I tend to do a lot of mental visualization before I start painting, so when I do finally pick up a canvas I only do a broad outline sketch, I don't do a detailed one.
The lines were draw using a water-soluble crayon in the closest blue I could find to phthalo (the crayons don't have Color Index names on them). I like doing the sketch with water-soluble crayon because I then "dissolve" it as I put down the first paint.
I wouldn't usually put in the Rule of Thirds lines so darkly; I did so here to ensure they showed up on the photo. I've used the thirds rule place the horizon line of the sea and distant hills.


