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As a seasoned figurative oil painter, I found myself at a crossroads in my art practice last year. I felt like I wanted more from my paintings and I wanted to push myself further - although at that stage I wasn't sure which direction that would take me or what I expected to achieve.
In order to re-evaluate things I decided to, quite literally, go back to the drawing board.
It wasn't just any old drawing board though. I decided to hone my practical drawing skills with classical drawing techniques. This meant following some of the methods used in the 19th century (and for centuries before that) but which have been lost over the past century as teachers have favoured expression over the development of technique.
Of course I have been drawing for years, and I make careful drawings before I begin a painting. However, I realised that I was never really taught how to do this. I had been drawing intuitively but without much structure in the process.
In this blog post, I will share my experiences of going back to basics; what I have learnt from studying the classical methodology of drawing and how I think it can benefit a wider art practice.
In 2023 I began studying classical techniques under a former director of the Florence Academy of Art. The Florence Academy is the best known school in a niche group of Ateliers attempting to revive the teaching of classical art skills. Going to Florence for several years however, would have been expensive and not practical for me at this stage in my life. So I was delighted when I discovered that one of their former long term directors was offering lessons.
I began by studying skulls and anatomy. I have quite a logical brain so it made sense for me to take an academic (and frankly a little geeky!) approach to learning what lies beneath the human face. Studying the bones in the skull and the planes of the face gave me an understanding of how the light should fall on a subject and how to look for the key elements when blocking in.
The process of repeating slightly different versions of the same thing from different angles is a great way to learn. It requires discipline but, in my opinion, the results are worth it.
After my anatomical studies, I moved on to Bargue drawings. These are based on the teachings of the 19th Century French painter Charles Bargue. The 19th century saw the establishment of art academies and schools that emphasised rigorous training in classical drawing. Charles Bargue's Cours de Dessin and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris were influential in shaping the curriculum.
Bargue created a method of teaching drawing based on copying his black and white drawings of classical sculptures. These begin with less detailed studies and move on to become quite complex. They are drawn using a combination of the ‘sight size’ and ‘comparative measurement’ method (I might write a blog on these methods in the future if people would find it interesting).
The first image is of Psyche of Napoli. This is among the easier of the Bargue drawings, although by no means the easiest. I spent around 5-6 hours on it and, whilst I could have carried on and made many more improvements, I’m happy with the result for the time invested.
This image is the Belvedere Torso, based on Michelangelo’s sculpture in the Vatican, and one of the most difficult Bargue drawings. It's fairly large took around 14-18 hours (I lost track of time and ended up injuring my knee by standing awkwardly in front of my easel for hours without noticing how much time had passed!).
This will remain in my studio as part of my ongoing studies, but I can already feel that it is contributing to my studio practice in a way that is coming out in my paintings. It’s always worth investing in your art practice and drawing is ultimately the backbone to everything else we do.
Below is a drawing of ‘The Unknown Woman of the Seine’ (L’Inconnue de la Seine), a cast drawing of the death mask of a woman who allegedly fell into the Seine in the late 19th century. (There is some discrepancy over the truth of the death mask’s origins). Her beauty and enigmatic smile have provided inspiration for artists studying classical drawing for years.
These drawings have certainly improved my hand-eye coordination and I have enjoyed the logic of the process of classical drawing from sketching outlines and envelope shapes, comparing measurements, finding shadow shapes and building up layers of values to create form.
Here are a few reasons why I think this practice would be a worthy addition to any figurative artist's practice:
Above is an annotated drawing of a skull with all of the bones listed.
Studying classical drawing over the past few months has already had a positive impact on the rest of my art practice. I have felt my skills become more refined and my confidence has grown. That confidence has led me to try things I might not otherwise have tried in my paintings. So, not only has it improved my proficiency, I also think it has enabled me to be more confident in trying new things.
I have felt a shift in how I approach things. I have a renewed appreciation for the art of the past, but I have also felt more connected to my current surroundings and I feel better equipped to try to translate my own experiences in pencil and in paint. Building confidence in one area has made me want to develop and push my artistic practice in other areas.
I'm still unsure where it will ultimately lead me, but it is interesting that by studying old techniques through tried and tested formulas is giving me the confidence to want to try new things.
The short answer is no! Creating artworks requires you to put something of yourself into the work, to think creatively and make something that is unique and personal to you.
I think it is a great foundation and offers excellent tools (tools which sadly aren't taught in most art schools now) but it is how you use this knowledge and experience that will determine your art practice.
Much of the contemporary art world is focused on breaking 'rules', promoting ideas over painterly skill, favouring installations over painting, and asking many of the same questions that were originally asked over 100 years ago: "What is art? Can 'found objects' be art?"
Personally, I love art that shares ideas. However, I prefer painting to creating installations in my own practice. I think those early 20th century questions were good ones - but not the ONLY questions.
My view is also that you can't break the rules if you don't truly understand them in the first place!
I love a lot of contemporary art but I think the high level art world, the media art critics and art institutions are missing out when they (largely) ignore what figurative painting can say and do.
On the other hand, I think that sometimes figurative painters lack the confidence, budget or time to share big ideas in the way that installation artists do.
I believe the skills and techniques passed on through centuries of artists in the classical tradition are vitally important to being an artist. And yet, just as contemporary art institutions and critics are missing out by ignoring it, I accept that skills and techniques can also only take you so far. I think these learnt skills should be seen as a springboard from which you can develop ideas and ask questions in a more confident and thoughtful way.
I'm excited about how I'm going to apply this knowledge and use it to ask questions and make commentary about the things that are important to me.
I'm a long way off having any answers but it's an exciting time to be asking questions.
A selection of drawings in the classical style.
I drew this as part of my practice in portrait studies and classical techniques and shared it on my social media accounts in aid of International Women's Day.
Below you can see the early stage after I had found the envelope shape and the shadow shapes. The second image shows the finished graphite drawing.
I’m taking part in Suffolk Open Studios this June! Come and visit my working studio to see original paintings, prints, and behind-the-scenes creativity. Find out more about the opening dates and times and what will be on offer...
What does a self-portrait reveal about an artist? In my latest blog, I look at how self-portraits balance revealing and concealing. I reflect on the works of Rembrandt, Kahlo, and Gentileschi - while also sharing the story behind my own recent painting.
