Copying the works of old masters has been a common practice among artists throughout history. In fact, it is still a popular method of learning and perfecting skills today in many American and European museums.
Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Techniques and Styles
The idea behind copying is to learn from the master's and to gain a deeper understanding of their techniques and styles. By copying the works of old masters, artists can learn how to blend shapes into shapes, connect dark and light shapes, and create a story that matters.
One of the most famous old masters is John S. Sargent, who is known for his portraits. Sargent was a master of drawing concepts and used them all at any given timed in the next moment he would choose to use none of them and make a painting flat as can be. Sargent’s work is a great example of how copying the works of old masters can help artists learn the tools and tricks of the trade.
Copying the works of old masters is an important part of art education and can help artists learn the tools and tricks of the trade. It is a way to gain a deeper understanding of the techniques and styles of the master's and to learn how to create a story that matters. .
Blending in Drawing
In pre-Renaissance times when silverpoint was one of the major tools used by artist. Artist would learn to blend by making a very small figure mark with the silverpoint, as Artist started to use charcoal that stroke in the figure technique or infinity sign, fell out of flavor and was no longer needed etching like a remembrance would make hatch lines to make areas darker ultimately cross hatch lines would make the object even darker. Artist would later discover, when looking at a Rembrandt painting that the marks that Rembrandt made was this almost cross hatch. this type of mark making soften the edge of the object the artist was painting and gave them more realistic, rounder appearance. Learning the different ways that artist have made marks in the past, and how you can use them today for your own art can be extremely beneficial when you're looking, so many of today's answers are in the past. We just have to be willing to look..
Blending in drawing is a technique that can help artists create realistic textures and shading effects. I often use a stump to soften edges, but not the smear my pencil marks, I will also make cross hatching marks with either graphite, pencils, or charcoal. I definitely will take my hand and smear, or I will match the value of the object with the background. Each one of these techniques or methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of method depends on the subject and effect the artist wants to achieve. Each of these blending techniques originate with the old masters.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when making art is to avoid fragmentation. I noticed a charcoal drawing by John S Sargent of Nancy Astor. and as I was copying his eyeball, I started to work on the eye lid and what I saw is how he had areas that were dark blend into other areas that were dark, as if it was two lakes, being connected by an overflowing river, which would prevent fragmenting, not only creating a cohesive look , but Sargent said do not allow the viewer to jump from spot to spot without painting them a path to the next spot.
This can be achieved by allowing these meandering shapes through the drawing, much like a river meanders its way from lake to lake to bleed into each other.
In conclusion, blending is an essential skill for artists who want to create realistic textures and shading effects. By learning the different blending methods and avoiding fragmentation, artists can create cohesive and beautiful drawings that capture the essence of their subjects.