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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.

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Style: Contemporary
Color:  Pink
MEMORIES - original large art by Paula Craioveanu
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Memories" Original art, signed 100x70cm / 30x27in ink, graphite, tempera on paper large size, shipped rolled in a tube The drawing has 2 wooden pieces attached up and down to hold ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Tempera, Pencil

Morning Lines - Watercolor by Anastasia Kurakina - 2016
Located in Roma, IT
Morning Lines is a watercolor realized by Anastasia Kurakina in 2016. The little artwork is in good condition and with vivid colors. Hand signed by the artist on the lower margin. ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Let It Soak
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "Let It Soak" is an original artwork made from oil on panel by Lauren Rinaldi. This piece is shipped with the picture white frame and measures...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Madame Pele
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Watercolor, oil pastel, charcoal, ink, salt and Black 3.0 on watercolor paper, 22.25" high x 29.75" wide Pink, red, peach, orange, purple, black Framing available COA available upon...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Ink, Watercolor, Charcoal, Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Cloud (red)
Located in Montreal, Quebec
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” ― Albert Einstein. Always working with graphite and charcoal, Robbie Cornelissen’s limited palette emphasises the stark sombre nature of his metaphysical drawings, The Undertow is his sixth solo exhibition at Art Mûr. At the centre of the exhibition hovers Terra Nova, a dark and desolate world parallel to our own. Robbie Cornelissen’s drawings, such as The Space of Absence and Thriller, seem to pull from the stop motion’s frames. Other images, made especially for The Undertow isolate key fragments; the cloud, mounds and timeless dwellings, Cornelissen’s signature technical interest. In addition to his methodical approach, Cornelissen uses the written word, scrawling and erasing terms repeatedly, in English, French, and German, these fastidious markings and exact translations leave a trace and a glitch on paper and screen. Much of his existing work includes words and phrases like “tribunal,” “myself when I am real” and “the need to disappear.” Do they identify what forms, systems and sentiments that are, or could be present? Or do they warn of what is to come? Suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body, Cornelissen’s clouds extend down to the surface, looming over Earth and Terra Nova. But are they harmless clouds, or associated with nuclear explosions? And is that the ash, dust, pollution and detritus of these invented places, the remnants of an unsustainable society, a dream factory? Or the promise of life anew? In weather forecasting, or aeromancy, the presence of clouds can promise darkness and gloom, but they can also bring cleansing. The ominous aura of the grid, an applied system and structure used by many, including draughtsmen, architects, urban planners, designers and artists to organise and sometimes classify information, is a recurring element in his work. The grid can be observed from a distant bird’s eye view, or close up, allowing Cornelissen’s large format drawings...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Pencil, Graphite

Marilyn
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Arthur Pina de Alba, Cuban-American (1943) Marilyn Edition #2 of 7 iPad drawing printed on museum-quality archival pigment art paper. Signed in pri...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Digital Pigment, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Pink Maiko - contemporary colourful Geisha ink watercolour painting paper
Located in London, GB
Framed Size: 96 x 77 After meeting at art college in 1986 Stephen and Lorna nurtured a friendship, their individual careers and respective family lives. By chance, 30 years later, t...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

Pink Flamingo Venus
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Pink Flamingo Venus, 2020, watercolor, ink, and salt on Arches paper. Venus of Willendorf, fertility goddess, pink, black, and white.
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

Venus of Pink Fires
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Venus of Pink Fires, 2020, watercolor, ink, mirror paint, and salt on Arches paper. Venus of Willendorf, fertility goddess, pink, purple, black, si...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

Women with Idol II - 21st Century, Nude, Pink, Cactus, Female, Male, Interior
Located in Berlin, DE
Women with Idol II, 2016 Collage on cardboard 27 9/16 H x 39 3/8 W in. 70 H x 100 W cm The artist's reference on fundamental myths of humanity and their analysis from the perspectiv...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Acrylic, Paper, Cardboard

All Fours, 2020, gel pen, paper, figurative, drawing, horse, flower, pink
Located in Jersey City, NJ
All Fours, 2020, gel pen paper, figurative, drawing, horse, black, white, pink, blue, golden ratio
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pen

Natural History, 2020, gel pen, paper, figurative, drawing, pink
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Natural History, 2020, gel pen paper, figurative, drawing, black, white, pink, blue
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pen

Attack From Above Study 1, 2020, gel pen, paper, figurative, drawing, pink
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Attack From Above Study 1, 2020, gel pen paper, figurative, drawing, spider, black, white, pink, blue, web, iguana
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pen

"Untitled, " Oil Pastel Drawing on Pink Paper by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Untitled" is an original oil pastel drawing on pink paper by Reginald K. Gee. This piece features abstract, simplified figures in black and white dancing o...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel

