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Light, shadow and drapery

Five steps to stop drawing outlines and start drawing values.

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  1. 1

    Three values, no more

    Squint until the subject collapses into light, mid and dark. Fill those three shapes flat. Any fourth value you add now is a guess.

    Study for Saint Gervasius — Eustache Le Sueur Study for Saint Gervasius Eustache Le Sueur Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels — Fra Filippo Lippi Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels Fra Filippo Lippi A Seated Apostle (recto); Drapery Study (verso) — Anonymous, French, 18th century A Seated Apostle (recto); Drapery Study… Anonymous, French, 18th… Drapery Study for "Battledore" (recto); Two Women (verso) — Albert Joseph Moore Drapery Study for "Battledore" (recto); Two… Albert Joseph Moore
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  2. 2

    Tonal masses without line

    Seurat draws no contours at all: the form appears where two tones meet. Try one drawing using only the side of the pencil, never the point.

    Aman-Jean (Portrait of Edmond François Aman-Jean) — Georges Seurat Aman-Jean (Portrait of Edmond François… Georges Seurat Foal (Le Poulain) [also called "The Colt"] — Georges Seurat Foal (Le Poulain) [also called "The Colt"] Georges Seurat Pierrot and Colombine by Georges Seurat, conté crayon — Georges Seurat Pierrot and Colombine by Georges Seurat… Georges Seurat Seurat Paul Signac — Georges Seurat Seurat Paul Signac Georges Seurat Seurat L'Echo — Georges Seurat Seurat L'Echo Georges Seurat Georges Seurat - Café-concert - 1958.344 - Cleveland Museum of Art — Georges Seurat Georges Seurat - Café-concert - 1958.344 -… Georges Seurat
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  3. 3

    The logic of folds

    Cloth folds where it is held and where it is pushed. Find the two or three anchor points first — every fold in the drawing radiates from one of them.

    Male Saint with Staff, Half-Figure — Francisco Herrera, the Younger ("El Mozo") Male Saint with Staff, Half-Figure Francisco Herrera, the… Statue of Standing Warrior, from Rear — Follower of Francesco de'Rossi, called Salviati Statue of Standing Warrior, from Rear Follower of Francesco… Drapery Study of a Standing Figure Facing Right, in Profile — Andrea del Verrocchio Drapery Study of a Standing Figure Facing… Andrea del Verrocchio A Drapery Study for the Knees of a Seated Allegorical Figure of Charity (recto); Bust of a Naked Allegorical Figure of Charity with Two Putti (verso) — Giovanni Antonio Sogliani A Drapery Study for the Knees of a Seated… Giovanni Antonio Sogliani Design with Female Figure in Flowing Drapery — Possibly Hendrick Goltzius Design with Female Figure in Flowing Drapery Possibly Hendrick Goltzius Design: Drapery Arranged On a Model, from Encyclopédie — A. J. Defehrt Design: Drapery Arranged On a Model, from… A. J. Defehrt
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  4. 4

    Drapery of the masters

    Cloth has weight. Ask of every fold: is this hanging, pulling or piling up? Draw the answer, not the ripples you see.

    A Seated Apostle (recto); Drapery Study (verso) — Anonymous, French, 18th century A Seated Apostle (recto); Drapery Study… Anonymous, French, 18th… Drapery Study for "Battledore" (recto); Two Women (verso) — Albert Joseph Moore Drapery Study for "Battledore" (recto); Two… Albert Joseph Moore Study for the Drapery of Molière in "The Apotheosis of Homer" — Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres Study for the Drapery of Molière in "The… Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres Study of Drapery over the Knees of a Seated Figure — Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino) Study of Drapery over the Knees of a Seated… Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo… Drawing, drapery (study for oil painting, "Wedding Procession"), ca. 1872 (CH 18404455) — Elihu Vedder Drawing, drapery (study for oil painting… Elihu Vedder Drawing, Study of Drapery, 1675 (CH 18109903) — Unknown artistUnknown artist Drawing, Study of Drapery, 1675 (CH 18109903) Unknown artistUnknown artist
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  5. 5

    Going deep

    Most beginners never push the darks far enough. Copy these using the full range: if your darkest dark is not truly black, the light will never sing.

    Adolph Menzel, Study of a Woman, c. 1875-1890, NGA 56918 — Adolph Menzel Adolph Menzel, Study of a Woman, c… Adolph Menzel Adolph Menzel, Studies of a Man Drinking, 1888, NGA 62988 — Adolph Menzel Adolph Menzel, Studies of a Man Drinking… Adolph Menzel Adolph Menzel - Figurenstudie (1872) — Adolph von Menzel Adolph Menzel - Figurenstudie (1872) Adolph von Menzel
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