final drawing copy of Menzel's Head of Bearded Man
Here is the result after day 2. Now after an entire day away from the drawing, the values of the entire form of the cheek from the nose/corner of the eye to the beard is quite off. I didn’t notice this during the session. This is a good lesson in taking breaks!
I hope to run into more of Adolf Menzel’s drawings – graphite, pen and ink, anything. Menzel was self-taught and did not attend an academy. He has excellent knowledge of perspective, linework and anatomy as well as a wonderful sense of form. He, too, was a painter and illustrator like Mucha. Both did etchings and woodcuts — excellent draughtsmen.
Copy of Menzel drawing, Head of Bearded Man, graphite
Here’s a new copy I’m working on from another visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is a copy of a beautiful drawing by Adolf Menzel, in graphite. I’m going back for a second session since I didn’t have time to finish. I spent a lot of time just admiring Menzel’s handwork. Here’s a shot of what I have so far after the first session.
Old Master Drawings have been a great source of education in my classical training thus far. During my last visit to the MET I (attempted) to make a copy of a page of Abraham Bloemaert’s drawing of Woman Sitting and 4 Hands. I focused mostly on studying the woman’s arm because I loved the subtlety and simplicity of his linework. In my analysis below I highlight common mistakes in drawing that occur whether we are doing master copies or drawing from life.
But first, I want to discuss a few points on what to focus on and what not to focus on when copying master drawings. The points are a mix from notes I’ve compiled through my studies to date and from my own experience in copying old master drawings.
What NOT to do:
copy every single line or hatch mark (at least for educational purposes. If your goal is to make an exact copy of a work then this point would, of course, be moot.)
Some things to focus on:
tilts and distances
value relationships
long lines and relationships
proportion
areas of overlap
perspective
These may seem a bit too general, and I guess my main point in this post is that when trying to learn from an old master drawing we miss the lesson if we simply copy every single line without filtering the reasons behind those lines. Missing one hatch mark is a small “mistake” compared to missing the mark when it comes to understanding relationships of long lines, rhythm, proportion and value.
arm study from old master drawing
close-up of Bloemart’s red chalk drawing
analysis 1 of Bloemart’s drawing study
analysis 1, Bloemaert drawing
analysis 2 of Bloemaert’s drawing study
analysis 2, Bloemaert drawing
analysis 2 (con’t) of Bloemaert’s drawing study
In my analysis above, I focus on two main mistakes I make in my study of Bloemaert’s drawing. They are both rooted in the common error of exaggeration. The black circle addresses an obvious area where I inadvertently created a bump at the point where the radius attaches to the bones of the wrist and hand, by overestimating the curve. The green lines in my drawing (leading to the black circle, you may need to click the image for a closer view to see the lines), when placed next to Bloemaert’s drawing shows how the lower tilt is slightly off. This seemingly small error is great when combined with the long line and curve leading to the bump of the wrist. I end up pinching the lower section of the arm too much and causing that non-existent swelling of the wrist.
In the second analysis, I take a closer look at long lines/relationships and the difficulty of curves. There is a subtle and beautiful curve relating the upper arm to the lower arm. If you take away the “bump of the elbow” and take a closer look at Bloemaert’s drawing, you’ll see how he clearly saw and understood this relationship as he exhibits the beauty of this woman’s arm in the subtlety of his drawn curve. In my study of the drawing I have exaggerated the inflection of the curve toward the end of my line. This tendency to under or overexagerrate the line towards the end of your stroke is common and can be improved with much practice. It is difficult to control the line the longer it is — especially for me and it is something I continue to practice.
Overall it was a great learning experience and I copied other drawings that day, but I have to say Abraham Bloemaert is a master is the subtlety of those curves – as well as overlap. I didn’t cover issue of overlap in this post but if you’re interested in learning more about it, Bloemart drawings are a great source. I will cover overlap and how to evaluate a curve’s point of inflection in future posts.
Happy copying!
PS – Copying master drawings also reveals your weaknesses while it highlights your strengths and/or improvements throughout classical art training. For example, it helps me know how to redirect my training and what I should continue to focus on during my training. How to pick an old master drawing to copy? More on my next post…
Not only was Alfons (also spelled as Alphonse) Mucha an excellent draughtsman, but he excelled in design and the decorative arts. Though he is more notably known for his work in poster design, illustration and advertising, his brilliant eye for design and composition paired with exquisite line work in both his more traditional paintings and drawings and in his illustrative posters allowed him to successfully merge the two areas of art and design in the style we now know as Art Nouveau.
France Embraces Bohemia, oil painting by Mucha
Just like many artists of the time, he travelled to Paris in 1887 to further develop his art training in one of the many Parisian academies or ateliers alongside with some of the best artists in the 19th Century.
Self Portrait, oil
He became a student at the Academie Julien and the Academie Colarossi (sculpture based training).
painting in oil, Mucha
oil painting, Mucha
During his studies, Mucha produced magazine illustrations and advertising most likely to help pay for his studies and living expenses in Paris. Not only did he create a multitude of posters and advertisements for the theatre, but this prolific Czech painter produced numerous works of art and continues to influence generations of artists, painters, graphic designers, designers, lettering/typography and draughtsmen today.
Here’s a sketch from my latest visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Museums – such as the MET – provide an abundant amount of interesting and beautiful things to sketch, from 2D & 3D artwork to museum visitors and guards. On a rainy day, it’s the perfect place! However, what caught my attention this visit were the terracotta sculptures nearby in the European Sculptures section of the museum. This sketch is from a very small bust by Jules Dalon, a French sculptor from the 19th Century. It is most likely a study for a larger piece. Yes, that’s right, a sketch of a sketch!
Here are some images of the Open House (during the set-up) with some artwork in the background. Pics of the party will be posted elsewhere. What a great turn-out!
This week I’ll be posting more sketches and studies so keep an eye out!
