Week 4: To the Barque at last

Learn by copying

I'd always thought that copying other peoples drawings was kind of cheating, after all it was their idea, their composition and so on. Copying it and then trying to sell it as an original is of course fraud, and wrong, but copying to practice and learn, that's ok.

"Keep good company - that is, go to the Louvre" - Paul Cezanne. 

Cezanne used to go to the Louvre to copy other works of art and even promoted the idea. So I didn't need to feel guilty about copying other artists work (are you reading this Jim Fitzpatrick - copied loads of your stuff in the past). In fact copying is the very heart of Barque Cours de Dessin.

Actually, Jim Fizpatrick's Che Guevara, is probaby one of the most iconic (and copied) pieces of art from the 20th century. But even this image is based on a photo; everyone copies someone it seems.

So this week we actually got to put a Bargue 'plate' on our easel and start copying. What's more we skipped to Plate 11. I felt like Neo in The Matrix when he skipped the 'intro' programs before being plugged back into the Matrix for the first time - too basic you don't need them, his operator stated! (What do you mean you haven't watched The Matrix!). Moving on; all the exercises from the previous weeks were being brought to bear as we began the process of making an exact copy using the observation and accuary techniques from the previous weeks. Sam wanted to give us something a little more interesting, but to be true to the course you should start at Plate 1, even if (like van Gough) you've done it several times before.

Plate 11 

So what's on Plate 11? I thought you'd never ask, its a profile of a rather ugly, but important, Roman person. Sam, did mention his name, but if you've read this far and haven't fallen asleep you probably don't care either. Our A2 sheet consisted of the top image (with the guidelines) located on the left side of the sheet. On the right of the sheet were 4 small pencil marks, 2 at the top and 2 at the bottom, Using these points we first to drew the guidelines with a ruler. Once guidelines were in place we had to then mark, by eye, the highest, lowest parts of the image. Everytime we marked a reference point we stepped back, assessed and verified. Then we moved to next most prominent point, like that mighty Roman nose, and so on until a rather blocky but accurate image started to emerge.

So where's my completed picture for this weeks blog? Well first this process took a long time and in truth there wasn't much to show at the end of the evening - and em - I forgot to take a photo.

"The Sterile Struggle"

Before

This all seems rather slow and uncreative! Van Gough called the Barque "The Sterile Struggle", he struggled with its dryness and yet did the entire course serveral times because he knew the value in its discipline.

So has it helped me? I think so. I was stuggling with getting the eye right on my Batman profile drawing from a few a weeks ago so I worked through one of the plates that focused on the eye, and applied what I learnt. I hope 'After' is better!

After