I recently went to the Degas exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and was struck by the wonderful combination of showing his sketches and sketchbooks with his oil paintings and pastel works.   It really gives the viewer the experience of discovering what goes into the making of a masterpiece.  Many of his large works have a loose use of brushstrokes and hints of his black “sketched” lines that he used to lay out his compositions with.  The effect it creates is one of art done with some spontaneity and life to it. …