthe Bovy - Black China Ink and Pencil Drawing - 1949
By Flor David
Located in Roma, IT
"Portrait of Berthe Bovy" is an black China ink and pencil drawing on paper glued on ivory-colored cardboard, signed and dated by Flor David (1891-1958).
The artwork represents a Po...
Category
1950s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Pencil, Ink
Le Manteau - Black China Ink and Pencil Drawing - 1952
By Flor David
Located in Roma, IT
"Le manteau" is a black China ink and pencil drawing on paper glued on ivory-colored cardboard, signed and dated by Flor David (1891-1958).
In excellent conditions: as good as new.
...
Category
1950s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Ink, Pencil
Fire (Tortoise Spirit), 2018, figurative, orange yellow, drawing, tribal, MarYah
By Jay Golding
Located in Jersey City, NJ
China marker on smooth bristol paper. Jay Golding’s realistic portrait and figure drawings/paintings are inspired primarily by Indigenous culture and heritage but are not limited to...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Permanent Marker, Paper
The Dream - Mixed Media by M. Maccari - 1960s
By Mino Maccari
Located in Roma, IT
The Dream is an original artwork realized by Mino Maccari in the 1960's.
Watercolor and pastel drawing.
Hand-signed by the artist on the lower margin. Hand written notes by the ar...
Category
1960s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Pen, Watercolor
Fire (Hawk Spirit), 2017, figurative, yellow, orange, drawing, tribal, MarYah
By Jay Golding
Located in Jersey City, NJ
China marker on smooth bristol paper. Jay Golding’s realistic portrait and figure drawings/paintings are inspired primarily by Indigenous culture and heritage but are not limited to...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Permanent Marker, Paper
Fire (Panther Spirit), 2017, figurative, orange, yellow, drawing, tribal, MarYah
By Jay Golding
Located in Jersey City, NJ
China marker on smooth bristol paper. Jay Golding’s realistic portrait and figure drawings/paintings are inspired primarily by Indigenous culture and heritage but are not limited to...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Permanent Marker, Paper
Fire (Koala Spirit), 2017, figurative, yellow, orange, drawing, tribal, MarYah
By Jay Golding
Located in Jersey City, NJ
China marker on smooth bristol paper. Jay Golding’s realistic portrait and figure drawings/paintings are inspired primarily by Indigenous culture and heritage but are not limited to...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Permanent Marker, Paper
"Waiting Chitra, " Pastel on Grocery Bag signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Waiting Chitra" is an original pastel drawing on a grocery bag by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece lower right. It features a nervous figure i...
Category
1990s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Found Objects, Pastel
"Tired Person, " Figurative Oil Pastel on Grocery Bag signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Tired Person" is an original oil pastel drawing on a grocery bag by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece lower right. This piece features a leaning figure with pinkish skin ...
Category
1990s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Found Objects, Oil Pastel
Délivrance
Located in Paris, FR
Crayon pencil drawing on paper with pigments.
Psychological, critical, strong and sensitive, creative and poetic one of a kind piece of art.
For more information about the drawing, the artist, please contact Parisian Parrots...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Pigment, Crayon, Paper, Pencil
Gemstone No. 20
Located in Kansas City, MO
Shannon Brouk
Gemstone No. 20
Copic alcohol markers and colored pencil on paper
Year: 2020
Size: 12x9 inches
Unique
Comes Matted in matching color
Signed by hand
COA provided
Ref.: 9...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Archival Paper, Permanent Marker, Color Pencil
Petit Grand Vin Ordinaire
By Paul Cadmus
Located in New York, NY
Petit Grand Vin Ordinaire
Inscribed “MAD-DOG HIP 1” l.r.; titled l.l.
Crayon on paper
25 x 19 inches (63.5 x 48.3 cm)
This work is offered by ClampArt in New York City.
Category
1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Conté, Paper
Contemporary figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Leo Guida, Luis Miguel Valdes , Reginald K. Gee, and Renato Garza Cervera. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 1.25 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $60 and tops out at $70,894, while the average work sells for $907.