Henry Matisse Study Sketch at the Mulvane Art Museum, Topeka, Kansas

HENRY MATISSE (1869-1954) — contemplating his large reclining nude oil painting in 1935. Based on a woodblock print by Paul B. Arnold born in Shansi Province, China, 1918.

At twenty-one, recovering from appendicitis, Matisse’s mother gave Henry a set of paints to keep him amused — with these he discovered what he later called a “kind of paradise.” He gave up law to study art in Paris becoming one of the most influential painters of the 20th century, as well as a brilliant theatre designer and illustrator.

This master copy sketch is achieved with water-soluble graphite pencil, angle brush and distilled water. Photoshop filters added for effect.