Nigel Robertson | Academic Drawing |

Setting up a new bargue to draw is one of the most fun parts to me. There are many things that can be done while setting up a bargue that can sabotage it in the future. Sabotage meaning distortions and errors. Not getting the board perfectly level, or drawing the horizontal lines not level to the bargue and ground can cause all sorts of problems. I think I did a good job setting up because it was fairly easy to measure accurately from a distance using a piece of string or the charcoal. I was quite surprised when I checked it mechanically up close.

Here is the Bargue I just finished. Charcoal on Fabriano Ingres. These bargue drawings are incredibly educational to copy. I notice them helping out in the model room the most.

This is the latest progress on our 5 week pose. I switched to Arches paper. I didn’t like the Arches at first, but it has quickly grown on me because of its brightness, texture, and durability. Its also more forgiving than I immagined it would be. Great paper but it’s expensive and it eats charcoal like crazy.

Jacob Benary sat for a portrait today at Casine.

Large figure drawing on tan Fabriano Ingres paper with charcoal. I love this paper. Its incredible for figure drawings of any kind. Plane changes are on my mind all the time.

This is basically how I like to start my long charcoal drawings. I first do a play around drawing with a shadow line and dark tone to see what mistakes that proportional mistakes Ill make. After that I work on some block in’s until I get one that I feel comfortable with.

Today I tried something different by putting a piece of tracing paper over a block in that I liked and filling in the shadow line and shadow tones and preserving the nice block in.

Tomorrow I am going to work on Fabriano Ingres, which is a cheap paper they sell here in florence for about .60 euro cents. Its cheap and its very forgiving, but it doesn’t allow going very dark. Im thinking Ill treat this as a transfer drawing because the full tonal study is more like a painting and I don’t see the point of doing the drawing on the same paper as the painting. I think it will yeild a nice result. Im excited!

It is now the half way point of the school year in the FAA intensive drawing program. This is my first “finished drawing” of the trimester:

I have learned that there is really no such thing as a finished drawing, there is only a point in which you choose to stop. The model has come down off the model stand after 5 weeks, and its now time to begin a new drawing. The next drawing is going to be 1:75/1 which is about 3/4 of life size. Im very excited because I get to put in more information about the anatomy. I have noticed that the anatomy classes are helping me understand the figure much better.

This is my first painting since arriving in Florence. The paints were a little birthday present to myself. I was really just goofing around with the whole showing the teeth thing, and then I ended up pushing the painting to this point. Im not sure if its really a mistake, or whatever, but its so creepy and dark that it really makes me laugh. Its kinda so sad that it’s funny to me. Sorry if it freaks you out.

It was my birthday February 9th! I made it another year! Im exactly where I want to be. I couldn’t be more satisfied!

Its really nice to be in good company in Florence!

Today’s progress on my charcoal figure:

Finally after almost two months I passed my Advanced Bargue Drawing

New Charcoal Bargue

It seems like every day of drawing is very enjoyable lately, mainly because my figure is working decently. One of the great things our instructors always remind us of is that “The human body is a complex machine, and every reaction within this machine is a reaction.” What this means is that when the model moves anything, it causes other things to move as well. Essentially whenever you draw the figure you have to construct your own, and everything in the machine has to work. Based on that principle, I give my machine a tune up every day, observing the anatomy very closely to see how my figure compares to the one in front of me.

Lately I have been working on a system to organize my values to achieve a naturalistic effect. This is the point that I am at today.

Im a big fan of Apple Computers. Im an iPhone user/developer as well. Im a total nerd when it comes to technology. Im sure DaVinci would be the same if he were alive today. Im proud to announce that Steve Jobs has announced the new iPad! It looks marvelous to use. Almost too good to be true! Here is the video of steve announcing iPad:

I cant wait to get my hands on one!

I just found a song made with iSample on YOUTUBE! The artist’s name is Homogenized Terrestrials I have been anxious for this day to come! Pretty cool song! I like it alot! For more info on iSample check out the WAY OUT WARE website!