Learning to See
 

Most of us are having a great deal of fun with our portrait art, but we mustn

Here is another Bargue drawing copy by Ryan Brown. The program forces him to spend hours and hours reworking the drawing until he gets it right. The discipline is doing wonders for his growth.

Charles Bargue (1825-1883) was a wonderfully talented painter. He is largely unknown today and his output wasn

This and the following cast drawings are excellent examples of the levels we should seek to attain. Since I haven

Drawings like this are done standing, are drawn

They are obviously very labor intensive. Labor is something we must get used to. It often takes me about thirty hours to paint a head from life. Drawings like this can take almost as long.

This is a cast painting, done in grisaille. The three dimensional cast is on the left, the painting is on the right. You can tell because of the nail that holds the half head on the wall.

Casts are usually lit by artificial lights, either spots or soft spots. One doesn

This is a drawing shown underway. It was completed and posted on the school

I can not agree with this more!

When I went to art school, considered a fine one, The Boston Museum School, the ghosts of Paxton and Benson had long fled. The school was in the full throes and still is, of abstract expressionism.

We did have still life set ups, figure drawing, and anatomy, but it was so vague, It was almost like the school felt it was under some obligation to dust off these old chestnuts and offer them to the students. More emphasis was placed on expressing yourself, just how we were able to do that without the neccesary skills was not apparent. Those of us ( me) that were interested in learning the more traditional forms of art were basically ignored and left to flounder. I went to the movies instead.

It took me a long time to learn anything, going to libraries, museums, anything to get any hint at how to draw properly, how to use paint etc.

There were no ateliers, no internet, then. I was young and figured that fine art was all this ugly stuff and that if I wanted to do what I loved I better teach myself. I did not even know what an atelier was!

There are so many wonderful workshops, schools and teachers today that can be taken advantage of.

A lot of the problems I see on this site, and encounter in my own work is a weak underpinning of basic good and thorough drawing skills.

Sincerely,

My university drawing instructor told me, "I can teach you to render an object in a couple of hours, but what you really need to learn is how to express yourself."

She taught me nothing.

This sounds so much like my youth. I think it may have been that generation. I was told my work, and my ambitions, were too 'old fashioned' in college. I too learned nothing. Now, after having raised seven children I am trying desperately to get back to where I wanted to be back then. Thank you for this inspiration Mr. Whitaker! I had the opportrunity to see some art students working on similar pieces using a grid (something I had never even heard of until a couple of years ago). Although I have never done these exercises, nor have I worked with a cast before, I am seriously considering finding one to work from. I feel there is so much to learn and so little time left for me! Work indeed it is laborsome but such a joy to do.

Dianne

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

Thanks Mischa, that is very clear. I am very motivated to do it seriously.
More questions: which paper? Simple Fabriano liscia ? Is there anything else I need?
The book is arriving just two days before I leave and I am an early packer and won't be able to run around in art shops at the last minute anyway.
I used to do graphite work when I started my illustration course, using points as sharp as needles and a very light hand. I hope I will be able to do it again, haven't been working like that for twenty years...
Ilaria

Ciao Ilaria, I wish I was going to Italy. I hope to stop in to get some Umbria the end of August. You can get all the supply's you need in Italy except the kneaded rubber I prefer. Sharp point and a light hand is what you will use here as well. So, you of to a good start. ;-)

we used a light toned of white Canson. Not to much tooth but enough to hold the graphite. Think about a smooth finish rather than the grainy look.
Sand paper pad,
Knife to sharpen your pencils.
2B 7mm led and led holder work fine.
A board to tape your paper on side by side,
string for measuring, make sure the string does not stretch and red is good
ruler to draw the plumb line with but all measuring is done with the string and by eye
kneaded rubber I prefer Design 1225 brand, it if soft but it is firm when you need a sharp edge. others are to soft. do not get a white kneaded rubber
a pencil type eraser that you can sharpen
a #2 da Vinci synthetic brush which you fill trim to a length of half a cm
a soft stomp

I think this is all you will need.

Think about copying a simple figure line drawing as well, good one to start with is Plll, 1&3. You can tape these on the other side of your board.

If you have any questions in regard to the proper setup, how to get started just let me know.

All the best

Dear Ilaria,

I don't know how you would overcome the perspective distortion by working at other that a vertical easel.

Well, I was just trying to be lazy and get away with it, my easel is spoiled, it loves to come on holiday in Tuscany every year...
I.

Ilaria,
You could use the cabinet door and tape the ref and drawing side by side.
Have a nice holiday.
Allan

Hi Ilaria,

When I'm on vacation, I just tape my Bargue 2D studies to the wall someplace and sneak away to work on them when nobody wants me for anything.

Bargue Plates
 

Ok, Bargue Groupies, how do I obtain/buy these wonderful training drawings? I use the airport, and other down-times to draw from life, but I'd love to have these wonderful training devices when I'm not out among 'em.

On The Move Art Training, vacation the airport etc.

If anyone wishes to get the most out of the Bargue drawings then they should not think that this can be done while on the move. I speak from experience. If you think otherwise you are or have shortchanged your self. The Bargue drawings need more attention than one can give while on the fly.

When on the move, I recommend, take with you a A5 sketch pad, 2B pencil, a kneaded eraser, and with these and the John H. Vanderpoel The Human Figure book in you hand, you will receive the training that you are looking for. You will, if you draw all the sample drawings in this book. Another excellent training tool is shape exercises.

Sincerely yours,
mischa