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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
Friend 2022. Paper/pencil, 29.1x20.1 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Friend 2022. Paper/pencil, 29.1x20.1 cm Liga Kalnina Artist Liga Kalnina(1990) is born in Riga, Latvia. Her artist interests is mainly realistically based -landscapes, architect...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

In the park 2022. Paper/mixed media, 12.3x14.3 cm
Located in Riga, LV
In the park 2022. Paper/mixed media, 12.3x14.3 cm Liga Kalnina Artist Liga Kalnina(1990) is born in Riga, Latvia. Her artist interests is mainly realistically based -landscapes,...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Mixed Media

Riga 2022. Paper/pen/mixed media, 14.8x19.4 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Riga 2022. Paper/pen/mixed media, 14.8x19.4 cm Liga Kalnina Artist Liga Kalnina(1990) is born in Riga, Latvia. Her artist interests is mainly realistically based -landscapes, ar...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Pen

Dorothy
Located in New Orleans, LA
Laura Tanner Graham's drawings and installations are often discussed as part of the Southern Gothic literary tradition, sharing similar themes with authors such as Flannery O’Connor ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mylar, Mixed Media, Ink

La Calavera
Located in New Orleans, LA
ESPERANZA CORTÉS is a Colombian born contemporary multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. Cortés has exhibited in the United States in solo and group exhibitions in venues ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Glass, Ink, Handmade Paper

Coffee Peloton XXXI by Eliza Southwood, Original drawing, Coffee art [2022]
Located in Deddington, GB
Coffee Peloton XXXI by Eliza Southwood [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Coffee on Paper Image size: H:42 cm x W:60 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:42 cm x W:60 cm ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Coffee

Creative Breath of Life, Rosie Phipps, Watercolour on Paper, 2022
Located in Deddington, GB
Creative Breath of Life by Rosie Phipps [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Watercolour and Gouache on Paper Image size: H:10 cm x W:26 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Shewolf
Located in New Orleans, LA
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 Internationale des B...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite, Linen

Plaything
Located in New Orleans, LA
Plaything, 20”x20”, Ink on Hand-Cut Mylar, 2018 This piece focuses on America's cultural appropriation and exploitation of Mexican culture. Living in the desert Southwest...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mylar, Ink

#2209H, David Jones, Original drawing, Minimalist Drawing, Nude art, Figurative
Located in Deddington, GB
#2209H by David Jones [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Ink on Paper Image size: H:40 cm x W:29 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:29 cm x D:0.1cm Sold Unfra...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Coffee Espresso #11, Eliza Southwood, Original drawing on paper, Coffee art
Located in Deddington, GB
Coffee Espresso #11 by Eliza Southwood [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Coffee on Paper Image size: H:42.5 cm x W:59.5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:42.5 cm x W:59.5 cm x D:0.1cm Sold Unframed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Coffee Espresso #11 by Eliza Southwood is an original artwork by Eliza Southwood. It features one cyclist painted in coffee, combining cycling...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Coffee

Charcoal Portrait of Long Haired Man
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
This evocative charcoal drawing portrays a man with dark, shoulder-length hair, gazing contemplatively to the right. The artist skillfully captures the intensity of the subject’s exp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

O
Located in Fairlawn, OH
O Watercolor on Yupo paper, 2018 Signed with the artist's initials (see photo) Note: The Series MORE? is centered around the artist’s family. There are two images of the artist’s s...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Study for “The Breaker of Chains”
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Study for “The Breaker of Chains” Watercolor on Yupo paper, 2018 Signed with the artist's initials lower right (see photo) For the Midtown (Cleveland) Mural, located on 28th and Euc...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Stolen Moments, Attitude Shift #1 (Emily and Sippy Cup Smiling)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Stolen Moments, Attitude Shift #1 (Emily and Sippy Cup Smiling) Watercolor on Twinrocker Multi Purpose paper, 2019 Signed with the artist's initials lower right Signed with the artist's "Yummy" blind stamp lower right Exhibited: LA Art, 2020, January 2020 Condition: excellent Image/Sheet size: 10 1/8 x 12 3/4 inches Frame size: 14 x 17 inches Darius Steward Biography Darius Steward is establishing himself as a master of the medium of watercolor and large public murals. In 2018, Steward created two large public murals, “Breaker of Chains”, a 200’ by 6’ in height mural for the Midtown Cleveland/Cleveland State University and “Support” on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland. A new mural “Waiting Room” has been finished at SUMMA Health Care Tower, Akron, Ohio. Darius is currently working on a public sculpture commission for the Cleveland Public Library...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Last Dance (study)
Located in New Orleans, LA
[ New Orleans, LA :: b.1959, Augsburg, Germany ] In 1959, Ruth Owens was born to a young German woman and a Black serviceman from Georgia. The nomadic military lifestyle of her chi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Casein

"Bean"
Located in Toronto, ON
Sara Shields works in chalk pastels, coloured pencil, and ink to create large-scale drawings that evoke an otherworldly quality. She graduated from Centennial College’s Fine Arts Stu...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk, Oil Pastel

Deddington Hedges by Cornelia Fitzroy, Pastel drawing, Landscape, Nature
Located in Deddington, GB
Deddington Hedges by Cornelia Fitzroy [2022] original and hand signed by the artist Pastel on Paper Image size: H:23 cm x W:30 cm Complete Size of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Madrileña
Located in London, GB
Unframed
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper

Coffee Peloton XXXI
Located in Deddington, GB
Coffee Peloton XXXI by Eliza Southwood [2022] original Coffee on Paper Image size: H:59.5 cm x W:42.5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:59.5 cm x ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Coffee

Coffee Espresso #8
Located in Deddington, GB
Coffee Espresso #8 by Eliza Southwood [2022] original Coffee on Paper Image size: H:59.5 cm x W:42.5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:59.5 cm x W:42.5 cm x D:0.1cm Sold Unfra...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Coffee

Centaure
Located in Morton Grove, IL
ink, watercolor, collage on paper
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

Mooncatcher
Located in Deddington, GB
Mooncatcher by Rebecca Denton [2018] limited_edition Etching and aquatint Edition number /40 Image size: H:20.5 cm x W:20.5 cm Complete Size of Unframe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Color Pencil

Dream Seeds
Located in Deddington, GB
Dream Seeds by Rebecca Denton [2019] limited_edition Etching and aquatint Edition number /40 Image size: H:21 cm x W:21 cm Complete Size of Unframed Wo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Color Pencil

Blue Bather, 2021
Located in Greenwich, CT
Blue Bather is a watercolor on paper painting, 9 x 6.26" image size, signed ‘HOFMANN’ lower left, and framed in a contemporary, white frame. Hofmann has remarked that Vermeer was th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

Coffee Espresso #3
Located in Deddington, GB
Coffee Espresso #3 by Eliza Southwood [2022] original Coffee on Paper Image size: H:42 cm x W:59 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:42 cm x W:59 cm x D:0.1cm Sold Unframed Ple...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Coffee

Original Ronald Shap figure drawing, signed
Located in Columbus, OH
Original oil pastel and gouache figure drawing by celebrated, twentieth-century California landscape painter, Ronald Shap. Evocative sketch of a kneeling m...
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Gouache

Stepping Out, black and white drawing of a man on a deck
Located in New York, NY
Charles Buckley sources images from the fifties and using acrylic ink, carefully renders familiar scenes of the everyday with lines of varying thicknesses. The subjects run the gamut...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Graphite

Sally and Her Mustang, work on paper, woman with blue car, vintage
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic ink on paper. Paper size: 12" x 12" Frame size: 20" x 20" Charles Buckley lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. His current work, entitled “Striation Series,” demonstrates a mast...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

The Hitter, black and white work on paper, girl playing baseball, dots
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic ink on paper. Paper size: 11.25" x 17" Frame size: 19.25" x 25" Charles Buckley lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. His current work, entitled “Striation Series,” demonstrates ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Ice Chandeliers in Madawaska, black and white charcoal drawing of ice and snow
Located in New York, NY
Charcoal on paper drawing by Toronto-based artist Katherine Curci. Unframed. Katherine Curci began this series of charcoal drawings, premiered in This...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

Figures in the Grass, Contemporary Gouache Painting by Robert Beauchamp
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Beauchamp, American (1923 - 1995) Title: Figures in the Grass Year: 1994 Medium: Gouache on Paper, signed Image Size: 21.5 x 29.5 inches Size: 22.5 x 30.25 in. (57.15 ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache

Fashion Model full figure in profile
Located in Miami, FL
Fashion Illustration. Work is unframed. Free standing heavy watercolor paper loosely hinged to board. Excellent condition.
Category

1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

Woman in Prayer Pose
Located in Surfside, FL
William Anthony Born 1934, Forth Monmouth, NJ. and grew up in Washington State. Education 1958 Yale, New Haven, CT, B.A European History 1959-60 San Francisco Art Institute, CA 1961...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Rituals #1 Hélène Duclos, 21st Century Contemporary figurative art, orange green
Located in Paris, FR
Gouache, color pencil and graphite on paper Signed lower right Unique work 1 / Hélène DUCLOS, 2016 – Artist Statement “Questioning the human condition and the position of being ali...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache, Color Pencil, Graphite

Tree of life – forest light
Located in Fairfield, CT
I was born in Manhattan, but the most important places in my life have been here on Long Island by the ocean and in the mountains and forests of Vermont. I love to surf, I love to sk...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, India Ink

INKLING NO. 18
Located in New York, NY
photograph of an imaginary creature called an INKLING. Edition of 1/8
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Inkjet

Original Ronald Shap figure drawing, signed
Located in Columbus, OH
Original oil pastel and gouache figure drawing by celebrated, twentieth-century California landscape painter, Ronald Shap. Sketch of a shirtless man in sun...
Category

1990s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Gouache

"Calipso" by Anna Pennati
Located in Milano, MI
This artwork is part of the series that Anna Pennati has dedicated to Homer's Odyssey, a subject very dear to her and one that she has tackled several times in the past. Calipso was...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel

"The Fairy" by Anna Pennati - acrylic and oil pastel on paper
Located in Milano, MI
Inspired by William Blake's poem "The Fairy" Exhibited in Milan (Italy) in 2005. Original hand made Exclusively on 1stdibs measures are referred to the painting. Passepartout is 50x...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel, Ink, Acrylic

First Contact
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Coming out of Sonny Assu's artist residency at the Institute of American Indian Arts, they have created a new body of work called the Santa Fe series. The artwork is filled with flui...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Mixed Media, Archival Paper

Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Graphite on Paper Drawing - Profile Flying 446.001
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Profile Flying 446.001 - Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Graphite on Paper Drawing Profile Flying 446.001 is from Linda Stein's Profiles series--drawings, collages and painting...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Desire No. 69 (I want someone to cuddle with)
Located in Buffalo, NY
A contemporary drawing by American artist Tina Dillman from her recent "Our Desires" series. Drawings from this series are being offered for sale to benefit Dillman's residency progr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink, Pen

Desire No. 85 (I want to learn to say no)
Located in Buffalo, NY
A contemporary drawing by American artist Tina Dillman from her recent "Our Desires" series. Drawings from this series are being offered for sale to benefit Dillman's residency progr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Archival Paper, Ink, Pen

Icarus - Lajos Szalay, 20th Century, Figurative drawing
Located in Paris, FR
Ink on paper Unique work This work was executed by the Hungarian artist circa 1970. Pablo Picasso said about Lajos Szalay : "He is the best designer in the world after myself !".
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Go through the trials #7 Hélène Duclos 21st Century drawing art landscape red
Located in Paris, FR
This drawing is part of the current exhibition entitled "The fantastic story of the liquid mountain" at Claire Corcia Gallery in Paris. The liquid mountain is populated by living be...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache, Graphite

BLIND SELF PORTRAIT
Located in New York, NY
ink drawing on paper blind contour drawing, artists self-portrait
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Linda Stein, Shadow Figures 987 - Contemporary Art Drawing Collage, blue black
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Shadow Figures 987 - Contemporary Art Drawing Collage - blue, black, green, white Linda Stein started her Knights of Protection series after she was forced to evacuate ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Magazine Paper

Linda Stein, Knights Revisited 1030 - Contemporary Art Bright Colorful Drawing
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Knights Revisited 1030 - Contemporary Art Bright Colorful Drawing Linda Stein started her Knights of Protection series after she was forced to evacuate her New York dow...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Permanent Marker

Linda Stein, Studying Japanese 991 - Contemporary 3D Sculptural Drawing Collage
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Studying Japanese 991 - Contemporary 3D Sculptural Drawing Collage In 2000, Linda Stein began a series called Knights of Protection. Her Knights functioned both as de...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Cotton, Paper, Ink, Magazine Paper

Big Hibiscus II
Located in Fairfield, CT
Making art is my greatest form of escapism. Although often hard work, it is for me like a portal into another world where I envision a better place than where we are. Whether working...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper

Fly Over New York City Illustration - Optimism - Empire State Building
Located in Miami, FL
If people don't swat you . . . then something else happens." Illustration for Blechman's popular book Franklin the Fly (Mankato, MN: Creative Editions, 2007). Watercolor, pen and ink...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Pen

Stolen Moments #2
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Stolen Moments #2 Watercolor on Twinrocker All Purpose Paper Signed with the artist's initials lower right (see photo) From the series: Stolen Moments Signed with the artist's "Yummy...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Acrylic Paint on Paper Drawing - Profile Flying 446.091
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Profile Flying 446.091 - Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Acrylic Paint on Paper Drawing Profile Flying 446.091 is from Linda Stein's Profiles series--drawings, collages and pai...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Graphite on Paper Drawing - Profile Flying 446.025
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Profile Flying 446.025 - Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Graphite on Paper Drawing Profile Flying 446.025 is from Linda Stein's Profiles series--drawings, collages and painting...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Ink on Paper Drawing - Profile Flying 446.003
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Profile Flying 446.003 - Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Ink on Paper Drawing Profile Flying 446.003 is from Linda Stein's Profiles series--drawings, collages and paintings of...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Board

Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Graphite on Paper Drawing - Profile Flying 446.014
Located in New York, NY
Linda Stein, Profile Flying 446.014 - Signed Feminist LGBTQ+ Graphite on Paper Drawing Profile Flying 446.014 is from Linda Stein's Profiles series--drawings, collages and painting...
Category

1970s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

The wild weeds Caroline Veith Contemporary drawing figurative art red colour
Located in Paris, FR
Acrylic paint and ink on translucent paper Hand-signed and dated lower right
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Acrylic

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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