Looking good, Mari. I don't believe I've ever seen that particular cast before, certainly a challenging one for the "first". Well done.

I assume that you'll be starting another straight away.

Wow, Mari, this is terrific. I can just about reach out and feel the texture of the stone.

You wrote: Can you tell us more about how this exercise changed your perceptions?

Also do you have any more updates on how the whole transforming experience at the atelier is progressing? I love to read about it.

Bravo Mari!!

I am just a student but one who is watching your progression through Mims with GREAT interest as I hope to attend an atelier some day, too. This cast drawing is incredible. I would be very interested in knowing how long the process takes to bring a drawing to this finished degree.

Are you spending studio time with life drawing every day too?

Any experience you'd have time to share would be greatly appreciated. I am sure there are other students of art interested in your posts. I know I look for them weekly!

It's an incredible leap of faith you and your husband have taken to relocate to further your studies. It seems to me it will be well worth the time, money and effort from this post of your first cast drawing.

You are an inspiration for me!!! I wish you continued success.

Patty

Hi Mari,

I actually thought I was looking at the cast when I saw the photo. You did an amazing job!

I too, read on with great interest to hear about your experience. I commend you for hanging in there and rising to this challenge. It is often not easy to completely set aside everything one has learned, regardless of good or bad and give oneself 100% to the teachings of another. Sometimes when I hear the comments of artists in classroom settings or workshops, I get the feeling it is difficult for them to ignore at least for the time being, all the things they have previously done and humble themselves back down to the

Unbelievable! I, too, had to do a double-take to be sure it was a drawing.

I admire your courage and commitment in making a life transition such this to further your studies. Over the years, I have made similar moves to study with particular teachers when I was a monk, and I know it can be an exciting, yet stressful time.

I salute you!

Minh

Thank you all for such support and interest. I must say this site has been a steadfast source of inspiration and information for me.

The program at Mims begins with a dozen or so copies from Charles Bargue's "Cours de Dessins," which Marvin referenced in another post. Bargue was a litographer who assisted Gerome with the production of this tomb - a training "primer" for painters. The Dahesh Museum has a show opening in November of some of Bargue's work, and they have been working on publishing a reproduction of the lithographs for some time. Jeanine also posted an excellent photograph of a student copying one of these exercises, taken at one of the Florence ateliers.

The way you approach these drawings is simple: tape them to your drawing board, draw a box around the original, transfer the exact box to your paper, then proceed to copy, moving from the largest angles to the shadow shapes to detail. Through systematic copying of the series, you start to train your eye to judge angles and then more and more complex shapes.

Next the students move on to black and white gouache studies of old master compositions. The lessons are how the masters approached value, contrast, focus, texture, composition.

Next, the same lessons are explored in color oil studies of old master compositions.

Finally, the student is given a cast to copy, "sight-size." Tools such as plumb lines, rules, etc, are used in some schools, but Mims prefers you develop your eye without relying on the tools. The only absolute in this cast study was a ruler mark across the top of the pedestal.

From that "absolute" everything was eyed from a distance of about 20 feet (the floor is marked with tape so you always view the cast from the same point). You then walk up to your drawing board and make your mark. You would not believe how unsettling it is the first time you work this way.

Once you successfully complete your first cast drawing, you begin weekly drawings from life, as a supplement to your second cast study (charcoal and chalk on toned paper.)

After you finish your second cast study, you do a limited palette (warm, cool, black, white)painting from a cast, and then finally full-color copies of the old masters.

All of the above work is supplemented by weekly anatomy lectures, various other lectures, and occasionally "movie night," where we either watch an "art flick" or one of Mims' taped "Hale Anatomy Lectures."

How could I not sell the house and relocate?? It was an incredibly rich experience.... and one of Mims' aspirations is that when we move into the new site (under renovation), he'll have us produce ornamental frescos on some of the interior walls.

I think I've also mentioned elsewhere what a great town Southern Pines is. Many of the students are working pros. With them, I spent many hours working from models. I traveled with them while they met with people to discuss potential commissions. I learned how to water gild (and have just prepared my first series of panels with traditional gesso to practice gilding on). And I was able to sculpt sight-size from the model in the mornings.

Overall, it was unforgettable. Oddly enough, I lost my keys the night before I was scheduled to leave, do you think that was a sign? I look forward to returning in January.

Thanks for the update, Mari. It does sound like a wonderful experience (though I don't think I could even see a cast from 20 feet, let alone use that as my home position to draw it from!)

Mari, your drawing is fantastic and I am thrilled to pieces for you. What a priceless experience for an artist! The whole community experience in itself sounds extraordinary.

Quick question: when you copy the drawing by putting the box around it, are you walking back 20 feet to make your marks, or is that done only with the casts?

The Bargue copies are taped to a drawing board that generally sits on the student's lap; the drawing is done in this intimate way, but it helps to use the same tricks to "fool the eye" into seeing what's really there, such as backing away from your drawing, or using a mirror, or better, a black mirror. I must fidget, because I was always more comfortable standing, with the drawing board on an easel. The 20-feet back "viewing position" is used for the sight-size cast studies.

My favorite tool is a black mirror. I made mine, bought an 11" x 14" picture frame, painted black acrylic paint on the paper that came with the frame, reassembled, and there you have a black mirror. For your sight-size work, when you hold it up over your eyes you can look up and view both your drawing and your subject. For those who haven't used one, the black mirror simplifies what you're viewing, more so than a regular mirror. I found this incredibly useful.

More of these thoughts will come as they percolate up...

Mari,

Congratulations! It looks like you're finally on the right path. Too many people don't realize that the study of painting needs to be taken very seriously and one needs to be very committed if one's potential is to be realized.

I understand that everyone has challenging circumstances that are seemingly preventing them from taking a leap of faith like you have.

We all would like to think that there is a magic pill (or painting medium) but by believing so, we are merely avoiding the truth of the matter. Those who believe they can be a slave to two masters are kidding only themselves. As they say, hope springs eternal.

Personally I don't think there is one set way or teacher to achieve nirvana. We must all follow the appropriate path. The common denominator is surrender. I applaud your bravery and your success to date.