Bargue Drawing # 2

Stage Oneargue Drawing # 2

graphite on bond paper

A couple of weeks ago I started two art classes at Atelier 2302: a drawing class in which I have begun copying a second, more difficult plate from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course and a class based on Munsell's Colour Theory. Albert Munsell was a scientist who created a more specific way of charting and plotting pigments on a colour wheel with the highest chroma of a hue being on the outside of the circle and all other hues moving inward from there. Basically I am in heaven with all of this art learnin' and such, but it is almost too much when I factor in everything else: my part-time job, the kids and their activities, my regular art practice and business, the planning of a trip this fall (more on that soon) and ... drumroll... kitchen renovations! I have taken on a lot over the next few months, but I keep telling myself I can do it. I am certain, however, that I will have days when I don't want to get out of bed.

The above photo is the first stage of my Bargue drawing, the articulated construct. This is where we use a simple horizontal and vertical grid to measure and transfer the construct of the plate over to bond paper. The articulated construct is a simplified linear drawing where areas of light and dark are broken down (although at this stage the values are not shown), so a very basic structure is developed. The construct from the Bargue Drawing Course is on the left and my transfer is on the right.

I am currently working on step two which is when lights and darks are separated. I am struggling slightly because that step was not done for me as it was with my first Bargue, so basically it is up to me to figure out how and where to separate the light areas from the dark areas. Let's just say my learning curve has spiked!