I'm glad this popped back to the top - had forgotten where Bill had posted Lauren's drawing of Ariadne - it's a real pleasure to see it again.

Dianne, excellent casts can be purchased from Guist Gallery online.

Most academies start all students - no matter what experience level - with two-dimensional copies - the Bargue drawings are compiled in an excellent book by Gerald Ackerman, the "Charles Bargue Drawing Course." This establishes a common language for critiquing the work based on absolute observation.

Enjoy your studies!

Mari, thank you for this source of information.


Dianne

I love this exercise idea and plan to give it a go. I've got plenty of sculpture busts sitting around to try to draw!

When I was in school taking illustration & design courses they tried to teachtoo many varying subjects in too short a time to get really in depth. Looking back now what I really wanted was some solid life drawing. I did, however, manage to borrow two plaster casts the school had of Michelangelo's David (one of the nose and one of the mouth).....and I have yet to return them 10 years later.

Jason,

Are you still working from them?

No, I meant as a student.

Don't you think you should return them if you're not using them?

Oh sorry I misread your last post.......Yes I still work from them from time too time. I work mainly from photograhs but I like to make sure I can draw or paint from life still. The school isn't missing them...trust me.

A question : I am getting ready to go home to Italy for the summer, where I was planning to start working on Bargue's plates.
Will I have to work standing with messy charcoal or can I just work in pencil at a table?
I understood that instructions on copying are very precise, and the course is only worth doing if done properly.
I wasn't planning on travelling with the easel but I can anyway.
Ilaria

Ilaria, it has been my personal experience, after attending the academy in Florence, the Bargue plates are best utilized when working in graphite. We were instructed to use only 2B for all of the drawing and values and the 2H was used for work in the lights. The charcoal work was done with the casts and not with the Bargue plates.

Mite be a silly question but did you know that the Bargue plates are designed and should be approached by the range of complexity? Plates 1,5 - 1,12 are the ones to star with. Then you have the next range of complexness etc. No mater what ones experience, when they arrive at ether academy in Florence, all start at the same place and that is these Bargue plates. Other exercises are introduced to prepare one for live figure drawings and these too are started in graphite first and than charcoal.

All the best