These drawings are the confirmation that Valette lived with a pencil in his hand. His sketchpad was never far away and he was quick to capture the movement of an animal, repeating the process at will, often in preparation for future subjects.

In his sketches, there are cocks, hens, goats, sheep, horses, dogs, pigs, drawn in pencil or charcoal or lightly water-coloured. These are only studies, but they are little gems in their own right and they have an important historic value in the full understanding of the artist’s favourite subject matters and preoccupations.

Valette used any paper that he had to hand, including wallpaper and the backs of letter. Some of these drawings were made during WW1 when everything was rationed, even supplies for artists.