[Nathaniel Miller]

Karin,

Another question I forgot to ask.....when you're talking about O. M. drawings, do you mean any one, or are you talking more about finished drawings? I've been indiscriminate thus far and have copied anything I liked. Some have been studies where it looks like composition, etc. weren't of too much concern.

If you eventually attend an atelier, I would wait........learn whatever the method is that they teach you.....

I've done some looking and as far as drawing is concerned they pretty much all teach sight-size at first. I've given up on trying to reconstruct the method on my own as there is virtually nothing available on it, and like you said, I didn't want to develop bad habits. I'll certainly wait on the painting.

don't know how long it takes for you to do an Old Master copy........May I suggest that you trace the drawing and transfer it onto a quality drawing paper. Then in careful freehand do whatever is necessary to make your copy look exactly like the original (duplicate the proportion of the image to the paper size, match the colors, duplicate shading, etc.)

Actually it takes me a long, long time to draw anything. I do find that the third copy goes much faster than the first one, though. It's a great idea to do the transfer....something I'd never thought of. All the copies I've done so far have been freehand, small (9x12 at most), and of simple drawings with the intent to reproduce the tones and shapes, but not to re-create the drawing line-for-line the way you suggest. That being the case, I'm not sure I should post anthing I've done so far, but will post the next one. Should I put it in the critique forum?

What anatomy/figure drawing books are you using? Some are certainly better than others....

The two I'm using based on recommendations are Harold Speed's "The Practice and Science of Drawing", which is written in a style that I like and has been very informative so far, and G. B. Bridgman's "Complete Guide to Drawing from Life", which contains extensive information on anatomy, proportion, perspective, etc. and is all about the figure. I know nothing about the best way to learn this stuff, so I've just gone with the advice of people whose work I admire and/or have experience teaching.

carry a sketchbook with you and draw, draw, draw...anything and everything

Will do!

Once again, thank you very much for taking the time to help me out.

Nathan