Seated nude - Composition sketch (pen on paper)

Seated nude - pen study on paper

This was a quick study in lights and darks, the idea behind the sketch is not to be a final work of art, but rather to be a template to work from.
Unfortunately I never did a painting of this pose from this angle, it was done in the last 5 minutes of a session and the model was unable to make the next session.

Pen sketch - composition drawing

Before starting a painting I will always do a sketch, often in pencil or charcoal. The idea behind the sketch is to test the tonality and the composition of the picture... it gives me a chance to solve the problems and complexities of the task at hand.

Once the sketch is done I'll often draw all over it as a choose which part of it I'll use as a painting and for measuring the drawing while transferring it to the canvas.

This sketch survived me - I spent more time on this drawing than I should have, but I loved doing it!