Art training shifted a lot in the early 20th century toward a more experimental approach, emphasizing the path toward abstracting reality rather than duplicating it. Instead of having classical ateliers or workshops, more art universities emerged, in which the latter became loyal to the ideals of Modernism. As I've scanned some art-related forums, I have realized that there are a good number of people who wish for a return of classical art training in the Western sense. This includes drawing from plaster casts and going through the rigorous process of learning to draw and paint realistically from Nature.
One website that advocates a return to classical artistic training is the Art Renewal Center, or ARC for short, and their website is at www.artrenewal.org. As I've browsed through the website I noticed that they seem to dismiss Modern art. Despite this, I still love certain aspects of the website, such as the great collection of paintings from academic artists of the late-19th century. I also love the prospect of classical ateliers having a resurgence in popularity. I'm all for that.
The book that I recommend, which I found on the website, is Charles Bargue Drawing Course. This text shows drawings made by Bargue himself, which are meant to be copied by art students exactly the way they are. This kind of academic training, where a student would copy from a master's drawings, was common a century ago. I think it's great practice for honing one's draftsmanship skills, as well as becoming a better observer.
No comments:
Post a Comment