Clarifying traditional cast drawing methods ...

Minh Thong · 10-31-2003, 10:12 AM

After the Spring and Summer layoff, I'm pulling out my drawing materials this weekend and will begin concentrating on the basics again. I've done a little cast drawing with help from a mentor who is an illustrator and college drawing teacher, and I wanted to try one using the traditional atelier-style methods. Can someone please correct my understanding of the general process, where needed? I understand there are differing methods, including sight-size v.s. basic units v.s. measuring with calipers, but here's the general technique I've gleaned from various sources ...

* Measure vertical limits of cast on the media (place tick marks), then measure horizontal limits (using plumbline, calipers, etc.) and mark. Also measure mark some basic relationships within the cast and mark them as well.

* Create basic external contour, recheck. Then measure and draw basic shadow lines while ignoring halftones and reflected light.

* Block in the background.

* Model the halftones and reflected lights within the cast. Then lastly place the darkest darks and refine the background.

I realize this is greatly over-simplified, but is this the general method used in classical training?

Any pointers?

Thanks for any help at all ...

Minh Thong

Steven Sweeney · 10-31-2003, 10:45 AM

Minh,

That

Steven Sweeney · 10-31-2003, 10:54 AM

P.S. I see that Mari DeRuntz has just completed her first cast drawing.

Perhaps since she's steeped in this work right now, she'll have some fresher insights to offer you.

Minh Thong · 10-31-2003, 11:31 AM

Thanks for the info, Steven. Last Winter I printed off the demo you mentioned and about three others from the net. There's SO much valuable info out there today.

This year I now have a large room dedicated to nothing but hobbies and avocations (meditation, art, music, and the 'Slither Twins') so I have a pretty big section of the room for just drawing/painting setups. I currently have the cast set on top of a black-draped four-feet high dresser with a grey background cloth hung. I'm 6'1" and so I have to set my easel up in such a way that I'm actually looking slightly down on the cast somewhat if I use the sight-size method. But I'm wondering if this will cause problems. Should I find a way to raise it up higher so that I'm looking dead on? I haven't yet found an easel that allows me to stand fully erect and paint in a way that I'm completely comfortable. I always feel I'm somewhat crouched when drawing or painting.

Thanks again for the assistance.

Minh

Steven Sweeney · 10-31-2003, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Should I find a way to raise it up higher so that I'm looking dead on?

Yes you should, if that will make for a better drawing. If ANYTHING about the set-up isn't good, that "wrong" thing will be what you draw. Nip it in the bud.

I understand the height thing. I'm 6-3, and I think I've mentioned before that a fellow studio mate (about 5-6) said once, looking at my still-life set-up and my painting, "I always feel like I'm getting a bird's-eye view when I look at your paintings."

But yes, certainly -- stick a box under the cast, and cinder blocks under the easel, if that's what it takes to get things where they need to be to get the job done right.

Timothy C. Tyler · 10-31-2003, 11:42 AM

Yes Minh, raise it up. I use a box (I'm 6' 1" too) I think here and on ARC and in some of the art magazines they show diagrams of how to poistion the set-up to the canvas or paper. Do it correctly. This is no place to fudge. You can do these and watch as each one gets better. Save them and compare them. 2 or 3 casts are all you need for dozens of exercises. Then go to coffee cans or oranges. You can add color after you get where the drawings come easily. One day the color will come easily too.

Minh Thong · 10-31-2003, 03:04 PM

Thanks for the feedback, the help is greatly appreciated.

I'll try to find something to raise it up on tonight before I start measuring. If I use my smallest drawing support I think I can place it high enough on my mast-style easel to give me a straight-on view of the cast and the media without crouching.

I'll try it.

Minhberg

Steven Sweeney · 10-31-2003, 04:11 PM

Improvise if and as you have to. For drawings like this, I'd tape paper to a plywood or Masonite backing and then secure it to the mast with a couple of spring clamps.

Do WHATEVER you have to, to avoid crouching. If not boxes and bricks, then stack books or magazines to raise your surface or your subject. It's hard enough to return to the same spot and posture for measuring, without going through contortions (which will completely frustrate your attempts to measure accurately.)

Good luck.

Minh Thong · 11-01-2003, 08:07 AM

Thanks for the tips, guys.

I finally got everything arranged last night, and all is set per your input. The view is much better and I'm not crouching. I have a plumbline attached to a yardstick clamped to my easel, so I have a constant reference. I'm all set, except for this: I've tried various lamps and positions for lighting my workspace, and the minimum effect to the cast of this second light I can come up with is a bit of wash-out on the top of Apollo's head. I've arranged the lamp so that it is hidden by the drawing board, but there is still a noticeable effect on the top of the head of the cast when I turn it on.

How do you guys deal with this? Lower wattage easel lamp?

Thanks again,

Minh

Steven Sweeney · 11-01-2003, 10:37 AM

You wouldn't want to compromise the light on the easel necessary to see your work well.

If I correctly understand the problem -- the easel light is messing up the lighting you've tried to establish on the cast -- what I would do is hang a yard of fabric or a piece of cardboard somewhere between the cast and the "offending" light, to block the direct influence of that light. It won't take much to effect the necessary interference.

This will again call upon you to improvise -- you might have to sew a dowel into the top edge of the fabric so that you can hang it from two threads attached to the ceiling. Those spring clamps mentioned earlier can sometimes be made to hold the cardboard.