On the dangers of not repeating yourself.

Digging into an old rucksack the other day I discovered some water drawings I had done with a 6B pencil on a nice rough paper, and which I had completely forgotten about.

What I had not forgotten was that I later sketched these same subjects in pastel on gesso panels, in colour, obviously, but there was no connection in my mind between the pencil drawings and the later pastels, which may have been done a year or more apart.

Did the drawings help me with the pastels? Can a drawing which is not made as a study, later help you with a painting of the same subject?

Possibly, possibly not, but I found it interesting to compare them because although the drawing and the painting are very different, they are of the same event. Perhaps they make a more interesting comparison because they are so far from identical?

I leave it to my audience to judge!

Jonathan Bowden