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  • #464567
    ArtistOz
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        I have no life classes within 200 kilometres and use references mostly photos but for a change I’ve decided to follow Van Goth’s example he copied Bargue’s last 60 plates of figure poses two or three times and there is a notable improvement in his people drawings. So to keep in practice I’ve decided to follow suit and try them out so I can have some figure drawings to post legally in the figure forum. :angel:

        These are pencil on cartridge paper A3, untimed, all under two hours and not in one sitting instead in fits and starts as time and mood dictated.


        Bill,
        https://www.flickr.com/photos/artistoz/
        Instagram, billwperry

        #725497

        Glad you are keeping your hand in, Bill.
        Maybe you will have to create your own life drawing group?

        bethany
        moderator in figures & portraits blogs: artbybethany life-presence
        website www.bethanyart.com
        My inspiration is art... because without art, we would just be stuck with reality. ~Daniel R. Lynch

        #725506

        I’m not sure that Van was a Goth Bill ;) It’s said that Leonardo would copy the same drawing over and over again until he could reproduce it without any reference. That kind of dedication produces masters of art. Lovely drawings but I particularly like number two. I’m with Bethany, get a group going! I have to use photographs (I time myself sometimes) when the figure group is in recess but nothing beats the challenge of real life :)

        Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art - Leonardo da Vinci
        More than happy to receive C&C on anything I post
        Instagram
        https://www.instagram.com/the_henson_gallery/

        #725499
        123harry
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            I’ll have to look into M. Bargue (rendered as Bargirl by the predictive text….)
            I know he is the classic authority on the figure but in my wayward drawing career I’ve never applied myself to him. I will follow your example, Bill.

            C&C always welcome.
            Instagram harry.hamill

            #725505

            That’s an excellent approach. Good luck!

            #725493
            ArtistOz
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                Bethany I would love to have a life group unfortunately its a small town and everyone knows everyone else so no takers out of fear of being the talk of the town. The young ones leave town for work or further education. I’ve talked it over with the art gallery and if they get funding they will hire models from the big cities and run a 10 week course. Its an overnight stay for the model so the lodging and travel costs could be high. The other negative as you know is, it takes a long time to become competent let alone master figure drawing and locals are not willing to commit to such an endeavor out of fear I suppose. Its a rare person that has that focus if you look at the regular posters who do life drawing they are a special breed of humans. :)

                David Repetition is the key to learning. I also like number two the best. If you have developed a good visual memory and you draw something often enough you don’t need a reference as the wizards of the figure demonstrate. You have to translate photos into drawings here with the Bargue plates they are already translated.

                Harry I bought Gerald Ackerman’s book when it first came out to increase my knowledge but did only a few exercises from the beginning section. In this 3rd section I’m interested in shape, proportion and the line of action these are the three main interests I have in keeping my ability afloat. After three drawings I am impressed with Bargue’s skill when you realise his drawings are etchings, what mastery he had with his figures. I’m not interested in keeping his hard outlines so you can take his examples and use them anyway you want.

                Skylar, thanks its a nice break from landscapes.

                Bill,
                https://www.flickr.com/photos/artistoz/
                Instagram, billwperry

                #725502
                dawnra
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                    Great approach to figure drawing Bill, though nothing will ever beat real life classes. Like yourself I don’t get regular life drawing classes and constantly study the work of the masters to keep my hand in so to speak. Good luck with your studies.

