Preliminary Studies, Gouache and Graphite

Artist reflections on preliminary studies:

“Preliminary studies are an important way for me to explore a subject and experiment with colors, values and composition. Sometimes they are a study for a larger formal oil painting but they also can stand alone as a finished piece of art. Gouache is a fast medium to work with and its approach is similar to oils so it makes it easy to explore a subject with out too much time expended. I like the elegance of the pencil drawings and the thin lines against the larger dark masses and shapes. The black and white images can capture a mood and strength that a painting sometimes can't.”