It’s been four months since I did any Bargue drawing. That’s a bit frustrating, since I remainconvinced that the Bargue drawings are the most intensive eye training I do. Right from the first plate,I’ve seen the positive effect of them in my other drawings. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the Barguedrawings have changed the way I approach drawing as whole. Whatever I’m drawing these days, (with theexception perhaps of the cafe sketches,) I approach it like a Bargue drawing, finding the top, bottom,furthest left and furthest right points, then refining from there.
Generally speaking, I’m a lot lessexacting in other drawings, but that’s why it’s so important to subject myself to the hardcore eye trainingof the Bargue copies. Regardless of the level of accuracy I’m going for in a drawing, I break the process downinto the same steps as the Bargue plates. I don’t think that it’s an exaggeration to say that Charles Bargueis teaching me to draw.
The big problem I was having before, the one that stopped me doing them, was the bad quality of thereproductions I was using. They were just straight laser copies, and by the time I got toplate three, when tone was introduced forthe first time, it had become obvious to me that the copies were not reproducing the nuances of tone inthe originals. I knew that was going to be a problem when I got onto the more complex plates. I don’t want tocopy the drawings the size they are in the book, which is about a quarter of the original size, because, again,I’ll be scuppered when I want to do the more complex plates. Your average stick of charcoal, no matter how sharp,will simply not be able to reproduce the level of detail at a quarter of the original size.
Well, I’m happy to report that now I’ve got it sorted. I took along the plate I wanted to another printer, havingremoved itfrom the book first. I have to say it hurt to break the spine on a book that cost me over £60, but it had to bedone.
Now, this plate was scanned in a similar way to the other printer, the difference was in the printing method.The printer that this print shop used was a ‘dye sublimation’ printer. I don’t really know what that meansin any detail, but the important thing is that the reproduction I got back was, to all intents and purposes,and exact copy of the original plate, just the actual size (about 60cm by 42cm if memory serves.)
Another thing that hurt was the price. This reproduction cost me £18. £18!. If I get four plates done, itwill cost me more than the book did, and there’ll still be another 56 plates to get copied! And that’s onlythe first section of three! Thankfully, the guy atthe print shop said that the main cost is the paper, and he’ll be getting some thinner stuff soon, which will giveme the same quality at half the price. I hope so.
Regardless, it was worth the cost. Plate four introduces half tones for the fist time, I want to be able to seeexactly how Bargue has laid down his marks. I’ll just have to bear the cost.
I decided to give myself a little sanity check on the first two drawings I’ve done from plate four, just to seehow well I was doing. This picture shows the original drawing, with a tracing of my copy on a clear acetate sheetlaid over the top. Just look at all those mistakes!
Thankfully, the second drawing from this plate went a littlebetter, so I don’t feel quite so bad about it. Although it might be slightly painful to have my multiple mistakespointed out to me in such an unforgiving manner, it’s a very good thing. These acetate sheets can take the placeof a drawing master with a more developed eye than mine, and show me exactly how much work I’ve got to do beforeI start to get really accurate copies. Quite a lot, apparently.
You can read about my experience with the beginning of plate fourhere. If you want.
Posted 18th September 2006
The Keys to Colour - Free 6 step email course
Learn how to:
- mix any colour accurately
- see the value of colours
- lighten or darken a colour without messing it up
- paint with subtle, natural colour
wait so you really can’t just draw them at the smaller size? I don’t want to purchase an expensive book and have to rip it apart
Sure, you can draw them at the smaller size, and it’s still great practice. I just wanted to see what it would be like to do them full size.
Hello Paul,
I am from Hong Kong, and I came across your website about a week ago. It is wonderful how you have generously shared your learning journey and advices here. Thanks a lot!
Despite being in my early thirties, I am a beginner in drawing. In my earlier days I used to scribble (largely due to my passion in Japanese comic books and animation), but have never gone through any serious training nor education for it.
Recently, I have decided that I should really learn drawing in a structural and effective manner. Meanwhile I’ve started building up my drawing habit for almost a month, and because it’s just the very beginning I am quite lenient with myself – every night after work I’d open my sketchbook and try to draw/sketch whatever I can and love, like my cats, and I’ve also tried gesture drawings. Since I didn’t want to sabotage myself with too much pressure and “perfectionism”, I am happy with whatever I’ve drawn and just to build up the habit.
However, I do aim to train my eyes and skills in accuracy, which leads me to Bargue drawing. In fact I’ve just finished my very first one, with the first eye in the first plate. It took me about 35 minutes. It was the first time that I did a drawing standing up the whole time (with my A3-photocopied plate and the drawing paper stuck to the wall). The problem is that I felt quite exhausted indeed just after these 35 min! As we’d both agree, it takes repeated and mindful practices to get yourself better. So I was expecting myself to do it again and again merrily and without complaints. But instead of catching my breath then start again I’m now a little bit overwhelmed… like I’m afraid I’d not live up to what it takes. Then as soon as this fear comes up another part of me starts blaming myself like “see how you’re whining just after your first attempt? what makes you think you’d ever make it through?!”
I do hope that patience, together with drawing skills, can be trained. It takes perseverance in every field of work anyway, but back in my teenage years, I have barely learnt the virtue to persevere (it was more important to get good grades to get into college to get a “good job” rather than learning how to really grow as a person). I hope it’s not too late. What would you think?
Thank you and best wishes,
jay