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Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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
Portrait of a Boy - Pencil Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1980
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of a boy is an original drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland in 1980. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. The artist want to define a ...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Early Marks No. 3
Located in Columbia, MO
Lita Kenyon was born in Marinette, Wisconsin. She attended Columbia College for her BFA, and earned her MA from Northern Illinois University 1982. She’s been featured in Empty Mirror...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Archival Paper, Oil, Wood Panel

Female Portrait - Drawing - 1965
Located in Roma, IT
Female Portrait is a modern artwork realized in 1965. Mixed colored drawing on paper. Signature and date on the lower margin. 
Category

1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper

Portrait of a Boy - Original Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1980
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of a boy is an original drawing in pen realized by Anthony Roaland in 1981. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. In the foreground the boy is de...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Factory XII: modernist urban architectural collage on monoprint in red, unframed
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is one-of-a-kind, unframed colored pencil & collage on archival pigment print. See image gallery for example of framing possibilities. These pieces work particularly well as a s...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Handmade Paper, Monoprint, Monotype

Norina's Room - Gouache by Erté - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Norina's Room is an artwork realized by Erté (Romain de Tirtoff). Gouache on paper, hand signed lower right. Titled on rear. cm. 28x18 Good conditions. Romain de Tirtoff, know...
Category

1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gouache

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 Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Ink, Tempera

Anonymous Self Portrait LIV
Located in New York, NY
Ink, graphite, and oil paint on double-sided frosted Mylar film mounted to board Signed and dated on label, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Cub...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mylar, Oil, Board, Graphite, Ink

Horses - Contemporary art, Figurative Painting, Animals, Classics, Art master
By Jozef Wilkon
Located in Warsaw, PL
JÓZEF WILKOŃ (born in 1930) Polish illustrator, painter and art historian. He studied at the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow (diploma in 1955) and at the F...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Paper

Studio 54 - Code Blue - Gyotaku Style Sumi Ink Painting of an Octopus
Located in Chicago, IL
A small octopus is inked in the Japanese style of Gyo-Taku print making. Using sumi ink to "print" the octopus, the artist then embellishes it with colored pencil to convey an extra...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Sumi Ink, Watercolor, Mulberry Paper, Color Pencil

Portrait of Nude Female Figure on Paper, Woman With Knees Up by America Martin
Located in 326 N Coast Hwy. | Laguna Beach, CA
America Martin "Woman With Knees Up" Pastel & Ink on Paper 24” x 18” AMERICA MARTIN is an internationally represented Colombian-American fine artist based in Los Angeles. America i...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Ink

Baby Drawing
Located in Washington , DC, DC
"RADIANT BABY" DRAWING on the catalogue endpaper executed the evening of the Los Angeles gallery exhibition of ten paintings on canvas, thirty bl...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Permanent Marker, Paper

Baby Drawing
$10,800 Sale Price
20% Off
Teens at the beach - Original Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1982
Located in Roma, IT
Teens at the beach is an original drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland in 1982. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. The three boys are represe...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Specious
Located in Buffalo, NY
This large scale charcoal on paper is from the artist's series "These fragile truths". This body of work explores the limitations and aesthetics of human memory through portraiture...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Charcoal

Lands End 2005 No. 4 / blue watercolor, beautifully framed
Located in Burlingame, CA
Glorious electric cobalt blue Land's end watercolor from William Stanisich, whose provocative Land’s End series was painted over a 40-year span with a force and directness that refle...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Green Landscape
Located in Columbia, MO
Green Landscape Pastels 2023 8.5 x 8.5
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel

The Boy at the Sea - Original Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1980
Located in Roma, IT
The boy at the sea is an original drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland in 1980. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. The artist represents the f...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Three Boys - Original Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1980s
Located in Roma, IT
Three boys is an original drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland. In the foreground the threefigures are depicted with a delicate and harmonious style. Good conditions.
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Untitled, Watercolor on Paper, Brown Color by Contemporary Artist "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Sanjay Bhattacharya - Untitled - 10 x 14 inches (unframed size) Watercolour on Paper , 1992 ( UNFRAMED ALL IN DOOR DELIVERED ) Style : Sanjay'...
Category

1990s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Motherhood Ahead / portrait head drawing, ink, pencil, watercolor, monochrome
Located in Burlingame, CA
Motherhood Ahead is created with china crayon, ink wash on Yupo paper and comes matted and backed in a museum quality presentation mat. The pensive young woman's head is monochrome b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Ink, Watercolor

Woman and Dog - Drawing by Leo Guida - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Woman and Dog is an original drawing in Original Ink and Watercolor, realized by Leo Guida in the 1970s. The status of preservation Good. The artwork i...
Category

1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Watercolor

"The Hills" Abstract Colorful Organic Patterned Landscape Watercolor Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Contemporary organic abstract watercolor painting by Texas-based artist Tina Ruyi. The work features red, blue, and yellow cylindrical shapes in a wavy pattern reminiscent of a rolli...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor

Factory IX: modernist urban architectural collage on monoprint in red, framed
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This framed work is one-of-a-kind colored pencil & collage on archival pigment print. The work itself is 20" x 16", and it is framed to 26" x 20" in a contemporary, simple white wood...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Monoprint, Monotype, Handmade Paper

Study for “David and Goliath”
Located in New York, NY
Study for “David and Goliath” Graphite and black ink on paper 8.5 x 11 inches (21.6 x 27.9 cm) This work is offered by ClampArt in New York City.
Category

1960s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Graphite

Underworld
Located in San Francisco, CA
Paula Valenzuela Underworld, 2025 Alcohol ink and watercolor ink on Yupo paper 14 x 11 inches This one-of-a-kind work on paper comes unframed. External, visible frame and glass in s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor

NIGHT COURIER
Located in New York, NY
watercolor and pencil drawing of a small airplane. framed in a silver leaf frame. landscape
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Wolf Moon
Located in Chicago, IL
Born in Hollywood and raised in the urban sprawls of Los Angeles, Julio’s artistic aesthetic was shaped early on by the platinum light and expansive concrete horizons of southern Cal...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Rag Paper, Ink

Factory X: modernist urban architectural collage on monoprint in red, framed
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This framed work is one-of-a-kind colored pencil & collage on archival pigment print. The work itself is 20" x 16", and it is framed to 26" x 20" in a contemporary, simple white wood...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Handmade Paper, Monoprint, Monotype

Demon Mask with Skull Helmet in Neo-Japanese Style
Located in Soquel, CA
Demon Mask with Skull Helmet in Neo-Japanese Style Boldly colored depiction of a demon mask by an unknown artist. A bright yellow mask stares out at the viewer, with a broad grin. A...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Permanent Marker

Antonopoulos Apostolos
Located in New York, NY
This drawing by James Childs is offered by CLAMP in New York City. Antonopoulos Apostolos 2004 Signed and titled, recto Graphite on paper 12 x 8.25 inches.
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Graphite

"Indian Paradise Flycatcher" Delicate Miniature Bird in Watercolor Layered Paper
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Indian Paradise Flycatcher" is an original piece by Nayan and Venus made from watercolor on layered hand-cut paper. This piece measures 11.75”h x 9.5”w x 1"d framed, and is shipped ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Andreas Zisimos
Located in New York, NY
This is a drawing by James Childs offered by CLAMP in New York City. 2004 Signed and titled, recto Graphite and Conté crayon on paper 12 x 8.25 inches
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Conté, Graphite

Portrait - Watercolor by Anastasia Kurakina - 2019
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait 2019 is an original and beautiful watercolor realized by Anastasia Kurakina in 2019. The picture is in good conditions, on a brown paper. Hand-signed by the artist on the ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

View of Henningsvaer Lofoten - Watercolor by Armin Guther - 1986
Located in Roma, IT
View of Henningsvaer Lofoten is an Original Watercolor realized by Armin Guther in 1986. Good condition, included a white cardboard passpartout (50x40 cm). Hand-signed and dated on...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Creeping Blue Ring - Gyotaku Style Sumi Ink Painting of an Octopus
Located in Chicago, IL
A small octopus is inked in the Japanese style of Gyo-Taku print making. Using sumi ink to "print" the octopus, the artist then embellishes it with colored pencil to convey an extra...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Sumi Ink, Watercolor, Mulberry Paper, Color Pencil

Paris with Apples Neo Mythology by Paula Craioveanu
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Paris with Apples" The original legend says Paris, prince of Troy had one golden apple, and had to choose between 3 goddesses. Modern Paris has more than one apple, and he is depi...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Tempera

A Crown Frown
Located in Burlingame, CA
Provocative portrait of a young woman, in primarily celadon green and cream, wearing a crown and offering a pensive look, from Kim Frohsin, who is often associated with the Bay Area ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Color Pencil, Ink, Mixed Media, Paper, Pencil

Composition - Drawing by Leo Guida - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Composition is an original contemporary artwork realized in 1970 ca. by the Italian Contemporary artist Leo Guida (1992 - 2017). Included two original drawings in mixed on ivory-c...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Ink, Watercolor

Japanese Contemporary Art by Minako Asakura - Rabbit
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on paper with frame Minako Asakura is a Japanese artist born in 1973 who lives & works in Tokyo, Japan. As graphic designer & art director, she was involved for more than ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Suppose
Located in Buffalo, NY
This large scale charcoal on paper is from the artist's series "These fragile truths". This body of work explores the limitations and aesthetics of human memory through portraitu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Charcoal

Boy at the Beach - Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1981
Located in Roma, IT
Boy at the beach is an original drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland in 1981. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. The boy is represented with a ...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

"Persephone" by Anna Pennati, pastel on black cardboard, greek mythology
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. is the daug...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel

Nosferatu The Vampire - Drawing by Enrico Josef Cucchi - 2019
Located in Roma, IT
Nosferatu The Vampire is an original China ink drawing realized by the Italian artist Enrico Josef Cucchi in 2019. Hand-signed and dated on the lower r...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

UNTITLED (TWO HEADS)
Located in Aventura, FL
Original conte crayon on paper. Dated "12.84" lower margin. Provenance: Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York. Artwork size 12.5 x 9.5 inches. Fram...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Crayon

UNTITLED (TWO HEADS)
UNTITLED (TWO HEADS)
$27,600 Sale Price
20% Off
Woman with Blossoms, America Martin_Ink on Paper_Figurative/Portrait/Floral
Located in 326 N Coast Hwy. | Laguna Beach, CA
America Martin "Woman with Blossoms" Ink on Paper 33.75” x 31” Framed AMERICA MARTIN is an internationally represented Colombian-American fine artist based in Los Angeles. America ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Open Window - Drawing by Roberto Cuccaro - 2000s
Located in Roma, IT
Open Window is an original Contemporary Artwork realized in the 21st Century by Roberto Cuccaro. Original Gouache on paper. Hand-signed on the lower right corner: Cuccaro. Total ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Snowy Owl" Delicate Paper and Watercolor Assemblage
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Snowy Owl" is an original piece by Nayan and Venus made from watercolor on layered hand-cut paper. This piece measuures 11.75”h x 9.5”w x 1"d framed, and is...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Delivered and Discarded (positive) #1" dimensional collage of sumi ink on Tyvek
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Delivered and Discarded (positives) #1" is an original wall-hanging piece by Yoonmi Nam. This piece is made from the flattening out packing boxes that the artist traces to depict t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Found Objects, Sumi Ink, Synthetic Paper

Ma questa volta… aspetto (But This Time I'll be waiting) - Drawing- 2017
Located in Roma, IT
Ma questa volta… aspetto (But This Time I'll be Waiting) is a beautiful artwork realized by Maurizio Gracceva in the 2017. Mixed colored ink on paper. Hand signed by the artist. T...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Frammenti – Original Abstract Landscape Drawing on Fabriano Paper, Made in Italy
Located in Agrigento, AG
"Frammenti – Original Abstract Landscape Drawing on Fabriano Paper with Mineral Oxide by Marilina Marchica, Italy 2023" Artwork Overview Artist: Marilina Marchica Title: Frammenti M...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Pigment

Female Figure - Drawing by Leo Guida - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Female Figure is an original artwork realized in the 1970s by the Italian Contemporary artist Leo Guida (1992 - 2017). Original drawings in china ink . Good conditions except for...
Category

1970s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink

Composition - Drawing by Maurizio Gracceva - 2010
Located in Roma, IT
Composition is an original artwork realized by Maurizio Gracceva (Roma, 1955) in 2010. Good condition. Hand-signed. China ink and watercolor. Aut...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

India Ink, Watercolor

Nudes Study - Pastel Drawing on Paper by Arnold Heldink - Early 20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Nudes Study is an original modern artwork realized in the first years of the 20th Century by the artist Arnold Heldink (b. 1860-?). Original drawing on paper. Sigled in black char...
Category

Early 20th Century Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Delta Muscae - Black and White Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
New York artist Thomas Hammer is known for his motion-filled black and white ink works on paper. His artworks, created with a unique tool fusing a squeegee and a brush, are inspired ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink

The Boy at the Sea - Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1980
Located in Roma, IT
The boy at the sea is an original drawing pen realized by Anthony Roaland in 1980. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. The artwork represents a fresh a...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pen

Brothers - Original Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1981
Located in Roma, IT
Brothers is an original drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland in 1981 ca. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. In t...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

The Boy at the Sea - Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1980
Located in Roma, IT
The boy at the sea is a drawing on pencil realized by Anthony Roaland in 1980. Hand-signed and dated by the artist on the lower right margin. The artwork represents a fresh and be...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

"Kissing the Stamen" 2025
Located in New York, NY
Marilla Palmer Kissing the Stamen, 2025 watercolor, sequins, pressed petals, Durabrite prints, stitching on Arches cold press paper 30 x 22 in. (pal255) Marilla Palmer lives and wo...
Category

2010s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Rambling Rose, Jo Haran, Contemporary Floral Artwork, Original Work On Paper
Located in Deddington, GB
Rambling Rose by Jo Haran [2020] original Gouache, watercolour ink and gesso. Image size: H:72.5 cm x W:52.5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:76 cm ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Nude of Boy - Original Pencil Drawing by Anthony Roaland - 1981
Located in Roma, IT
Boy Nude is an Original Pencil Drawing realized by Anthony Roaland in 1981. Good condition on a white cardboard, one margin with tear type notepad. Monogram...
Category

1980s Contemporary Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Contemporary drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary drawings and watercolor paintings 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 drawings and watercolor paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Leo Guida, Reginald K. Gee, David Barnett, and Luis Miguel Valdes . 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 drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 0.79 inches across are also available. Prices for drawings and watercolor paintings 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 $295,000, while the average work sells for $1,201.

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