" Begin It Again And Trace It Again "

I'm still working on this years Christmas print. I finished the final pencils on Arches paper and I'm just about to start the inks (right after one more coffee). Above are some photos of my tracing process, rather than a light box I use tracing paper. This is how I learned in art school to do refining and tracing but I intend to give a lightbox a try some day. I essentially do a loose, finished pencil rough and trace it repeatedly until it's how I want it. Some people are opposed to a lot of redrawing as the feel something is lost in the process. This might be true but something is gained as well so I think it depends on what you want in the end. As Edgar Degas has said "Make a drawing, begin it again, trace it; begin it again and trace it again"