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Portrait of Joan Didion, Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Portrait o Joan Didion, by Manuel Santelices Acrylic on gesso panel Image size: 14 in. H x 11 in. W Unframed 2023 The worlds of fashion, society, and pop culture are explored throu...
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Lee Hurst (3/4 Figure, Hands Together), Mixed media on Pergamenata parchment
Located in London, GB
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MB 085A (Contemporary Life Drawing of Nude Male by Mark Beard)
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic life drawing of male nude with charcoal and graphite by Mark Beard, "MB 085A" graphite, Conte crayon and charcoal on Arches paper 30 x 18.5 inches unframed Signed, lower rig...
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Katya
Located in Sempach, LU
This is one of those sketches where Evgeniy Monahov first used an industrial marker together with tempera - the thick velvety black of his lines expands the tonal range of the delica...
Category

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Materials

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Katya
Katya
H 11.82 in W 18.51 in D 0.04 in
Morning stretches
Located in Sempach, LU
A quick live sketch is always a little imperfect - too little time and too much adrenaline in the blood at this moment, but it perfectly conveys the delight of beauty and, as the Fre...
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Morning stretches
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Fall to Grace
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Fall to Grace" is an original ink and watercolor painting on paper mounted to wood by artist Robert Kraiza measuring 19in height x 9in width. Artist Statement // In my work I invoke a whimsical world inspired by Victorian and Edwardian eras. To me they represent a romantic time period that has roots that extend directly into the modern world, both good and bad. The customs and aesthetics of the period are both fascinating and breathtaking but a vast portion of the population was victim to subjugation. It has since been eradicated on paper but still permeates to this day. I am exploring an imagined supernatural world hidden just out of sight where these woman could escape. This is an evolution from my earlier work set in the same time period with a continuous thread of humans and their animal companions. Through witchcraft these women find strength in their abilities and each other to leave the oppressive world they inhabit behind and escape to the woods to their Covendom, the boundary that defines the territory of their coven. They shed their customs, their corsets, and their concerns at the edge of the forest and gather among the trees to explore their magical potential with their familiars at the side. This body of work is exploring multiple media with a consistent theme and setting; combining watercolor painting, pen and ink illustrations, and graphite drawings. All pieces are created in monochrome on hot press watercolor paper mounted on wood with a gold painted border reminiscent of daguerreotype frames. Watercolor allows me to achieve results ranging from soft ethereal layered washes similar to oil glazes to precise minute details I include in all of my works. Bio // ROBERT KRAIZA (pronounced: cry-zuh) is an illustrator and fine artist who lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied Media Arts and Animation at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Interested in many media, he often paints in monochrome watercolor on a small scale, inspired by the Victorian era and whimsical dreams in both his art and personal aesthetic. Depicting fantasy worlds from the hidden life of nineteenth century witches to miniature children...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

