Eye training - a series of cast drawings

[Paul Foxton]

Hi Ngaire,

I got them from ebay, this one and one of adonis which I haven't drawn yet. I think they were about

[Paul Foxton]

Here's a picture of the drawing after a couple more hours, all I've done is correct a few mistakes to the outline. The most obvious bit I got wrong is the length of the nose.

Steven, you asked me to shout out when I found myself in error, well here it comes: I've just realised that I'm not 90 degrees to my drawing board, so I have perspective on my drawing, with a vanishing point somewhere off to the left of me. The right half of the drawing is bigger than the left, or at least it will be when I look at it flat on. Does that make sense to anyone else or have I lost it?

I'm glad I decided to do these in stages, I can make sure I get this right on the next one. Being as I'm only going up to schematic stage with this one, I'm going to finish it off anyway.

It's funny, the camera was trying to tell me this all along, it's why I can't set horizontal guides across the image and have them line up on the shots, why my drawing always looks bigger than the cast in the photos. I suppose I should apologise to my camera now, but just a little bit.

Unfortunately the light is going now and I'm away for a few days from tomorrow, so I'll continue with this one when I get back.

[Steven Sweeney]

I thought it might be useful to illustrate what I think Paul has discovered about the distortion that can be introduced into a sight-size drawing if you are not sighting your measurements

[Paul Foxton]

Steven, that's exactly what I've done. Thank you for putting it so much more clearly than I could.

[QUOTE=Steven Sweeney] There

[Steven Sweeney]

Yeah, there

[Paul Foxton]

This drawing is finished now, which is a bit of a relief. Owing to life being busy (I got married last month,) and to me taking longer over the measuring, this set up was in place for a fair while, allowing time for mishaps like tripping over the easel and the cat taking a fancy to the plumb line. That, coupled with the drawing board angle distortion, makes me less than confident with the accuracy of the result, but the eye training is good regardless.

One of the main things that concerned me during this drawing was where I was putting the dividing lines between the shadow and light areas. I'm not convinced I've done such a great job of it. One session I'll think I've got it pretty much right, only to think it's entirely in the wrong place on the next session. I guess adding tone will be the real litmus test, which should start to happen on drawing four.

This one took about twenty hours I think. As with the last one, there's a fuller write up of it on my web site.

[Mischa Milosevic]

Paul:

My sincere congratulations on your marriage. May you find joy in every moment together and may you both notice many a God's blessings even in times of intensive discussions.

I see that your exercises are coming along quite well and that you are getting a hang and importance of the Bargue exercises. Each stage that you do you should notice how important the presiding stage was. If you have not made that observation you have cheated your self.

Many a artist of today do not realize the painstaking task of learning to draw. Some would rather go for the quick fix for one reason or the other, finance or whatever. All the shortcuts are understandable but what a joy it is when you get on that road to master your craft.

The Bargue exercises, when done properly, are a wealth of information. This information is essential when working from life.

One example: working a Bargue sample drawing and later using the same method for the cast will teach one not only to see but to understand the relationship between line, shadow, half-ton and light. With the sample B. drawing and in cast work if all is set up correctly gives one total control of the work area. Working from nature and natural light, especially natural light, one must have a complete grasp of the previous lessons in order to proceed at a reasonable pace.

Copy the Bargue line figure drawings, the comparative method. They in them selves have a wealth of information.

Wish you all the best

Steven:
grate set up demonstration explanation. How much pain would one endure if they did not know this and to think, Paul was ready to trash his camera. :-D