The simple act of drawing a small, quick composition of the subject will certainly help the later process of painting the subject. During the drawing procedure, the act raises questions that are confronted and hopefully answered, before the painting begins. The ability to draw is the basis of good design and composition because drawing, by its very nature, is an analytical activity that requires us to consider and resolve questions of design and composition. For a representational artist, I feel sound drawing is essential and should establish the proper foundation for the painting.

Here, for your viewing are a small number of preliminary drawings that were taken from my sketch books. By no means are they great works of art, but they are important aids about chosen subjects that were being translated into two-dimensional diagrams. Not only does a preliminary drawing help me with my design of the composition, but the on-hands experience of getting submerged into the subject before the painting begins, also aids me greatly to understand the complexities of the subject. I find this to be extremely helpful during the painting process that takes place later.

Please click on the links to the left
to view some preliminary sketches.