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Freya (Seated Backwards), Mixed media on grey board
Located in London, GB
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Seated Couple
Located in Santa Fe, NM
A rare 1963 Ink on Paper drawing of an enraptured couple by Milton Hebald, beautifully executed on a lovely blue Italian rag paper. Drawn during his years in Rome where he had been awarded the prestigious 'Prix de Rome Fellowship to the American Academy' three years in a row - 1955, 1956 and 1957. Hebald is regarded as one of the most important American figurative sculptors...
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MB 827 (Contemporary Life Drawing of Two Nude Males by Mark Beard)
Located in Hudson, NY
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Sculpture Motives
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A drawing by Henry Moore. "Sculpture Motives" is a semi-abstract, figurative drawing, ink, watercolor, and wax crayon on paper in beige, white, and black platte by British modern art...
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Treesong (Contemporary, Realist Charcoal Landscape Drawing by Sue Bryan)
Located in Hudson, NY
Treesong (Contemporary, Realist Charcoal Landscape Drawing by Sue Bryan) 18 x 24 x 2 inches Charcoal and acrylic on Primed Arches Paper Mounted on Wood Panel Excellent condition, Ready to hang as is This contemporary charcoal landscape drawing on arches paper was completed in 2021 by Sue Bryan. Born in Ireland, the artist uses landscapes from her childhood as inspiration for her current work primarily consisting of beautifully detailed charcoal drawings of trees and wooded landscapes. The artist captures exquisite detail and luminous light with the mere use of black and white charcoal and carbon pencil. The artist creates this tree through a blend of light and shadow that demonstrates the artist's masterful technique. Dark leaves and winding branches in black charcoal contrast elegantly against a light filled sky. There is sturdy wire installed on the back for easy hanging. Artist Statement: "My work is drawing based. As a native of Ireland, the landscape there has certainly shaped and influenced my own history. Many of my drawings are of places that have a deep personal association for me; an endeavor perhaps to stay connected to my roots. My aim is not only to convey a sense of place and belonging, but also an attempt to capture the ineffable, to evoke a feeling or a memory, to invite the viewer to look beyond and beneath what they see. My process is one of building up tones and textures using a combination of charcoal, carbon and graphite, all of which yield a wonderful range of blacks and grays that vary in density and transparency as much as in tonality. Much of drawing’s appeal to me lies in its very constraint, in its simplification, in the reduction of nature’s macrocosm to the coal-black char of organic matter. For me, the act of drawing is an end in itself." About the work: A native of Ireland, Sue Bryan explores the memories of youth rooted in her homeland's landscape. Employing charcoal on both paper and panel, these moody and misty studies reminds us that the water-locked terrain is not always sunny and green. Exquisite detail found in each tree branch or mass of tall grasses lining the horizon dominates the foreground. Light emulates from the background attempting to penetrate the density of opaque cloud cover. Bryan's small scale drawings convey an intimate and highly personal sense of place and belonging. SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2019 'A Quiet Respite", Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY 2018 'DRAWN',5th Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, Manifest Gallery, OH 2018 'On Paper - An Exhibition of Drawings', Florence Academy of Art, NJ 2018 'MONOCHROME', Bo.Lee Gallery, London 2017 'Arboreal', Manifest Gallery, OH 2017 'Hudson Valley Landscapes', Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY 2017 'Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, October 2017 'A Long Way from Home', Bo.Lee Gallery, London 2017 187th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland 2017 'Palette', Abend Gallery, Denver, CO 2017 'Summer Exhibit', Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, New York 2017 'Exquisite Abandon : Contemporary Miniature Works', Laguna College of Art & Design 2017 8th Annual Drawing Discourse, University of North Carolina Ashville 2017 'Small is Beautiful', Le Salon Vert, Geneva Switzerland 2016 'Smart Dust', Group Show, Sla307, 307 West 30th Street, New York, NY 2016 'Inside Outside', Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY 2016 7th Annual Drawing Discourse, S Tucker Cooke Gallery, University of North Carolina Asheville 2016 186th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland 2016 DRAWN, 3rd Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, Manifest Gallery, OH 2016 'Summer Group Invitational', George Billis Gallery, NYC 2015 'Radical Inventions', Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY 2015 'Strange Paradise', First Street Gallery's National Juried Exhibition, Juror Steven Harvey 2015 185th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland 2015 'DRAWN' 2nd Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, Manifest Gallery 2015 7th Annual Juried Exhibition, Prince Street Gallery, NYC, Juror Robert Berlind 2015 Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition, Heuser Art Center, IL, Juror Beth Grabowski 2015 'Interactive Lines' Small Group Invitational, Cabarrus Arts Council, Condor, NC 2014 ‘Regarding the Sublime’, Small Group Invitational, North Park University, IL 2014 27th Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery 2014 184th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland 2014 'DRAWN’ 1st Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, Manifest Gallery 2014 POP-UP : On and Off the Wall, Series 2, Invited Artist, First Street Gallery, NYC 2014 5th Drawing Discourse, University of North Carolina, Asheville, Juror Tim Lowly 2013 VISTA [landscape in contemporary art], National Juried Show, Manifest Gallery 2013 Marks, A National Juried Drawing Exhibition, Madelon Powers Art Gallery, East Stroudsburg University, PA 2013 American Art Today : Figures, The Bascom, A Center for Visual Art, Juror Jonathan Stuhlman 2013 First Street Gallery's National Juried Exhibition, Juror Donald Kuspit 2013 4th Annual Drawing Discourse, S Tucker Cooke Gallery, University of North Carolina, Asheville, Juror Susan Hauptman 2012 Fort Wayne Museum of Art Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Juror Frank Bernarducci 2012 25th Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Juror Sarah McKenzie 2011 Salmagundi Annual Non-Member Open Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC 2011 33rd Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition, Juror Robert E Marx
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Charcoal, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Previously Available Items
The wild grass Caroline Veith Contemporary drawing flora
Located in Paris, FR
Acrylic paint and ink on tracing paper Hand-signed and dated lower right
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Acrylic

Nude - Original Watercolor by Anastasia Kurakina - 2015
Located in Roma, IT
Nude is an original watercolor realized by Anastasia Kurakina in March 2015. The little artwork is in good condition and with vivid colors. Hand signed by the artist on the lower l...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Super Stuck
Located in Jersey City, NJ
"Super Stuck", by Casey Bolding, 2020. Unique, acrylic, oil pastel and bubble gum on board, framed in a simple black frame. Figurative, whimsical, Super...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Paper, Acrylic

Anxiety
By Emily Smith
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Anxiety" is an original watercolor painting with a floral fabric overlay/background by Emily Smith measuring 23"h x 16"w. The piece is shipped in the pictured fabric-covered custom...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

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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.

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