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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:  White
Offsprings
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Offsprings

Renato Garza Cervera
Offsprings, 2017

Predator Cold Blooded Slogan
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Predator Cold Blooded Slogan

Renato Garza Cervera
Predator Cold Blooded Slogan, 2017

Unbalanced Ideal
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Through processes like transgression, confrontation and hybridization Renato Garza Cervera’s work questions and generates a series of reflections upon contemporary culture and relate...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper

Unbalanced Ideal

Renato Garza Cervera
Unbalanced Ideal, 2018

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #15
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #15
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #15

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #15, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #14
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #14
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #14

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #14, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #10
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #10
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #10

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #10, 2017

Three Knots
By Monica Zeringue
Located in New Orleans, LA
graphite on claybord Monica Zeringue received her MFA from the University of New Orleans in 2006, and her BA in 1993. In 1999 she was awarded the Prix de l'Acadamie de Paris, Soci...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Three Knots

Monica Zeringue
Three Knots, 2008

Structure IV
By Monica Zeringue
Located in New Orleans, LA
graphite on paper Monica Zeringue received her MFA from the University of New Orleans in 2006, and her BA in 1993. In 1999 she was awarded the Prix de l'Acadamie de Paris, Societe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Structure IV

Monica Zeringue
Structure IV, 2008

Structure II
By Monica Zeringue
Located in New Orleans, LA
graphite on paper Monica Zeringue received her MFA from the University of New Orleans in 2006, and her BA in 1993. In 1999 she was awarded the Prix de l'Acadamie de Paris, Societe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Structure II

Monica Zeringue
Structure II, 2008

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #22
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #22
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #22

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #22, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #11
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #11
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #11

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #11, 2017

Glisten
By Monica Zeringue
Located in New Orleans, LA
medium: graphite and hand-sewn Swarovski crystals on primed linen Monica Zeringue received her MFA from the University of New Orleans in 2006, and her BA in 1993. In 1999 she was ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Glisten
Glisten

Monica Zeringue
Glisten, 2011

Light Envelope with Tape, realist watercolor and pencil still life, 2016
By Margot Glass
Located in New York, NY
Margot Glass explores the fragility of communication, and people’s natural drive to find narrative in even the most ordinary of objects. In her Envelopes series, Glass works in water...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Illustration Board

Light Envelope with Tape, realist watercolor and pencil still life, 2016
Light Envelope with Tape, realist watercolor and pencil still life, 2016

Margot Glass
Light Envelope with Tape, realist watercolor and pencil still life, 2016, 2016

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #2
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #2
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #2

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #2, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #6
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #6
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #6

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #6, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #23
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #23
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #23

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #23, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #29, 2017

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #21
By Renato Garza Cervera
Located in Montreal, Quebec
When does a line on a page become figurative? The series of drawings by Mexican artist Renato Garza Cervera entitled Mareas Humanas (Conflictos II) / Human Tides (Conflicts II) satis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

India Ink, Archival Paper

Human Tides (Conflicts II) #21
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #21

Renato Garza Cervera
Human Tides (Conflicts II) #21, 2017

Margot Glass, Envelope with Yellow Shadow, Watercolor and pencil still life
By Margot Glass
Located in New York, NY
Margot Glass explores the fragility of communication, and people’s natural drive to find narrative in even the most ordinary of objects. In her E...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Illustration Board

Margot Glass, Envelope with Yellow Shadow, Watercolor and pencil still life
Margot Glass, Envelope with Yellow Shadow, Watercolor and pencil still life

Margot Glass
Margot Glass, Envelope with Yellow Shadow, Watercolor and pencil still life, 2016

RIC: Random Internet Cat #8
By Patrick Lichty
Located in New York, NY
Random Internet Cats 
Robotically-fabricated drawings on paper, these series formally deal with mediation from screen image to ‘drawing’ while using a computer-controlled pen plotte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Ink

RIC: Random Internet Cat #8

Patrick Lichty
RIC: Random Internet Cat #8, 2014

Untitled (Seated Nude Male Facing Left)
By Mark Beard
Located in New York, NY
Conté and colored pencil on paper 20.75 x 14.5 inches Contact gallery for price. This work is offered by CLAMP in New York City.
Category

20th Century Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Conté, Color Pencil

Untitled (Seated Nude Male Facing Left)

Mark Beard
Untitled (Seated Nude Male Facing Left)

Gemstone No. 22
Located in Kansas City, MO
Shannon Brouk Gemstone No. 22 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

Gemstone No. 22
Gemstone No. 22

Shannon Brouk
Gemstone No. 22, 2020

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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