004
The principal sketch for the piece fumbling in the dark from the body of work the last five years
Produced within Fall 2022 | Colored pencil and graphite on smooth Bristol paper | Roughly 5 inches x 6 inches
Overall, this sketch has a cooler, less earthy palette than the final piece, particularly regarding the upper composition. Seeking the proper balance for the various compositional characteristics within fumbling in the dark was my primary focus. I exchanged a greater sense of depth and warmth in the upper section for what the sketch first presented. The trees became far denser, the sky space shrunk, and dark umber would predominate. Exploring graphite’s weight across the entire image and how it interacted with forms and hues was crucial since I had not utilized it to this extent in any previous piece in the last five years. I sought to layer the figure in such a way as to shroud yet not overburden, and the final piece displays more gradation in the graphite as a result. This is true also for where lemon yellow appears since the sketch served as an opportunity to determine how much graphite it could successfully take before losing its potency. My experience of bringing fumbling in the dark to life was very intimidating, and this sketch served especially as an aid for the figure in determining how to most effectively shape and place its limbs. This, too, accounts for how different the final piece’s figure is from the sketch. Regarding phrases and words used, there was a general development towards richness and nuance. An actual date and time in the sketch’s upper right corner—a timestamp that directly connects to the memory from which the piece was inspired—was translated into a more ambiguous approximation: “it was still Christmastime”. “what is that” became “what are you doing” and “I just…I don’t get it”; and “you’re a complete fool” would transform into “you’re an utter fool, boy”. These and all of the words found in the sketch were less effectively composed than how they would eventually manifest in the end result, which was a fruit of being process-oriented throughout the execution stage. For fumbling in the dark, this meant a process primarily centered on entanglement through discovery and actively seeking to incorporate each element gently in relation to the graphite, ensuring proper degrees of legibility and movement in relation to viewer focus. What began in the sketch as rather square and linear relationships would ultimately become more swirling and whimsical, which demonstrates the efficacy of approaching a piece such as this with patience.
The backside is rather simple for this sketch and lists the palette. In the lower right corner is an example of my hue selection process, which typically involves juxtaposing values to see the effect they have on one another. I find these interactions can sometimes be ascertained immediately with proximity and other times through more intense layering. Here the former was the case and the most fitting colors were uncovered rather efficiently.