Pencil study for 'The Debden Kidd'

Hi guys,

Latest update … rather than reinvent the wheel, the following text is from my site:

Here’s the final pencil study for ‘The Debden Kidd’. The main benefit of this exercise is my further familiarization with the hoped-for final scene and its various subtle nuances. The process of actually laying down tones in pencil like this is a sort of built-in layer of once again examining the scene and making decisions; but this time with the added goal of comparing tones and values – all before the first blob of paint is squeezed out of the tube.

This is not intended to be a brushstroke by brushstroke guide for the upcoming oil study and final canvas. This is borne out by the lack of detail overall. Areas that I thought I needed to examine further received more attention at this stage. Parts like the sky, the groundwork, and the five airborne airplanes, all where I had a pretty good idea of where I was going, I indicated with only minimum detail, sometimes completing these elements quite rapidly. Though the overall finish is ‘loose’, these pieces do look quite attractive when properly framed. In fact, some collectors specialize in acquiring preliminary studies. Those that remain unsold make excellent displays at shows, very effectively displaying the various steps each artist takes when creating representational artwork.

Study for The Debden Kidd
Pencil on vellum
10 x 24