Monday, April 27, 2009

Master Copies


Jacob Collins giving a class demo on quick master copies, which all students are encouraged to do as a way to learn composition, value, and color from successful works of art.


These exercises are meant to be loose and fun, they are definitely a nice way to break up the regular studio routine and get inspired by the masters. Here is a class Demo Jacob did of a Van Dyke painting.


Students who have not started working in color yet are doing copies just focused on value. Jacob did this demonstration of a Sargent portrait in class. The process of studying the painting closely enough to copy it allows for a chance to notice more subtle elements of the composition. Students are encouraged to do lots of these copies, maybe once a week or more, spending as much or as little time on it as they wish. The idea is that over years or a life time of this kind of study, the artist will gain a more intuitive understanding of composition, value, and color.



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