                    Mike

                    [FONT=Garamond]As I paint I talk to my canvas, in the hope that one day it will reply! http://www.laoisartist.blogspot.ie

                    #725496

                    I know the challenges of starting a life-drawing group in a tiny town- we started ours about 12 years ago. We are fortunate to have many artists that live in and near the town.
                    I have done my fair share of suggesting to people to come and sit for us! I “train” them and we have had some great success.
                    It is sometimes a challenge to get past the closed-minded people who look at life-drawing as something strange!
                    To our advantage we have a group of art-interested people moved here for a sea change. We also draw (no pun intended) on a group of naturists that live in the area and are willing to sit for us- some are also into yoga which adds to their skill with posing.
                    I think we are so lucky to still have a small group of about 6 drawers and about 5 more who come and go.

                    bethany
                    moderator in figures & portraits blogs: artbybethany life-presence
                    website www.bethanyart.com
                    My inspiration is art... because without art, we would just be stuck with reality. ~Daniel R. Lynch

                    #725504
                    earlselwyn
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                        Well done Bill! I know these images well. Bargirl er… Bargue copies are deceptively difficult. However, From someone that’s pretty new to this… I don’t think any other exercise improved my drawing skills more drastically than copying Bargue plates. It can be tedious but there is reward. Were u receiving input from someone while doing these? I don’t think bargue gets enough attention on wetcanvas. How about a new community Bargue thread? -E

                        instagram.com/earlselwyn/

                        #725494
                        ArtistOz
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                            Thanks Mike its one approach of many to keep one’s skill going.

                            Bethany you seem to have the right mix to keep life drawing active, where are the naturists when you need them, I haven’t even heard a whisper of them out here!

                            Earl if you want to be a tonal painter then Bargue is a big help. What I like about Bargue is he gives you a shape to learn. The foundation of line, shape and tone are there. Accuracy comes with tedious practice. :evil: I showed the first two drawings to a friend who dropped in for a chat otherwise no one else except WetCanvas has seen them. The only input is the voice in my head, ” Check your relationships etc.” I critique myself same as I critique you, except you don’t get to see the adjustments I make as I go just the final work. :lol: I think there have been Bargue threads in the Classical Art forum I think they die out as not everyone is interested in pursuing classical academies. I’m not trying to do what the Bargue book is teaching I’m just using it to keep the motor running and see what the exercises will teach me about set poses and figure shapes without having to think too much about it.

                            Bill,
                            https://www.flickr.com/photos/artistoz/
                            Instagram, billwperry

                            #725492

                            I understand the problem Bill, we have 10 times your population here and still have had problems with group attendance and models!

                            another option is to start a clothed figure group with more emphasis on the portrait aspect, we pay less for models for that… you could also use volunteers.

                            apart from that keep up what you are doing so you can keep coming in the front door legally;)

                            Mac

                            #725500
                            Constance
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                                Interesting! This reminds me of the Sight To Size site that I’ve saved but forgotten…

                                Instagram: unsuspectingstrangers

                                #725495
                                ArtistOz
                                Default

                                    Thanks for the suggestions Mac.

                                    Constance I wouldn’t worry too much about Sight to Size I used to teach sight size painting back in the 1980’s and there are some misconceptions about it in my opinion even in the Bargue book. If you want to paint/draw the subject same size on the canvas then place the canvas next to the subject and look about 3 metres/12 foot from the canvas and make all the decisions at that distance going back and forth from canvas to observation point. If you want to make the subject smaller place the canvas closer to you and if you want it larger place the canvas further behind the subject. Plumb lines and other strict measuring never came into it. Everything was done tonally by eye.

                                    This system came down from Max Meldrum who studied academic art in Paris at the turn of the 20th century and started his own art school in Melbourne. I believe it is the same method that John Singer Sargent used going by observations made by people who watched Sargent paint. Learn to measure by eye.

                                    Bill,
                                    https://www.flickr.com/photos/artistoz/
                                    Instagram, billwperry

                                    #725503
                                    SarahY
                                    Default

                                        I also enjoy pulling out my Bargue book and drawing from it. It’s excellent. You’ve got some very nice angles and shapes going on here.

                                        http://www.shyeomans.co.uk
                                        \m/ neue deutsche härte \m/
                                        Nothing left but smoke and cellar, and a woman with a black umbrella...

                                        #725498

                                        Sorry to hear about your isolation Bill. Is there any possibility of setting up portrait or clothed sessions?

                                        Good job on the drawings.

                                        Nathan.
                                        C&C always appreciated.
                                        My art on Instagram

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