Peter's Sketchbook

[JosephCow]

  I think my main problem which I can't seem to shake is my insistence to try and replicate what I am seeing in front of me, rather than taking artistic license and altering areas that are confusing (like the shadows in this one) and altering it so that it is easier for the viwer to understand. I seem to have the mindset that if I alter or "stray" from the reference then I am no longer depicting what I see in front of me.

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I've been pondering whether I should do more academic studies like yourself such as bargue plates or perhaps purchase some of Juliette Artisde's books and follow her exercises, maybe even look at Dorien Iten's light/shadow course. I'd love to hear your feedback on this, possibly suggest something that I haven't thought of?

Honestly it's a little funny that you say that. From my point of view, that’s mostly what I'm doing, too, just looking at it honestly and drawing it like I see it. There's some interpretation involved always, though. Especially with a pencil drawing where you aren't reproducing the true values, or rendering it like a camera does, with no thought to what it being represented. 
There are some aspects of the reference which are objective though, like the shapes of things, and their proportions.  I don’t think my drawing is “correct”, in any case, more trying to illustrate a different point of view of the subject.

I think where academic drawing comes in is that it gives you objective measure for what is “right”. Like, you can look at your drawing, and look at nature, or whatever you are copying, and just honestly evaluate whether the one looks optically like the other or not. It takes out a lot of subjectivity and mental gymnastics which are involved with other methods of learning, which would use construction of 3d shapes, and conventional shading. Which, again, don’t get me wrong, is also good. We probably need some kind of balance.

I think it might bring you into balance to try some things along the academic, optical vein. Like Bargue plates, for example. They’re good drawings to copy because they are simplified, and show you how to consider the bigger picture of them. But it’s not necessarily a magic pill of academic drawing. I think it’s also partly just a rite of passage at this point. It’s almost as much for breaking your attitude as it is for training your eye. If you choose to do it, though. I have to say, that there’s a lot of copies of Bargue plates floating around. People hear it’s a good exercise, and give it a go, but never really spend what it takes, or don’t approach it from the mindset of making them correct, and I don’t think you can get much out of it that way.


But you’re already doing the right kinds of studies, aren't you? You do a lot of studies from reference and nature, trying to get truth of proportion and color. I think it’s just your focus on them that could be different. You could focus a lot more on having the drawing be accurate, taking your time with it.

I'm excited to see your next illustration! you took great references for it. makes me want to try something like that too