Pastel 81 - The Jongleur - Process

First - I seem to have either mis-numbered or lost two pastels.  I could swear I completed a 79 and an 80, but they are not in my camera, and I don't see them in the garage...  I have to search.

Second - it's been a while since I shared the process for these.  I first draw with ball point on the kraft paper pad.  Sometimes I watch, sometimes I close my eyes, sometimes I am blind-contour drawing something I see outside or in the garage (where I do this incredibly messy play).

Here is the result for Pastel 81.  I watched this one part of the time and closed my eyes part of the time.  Click image for a closer look.

Then I look for what it will be (what do you see?).  This can take 5 minutes (like it did in this extraordinary case - the jongleur was simply THERE) or it can take several days of leaving and coming back.  Sometimes they never resolve themselves, or I simply see shapes and motion and go with that.

Once I do see the beginnings of the pastel to come, I pick it out with a Sharpie.  Here is the jongleur with helpers.  You can see how some things are there, some are hinted in the pen lines, and others require a lot more from my imagination/memory.  I try not to look anything up for these, generally working just from my heart and head.

Note the three feet.  I don't have to decide which I will keep until I get to the pastels.

And here is the final pastel.  I decided to emphasize the balance rather than the movement, and I liked the crossed feet/slippers.  I also like that I can't tell the jongleur's gender.