This lecture introduces how drawings can help us better understand the artistic processes of Old Masters. From the rapid thoughts of Michelangelo to the exploration of light with Rembrandt and the blue paper pastels of Rosalba Carriera we’ll get ‘behind the scenes’ with the master artist's process. The talk will introduce the materials of drawing, how it was used to hone skill, observation and how it aided in the creation of masterpieces. We will see drawings as a curator sees them, gaining valuable insight into how an artist thinks, why they draw and how the final 'masterpiece' would not exist without drawing. We’ll look at a range of drawings from master artists including, but not limited to Dürer, Leonardo, Vigée Le Brun, Rubens, Raphael, Turner, Reynolds and Maria Sibylla Merian.