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Madame Récamier
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Message
Posted
I've been looking at some of the wonderful work by François Gérard, born in Italy in 1770. His portrait of Madame Récamier in 1805 was commissioned by the sitter after she disliked the original work by Gérard's tutor.
This is a freehand (detail A3) charcoal sketch of François' gorgeous painting. I'm planning to complete this in oil pastels.
I've found in the past that copying work by prominent artists from the past is helpful in learning and improving techniques in my art, even if I use a different medium. How does anyone else feel about this?
I've found in the past that copying work by prominent artists from the past is helpful in learning and improving techniques in my art, even if I use a different medium. How does anyone else feel about this?
Posted
It’s something that I have a yet not done. I can however understand that there could be a lot of learning from it.
My problem is most of the paintings I like are from more modern painters , some are still around. I’d feel as if I was cheating a bit but don’t know why? I hope you are doing it as a work in progress Frank, it would be great to watch it develop.
Edited
by Paul (Dixie) Dean
Posted
I look forward to watching your progress, Frank. Copying old masters has long been part of art students study, so I don't see it as cheating. It certainly means you will study the picture you've chosen more intensely than you normally would...and will increase your admiration for the artist. I've done a few, maybe a dozen in my lifetime, and I think it does aid the learning process. Making pictures is a lifelong learning process anyway.
On the cheating angle, I watched a video on youtube about artist's good working practices. Among things like 'do something every day', it advised cheating. But cheat from everybody...cheat from hundreds of artists...not just one, or you'll be seen as a clone of that artist. The speaker quoted many famous artists and writers on the subject. All this is opinion anyway, I'd approach it from a different angle...if you look at a lot of artists work, hopefully the stuff you like will have some effect on your own work. 'Hopefully' being the key word.
Posted
I don’t know much about art Frank, I have never studied it and I am new to it. I am currently trying to learn as much as I can about it now of course. I don’t have the knowledge to comment but what I do think sometimes, when I see a familiar style of painting is, how much of the painting has been influenced and how much of the artist’s own soul has gone into the painting. Obviously when you have formal training you would learn all these styles and techniques. It makes me wonder if it takes anything away from the individuality of an artist. These are just questions I ask myself though. I think we would all want to paint like the great masters, I’m still checking them out. Your drawing is beautiful by the way.
Posted
Thanks Denise for your lovely comment at the end 😊, like you, I haven’t any formal training in art and I don’t feel that has been a problem for me. Yes, where art is concerned, I’ve often wondered if academic institutions turn out clones. I paint for pleasure and don’t have any particular style or subject - maybe because I didn’t have formal training, who knows.
Posted
Well I hope I don’t come over as a clone Frank... I spent five years at art college, and I didn’t leave with any preconceived direction in art, I chop and change medium and style regularly.
That’s not to say the current style of teaching is anything like it was in my day, because it isn’t! Students spent countless hours in the life class, that was considered to be the major discipline, but that’s all changed.
Posted
Now that I have discovered art and I am trying to learn all I can, I think I would have given my left arm to have had the opportunity to have gone to such institutions. When I have been reading about the great masters, I feel like I really want to get inside their heads and know their thoughts and everything about their lives, to try and understand why they painted the way they did and why they chose a particular scene. I guess these are usual things you think about when you are new to it. I wish I could go back a couple of hundred years.
Posted
I don’t think you need worry about being a clone Alan, your work is beautiful, never quite know what’s coming next from you and I like that.
Well looking at your profile pic Denise, you look young enough to realise that dream. If we went back 200 years, maybe we’d get a decent price for our artwork 😉
Posted
The one artist that has had a big influence on me has been Peder Mork Monsted, his landscape are amazing, his snow scenes are almost photos. Whilst I’ve never copied any of his work , it has without doubt influenced how I paint trees etc. I’m now very much tempted to have a go at one of his scenes but with my take on it. Like you Frank I’ve never had formal training, and have often thought how it might have affected my painting. Many years ago a relative of a friend who was a professional artist, suggested he gave me some lessons. He ask me to produce a small piece , I did a landscape as he watched at the end he announced quite bluntly “ I’m not going to teach you””. I was quite taken aback until he clarified, he said I painted quite well and that he did not want to undo how I painted, but he was willing to give me advice an pointers if I needed them. He was a great help.
Posted
Thanks Frank, appreciated! I get bored and stale when I’m churning out the same stuff on a daily basis, I’m always looking for a different approach, as in some of my recent postings.
This romantic realist painter Peder Mork Monsted’s work is not particularly appealing to me Paul, although he was undoubtedly a talented artist. Far too tight and almost photorealistic, which leaves me cold I’m afraid. Good job we’re all different!
Edited
by Alan Bickley