Layout of Panas Mirnyi's book "Chipka". The second turn 1969

This is a layout by Hryhorii Havrylenko for Panas Mirnyi's book "Chipka" done in pencil. It's so great to see this kind of behind-the-scenes process work, isn't it? There's something really intimate about a pencil drawing, especially when it's a study like this. The way Havrylenko uses lines to create volume and movement, it's all about the energy of the hand. The marks are so clear, you can see the pressure of the pencil on the paper, the starts and stops of each stroke. Look at the top left, the sketch of children huddled together. The lines aren't precious, but they capture the liveliness of the scene. It reminds me a bit of the layouts Philip Guston made for the book he did with Clark Coolidge. Both artists embrace the sketch as a way of thinking. They show us that art-making is a process, a conversation between the artist and the page. It's a reminder that art is not just about the final product, but about the journey of getting there.