Copying a Charles Bargue Lithograph

After attending multiple workshops and classes over the last fifteen years, some at the Atlanta College of Art, some with renowned Atlanta artist Chris di Domizio, an award winning artist internationally trained in Florence, Chouaieb Saidi, who trained at the famous Sorbonne University in Paris, and with Master Pastelist Margaret Dyer, I felt I needed to broaden my training even more.  I really wanted to pursue the training one would get in the Ateliers of France and Europe, but couldn't leave a current long-time career.  In the end an on-line art training program similar to an Atelier presented the solution!

In January 2013 I began a program of rigorous training in Classical Art by joining a group of dedicated online students under the tuledge of  artist Jonathan Hardesty.  Jonathan studied for 3 years at Pantura Studios under masters Hans-Peter Szameit and Sanna Tomac in the Classical tradition.  The curriculum that Johnathan teaches is a modified version of what he learned from his teachers. It is essentially an alla prima version of Florence Academy of Art's program.  The initial part of the curriculum is learning to draw sight-size from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course.

Charles Bargue was a French artist and Lithographer who created a series of 'models' for training according to the French academic style of art education.  The lithographic 'models' have been reproduced in a book, Charles Bargue Drawing Course by Gerald M. Ackerman.  The techniques of classical training in France begin by having the student copy these two dimensional lithographs.  By copying the lithographs the student learns the drawing process in several distinct phases, including the block-in, massing in average values, modeling, conceptualized form and finish. Emphasis is placed on accuracy of observation, subtlety of modeling and a classical aesthetic that places a high value on harmony, balance, and organic wholeness in the finished drawing.  Below are two of my
recently finished copies of Charles Bargue's Lithographs.  These take months to complete.  My next
Bargue Lithograph will be done using comparative measuring instead of sight-size. 

 Bargue graphite on paper

 Bargue graphite on paper