COPYING THE MASTERS Keynote Presentation designed for DVI by Camilla S. Haneberg

COPYING THE MASTERS What Can We Learn as Artists from Copying Artwork Done by the Old Masters?

realistic proportions of the figure

What Can We Learn as Artists from Copying Artwork Done by the Old Masters? realistic proportions of the figure observation of progressions of value that make a two dimensional paper look like a three dimensional form

What Can We Learn as Artists from Copying Artwork Done by the Old Masters? realistic proportions of the figure observation of progressions of value that make a two dimensional paper look like a three dimensional form line quality, mark making…how an artist uses media to represent the figure

So, how do we get started?

Let’s use this figure drawing by Andrea del Sarto.

Start by measuring the width versus the height. Width Height

Form a notional space around the figure using the width and height measurements. You can center this notional space onto your drawing paper.

Next you can form the envelope using as few angled lines to show the overall shape of the figure…We’re working from big to small.

Please remember that during this process you will more than likely be erasing more lines that you keep. If it doesn’t look or feel right, change it.

Be kind and patient with yourself, we are all learning…and learning means we will make lots of mistakes. Draw lightly with your pencil so erasing is easier.

Start filling in some lines to indicate edges and connections you see across the figure.

Continue looking across the figure to make lines that work from big to small in steps.

Start to fill in curves and eliminate unnecessary lines.

Yours may look different because you may choose different angles and curves, but eventually by using the angles to make curves in the right place you should have a figure drawing that is looking like a figure.

From here you work on the contour, which is an outline of the edges of the figure, including the smaller angles that are turned into subtle curves.

Now you can start to work on the shadows, looking for where the light changes to shadow.

Copy the cross hatching lines as closely as possible. It is hard to represent the line quality using a computer to illustrate this, so you are set free to do a much better job than what the computer can do.

Try to make your marks as exactly the same as what you see as possible. Flick your eyes back and forth between the original drawing and your drawing and the differences will become easier to notice, so you can change them.

Good luck and do your best!