Master Copy of a Jan Van Huysum

Master Copy of a Jan Van Huysum

When it comes to creating artwork, the vision is what is important.

Sadie Valeri | Copy from a painting by Jan Van Huysum | 9×12 inches | graphite on paper

Focus on the vision: The intense flash of sensation and inspiration. Everything else flows from there.

Jan Van Huysum’s “Bouquet of Flowers in an Urn”, 1724

Capability, technique… none of that matters.

Four stages of the drawing in progress:
Straight-line block-in, shadow mapping, form shading, and using glassine paper to avoid smudging


Do you have a vision? The answer is always yes.

Focus on the vision, meditate on it, allow it to take root, memorize it. Whatever happens on the path to realizing the vision, attained or not, is the experience of living life in alignment with your true self.

Sadie Valeri | Copy of a detail from Jan Van Huysum’s “Bouquet of Flowers in an Urn”, 1724

9×12 inches | graphite on paper

Tombow Mono pencils grades 6H, 2H, and B | Strathmore 400 medium surface drawing paper

More of my recent graphite pencil master studies:

Full video footage of the creation of these drawings is included in my
Personal Sketchbook Demos, free to all members of my online atelier.

This graphite pencil technique is taught and demonstrated in these pre-recorded online courses:

Classical Sketchbook for Beginners

Sadie’s Personal Sketchbook Demos (Members only)

Intro to Classical Drawing

Bargue Plate Drawing with Graphite

Cast Drawing with Graphite