A popular meme these days is "sketch vs. finish." Late last year I did a sketch/finish comparison of the Russian landscape painter Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898).
Here's another set of comparisons, starting with a preliminary sketch in pencil where he explores the overall composition.
A road leads back through fenced pastures to a gate. In the distance is a turn in the Kama River.
He must have liked this design because he drew a grid over it for enlargement.
Ivan Shishkin, The Kama River near Yelabuga (Кама близ Елабуги), 1895
Here's the finished painting. He arranged the lighting to put a spot of light on the road ahead. To get to that farther spot of light in the valley, you have to pass through the dark forest.
Shishkin used this basic idea in a night scene, apparently drawn in charcoal with gouache.
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Ivan Shishkin on WikiArt
Previously: Ivan Shishkin's comments about photo reference
The classic book on Shishkin is this Russian edition from the 1980s.
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Both posts very worthwhile—thank you, your sharing of yours and others’ daily practice is very encouraging.
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