When Graydon Parrish was here to teach the color workshop, he gave a great lecture on Bouguereau’s picture making process. Graydon is an expert on the work of William Bouguereau and has so much to share on the subject. His lecture emphasised the amount of preparation that went into Bouguereau’s paintings. He would work on multiple studies, making lots of changes along the way before he started the final painting. This series of sketches and studies building up to the famous “Nymphs et Satyrs” is a great example:

Thumbnail sketches – where it all begins

detail of the thumbnail sketch

Satyr sketch

Nymph sketches, finding the right pose

color study for the Satyr

Sketch, trying out different poses

Cartoon, still adjusting the poses

Poster study in oil paint

The final painting: Nymphs et Satyrs, by William Bouguereau, 1873