Drawing for the next painting

By beginning with a drawing, I can let the composition of a piece start to tell its story without the complexity of color. Working from a reference photo taken in northern New Mexico, I begin plotting out the position and direction of the darks & lights and clarifying the composition of the drawing.

The beginning of a drawing – laying in the darks and lights

Developing the entire drawing-

Strengthening the darks –

The finished drawing. Charcoal on paper, 10x16 in