Classical Atelier at Home

[SweetPea]

thanks a ton pal

[bjoern3000]

Hi.

Actually this is not really traditionally made. I started with pencil, inked it, scanned it and colored it in Photoshop.
The front figure is completely done from memory but for the rear view I had to look up for some muscles.

[N D Hill]

Very impressive paintings. Your initiative and drive to pursue skills in this method is really quite admirable and you've achieved great results.

[Cyberman]

This is a great thead, Thanks for sharing this stuff. I am seriously considering getting some casts and setting something up like this in my own garage. I will check out that link for the casts.
Sean.

[bjoern3000]

Classical Atelier meets digital media

I wanted to do some figure drawings. As everyone knows: printers never work. If you ran out of ink - and even if it´s yellow - you can´t print in black and white.

So I wanted to use my laptop´s screen for displaying the reference and for drawing besides the reference I needed some translucent an sturdy material. I took the glass plate of an IKEA picture frame. I taped the edges with artists tape because the edges were quite sharp and I did not want my laptop to be scratched. After I´ve sent this post, I´m going to buy some plexi glass.

I took a Bargue drawing of a standing man. Opened it in a picture viewer, placed it to the left. Then came the glass plate and the 185g/m² drawing paper. Thinner paper is good for placing the drawing over the reference for comparison but I found the heavier paper good for covering up the light coming from the screen. The laptop was about an arm lenght away. For the final step of the drawing I placed it closer to my eyes since I did not need an overall view of the drawing then.

I always worked from the general to the specific. The first 5 minutes were spent to roughly define the size and angles of everything. To not beeing too dark I used an H pencil.

Since the lines were so light I did not need to knock off the lines with an eraser for the next round. 10 minutes spent on making clearer lines with a B pencil while correcting their position and lenght.

Then I knocked off the lines with a kneadable eraser by rolling it over the drawing.

Another 15 minutes with correcting lines. Then switched to a 4B pencil to make darker lines. Between this and the last round, knocked off drawing again and then making careful clean final lines.

Total time: 1h 20min

[bjoern3000]

The first one is a Bargue figure drawing from yesterday, the second is the Belvedere Torso made today in about 4 hours. Got a plexi glass plate now.

This makes so much fun but my shoulder is sore now

[Mane]

Looking good man,
you could really push those darks more, for example comparing the belvedere torso plate. It could be just be the picture or my monitor.

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Bjoern what a good idea to use your laptop as an easel to display and traditionally draw on. I've always liked the Bargue's copies so it's great to see your process. I am impressed how much you achieved in 4 hours on the belvedere torso. The chest area of the torso does seem smaller but I thinks it's just the angle at which it's been photographed, I know myself it's not so easy to take photographs without distortion. Thanks anyway for a really useful post I think I might try it myself sometime as I do have some plexiglass.

[bjoern3000]

Mane: it is a bit of everything: the crappy picture, your monitor and the fact that I can´t go so dark with my pencils. The 8B is really dark but I can not cover the paper so that no light is emitting through it.

Marian, thanks for the nice words. Yes the picture is really bad. And so the new one is too.

From a photo of my Beethoven bust.
This really makes fun!

[bjoern3000]

I´ve added a new category on my website www.cast-drawing.com/exercises.html where you can practise copying from the Bargue drawings on your monitor.

If you´d be so kind and test it in your browser and inform me of display errors. I´ve tested it without problems with Seamonkey and Chrome.

Thanks and have fun with it!

[jetpack42]

Hey man, nice job on the belvedere and beethoven. Those are looking sharp.

If there was one way I could say to improve, try to group the values together a little better. Some of the reflected light in your shadows seems too light. The shadows aren't grouping as well as you could do, methinks.

Your measuring is looking very good, though. Keep up the good work!

[bjoern3000]

Thank you for your feedback, jetpack.

I was surprised when I shot the photo that, for example, the eye area of the Beethoven was much lighter in my drawing then on the reference - but only on the photo. In reality this was not the case - the values were really close.

Next time I´ll use an even heavier paper or something to cover up the light coming from the monitor because I think that this is the reason for the reflected lights to be too light. Maybe a better camera (used a cell phone camera) could help here too.

Actually I don´t measure with a tool anymore - I just rough in the overall shape and work from the general to the specific. It´s all about correction.

[jetpack42]

Ah yes, I've had that problem to some degree with taking photographs, where the values seem more stretched apart in the photo. Sometimes the differing sensitivity in the photo can help me to see small areas where I should unite the values a little better. In any case, please disregard my comments where technical translation is affecting the work.

In any case, looking great!

[Farvus]

Great stuff.

I think you're at this point where you can move slightly away from academic drawing and focus on something with more personal expression and freedom (unless drawing casts became your hobby )

Cheers.

[bjoern3000]

Farvus: I´m currently looking for an affordable studio space which is not an easy task where I live.

I´d like to do mainly portraits and figure paintings which actually is not possible in my attic or in my basement.

[Kolbenito]

Thanks for pointing me to your thread, bjoern. Goldmine of information here!

[Marine_Blue]

Your technical drawing has improved a great deal from earlier posts, it would be nice though (and don't take this the wrong way) to see something looser that still has rigorous observation but is not so literal and replicated.

[bjoern3000]

Haven't done any art for a long time, but yesterday I had to draw another selfportrait.

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Bjoern I am sorry to read you have not been doing any art, but baring that it mind I think this looks really good. I hope you are able to update again soon as I miss your posts.

[bjoern3000]

Hey Marian.

Thanks for the kind words. I was quite busy with my new website (see signature) but now I have a little bit more time.

So here is the update you requested :-)

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Bjoern I am pleased your drawing absence was still art related. I've been looking at your new website and it's really good. I will most certainly subscribe. When I get some spare cash I will also buy some casts from you to help. Are the geometric shapes made of plaster or plastic?

Also lovely drawing of the horse.

[bjoern3000]

The geometric shapes are made of plaster.

Here's a Bargue drawing I made free hand without any sight size measuring: