Slobodkina’s methodical approach to painting is illustrated by this series of studies for Journey into Future. First, she made small sketches and even traced photographs or diagrams of machinery, which she would then overlay with other sketches, turning them in different directions, or simplifying their compositions. After she had completed a small drawing, she divided it into squares and enlarged it by drawing it onto a larger piece of paper with the same number of squares. When she finished this process, she darkened the lines on the back of each sketch with a soft pencil and transferred it to a board prepared with gesso by drawing over the lines on the front and depositing the graphite on the new surface.