Sycamore Situation

I know you probably think I've been goofing off the past few days and not drawing.  But you are wrong!  I have started to tackle a complicated drawing of a sycamore leaf and two seed pods.  I love sycamore trees.  The flaky multi-colored bark, the huge and graceful leaves, and most of all the seed pods, bouncy spiked balls that litter the ground beneath the tree each fall.  A couple of months ago, when I was working on the leaf-a-day project, I found this one leaf that was just too beautiful to paint quickly.  I set it aside, along with a handful of balls.  I think it would make a lovely graphite study and so I've been spending the last couple of days playing around with the composition, and doing quick sketches to get the feel of it.  Here's the composition I ended up with:

To do a formal botanical drawing one prepares much the same way as for a formal botanical painting.  Remember how I started out with the oak leaf?  First sketches, then a finished sketch, then transferring the image on to good paper, then checking all the lines to make sure the composition is right, and THEN, finally, beginning to do the finished work.  So, I've just transferred the sycamore image on to the nice paper. 

But as I was moving the nice paper back to the drawing table . . . disaster struck!  I accidentally knocked the arm of my drawing lamp, which swung around and hit the edge of the leaf.  The leaf, which is completely dry and weighs nothing, skittered around and knocked the sycamore balls.  I essentially blew up my composition!  Sigh.... Thankfully, I have this really good sketch which shows me exactly what was sitting where.  It will be like putting together a 3-D puzzle, but I think I can get it back to the way it looks on my paper.  Ah, the hazards of botanical illustration . . . Once I put it back together, I'll start the final drawing.  Stay tuned!