This is an original pencil & colored pencil drawing on tracing paper which served as the basis for the final design that appeared in the August, 1962 issue of Playboy Magazine. This lovely strawberry blonde is standing with a long peignoir draped over one shoulder, leaving her almost entirely nude. She is holding a small poodle - a rare accessory in the wide variety of Vargas Girls!
Alberto Vargas’ preliminary drawings are extremely popular among collectors. They represent the original concept of the artist (cherished by Vargas himself), and they truly capture the history surrounding the work.
It features hand-written notes by Alberto Vargas.
Collector's Notes:
This is a preliminary drawing used to propose a new Vargas Girl for an upcoming edition of Playboy Magazine.
For each published piece, Vargas would first sketch a preliminary design such as this one for approval. He would ship several to Playboy's main offices where Hugh Hefner and the Art Directors would review each one. Once approved, they would be returned to Vargas and he would then use them to create an entirely new finished artwork for use in the magazine.
Although these drawings are not typically signed - as they are working designs rather than finished pieces - they do often feature handwriting from Alberto Vargas and/or notes from Playboy's Art Directors (Art Paul or Reid Austin) regarding colors, accessories, positioning etc. Occasionally Hugh Hefner has personally initialed and dated the piece, giving his final approval for the magazine.
These drawings are magnificent artifacts from the process of publishing the legendary Vargas Girl.
Ref# (SK-003)
22" x 30" Artwork Size
Pencil & colored pencil drawing
Original artwork -