Being a Copy Cat Is a Good Thing

Why Copying in Art is a Good Thing | Copy Old Master Drawings | Artist Daily
Showcase your talent and win big in Artists Network prestigious art competitions! Discover competitions in a variety of media and enter for your chance to win cash prizes, publication in leading art magazines, global exposure, and rewards for your hard work. Plus, gain valuable feedback from renowned jurors. Let your passion shine through – enter an art competition today!

Learning a Master’s drawing secrets — texture, color … genius!

It’s funny when you think about it, but the art world is built on copying. Unlike plagiarism in journalism or literature, however, copying master drawings is something many artists, for centuries, have incorporated into their studies. Why? Because it is an excellent way to closely study and evaluate incredible artwork. It was a widespread method during the 16th and 17th centuries. And copying allows artists then and now to demonstrate their growing ability to draw and render, or to create an homage honoring a revered artistic master of drawing, painting or both.

Kneeling Female in Orange Dress by Egon Schiele
Kneeling Female in Orange Dress by Egon Schiele

When you think about it, getting drawing lessons from the masters in this way is a bit of a luxury. All the works are laid out in front of you and all you have to do is observe. There is no pressing timetable or hoops to jump through. You can focus on discovering the drawing techniques they used and work through their process as a drawing exercise to hone your own skills.

Get your copying on, artists!

If you are interested in creating a line drawing or contour drawing after a master, it will be good to remember a few things.

First

Make a copy of a drawing in the style you like.

Second

Do not copy a drawing from Rembrandt if Schiele is more your style. Go with what you are drawn to aesthetically. After all, you’re going to be giving the image a lot of attention.

Drawing by Rembrandt.
Drawing by Rembrandt

Third

You’ll also want to get a good quality image to work from or work from life if at all possible (museums far and wide love having living artists in their galleries, just be sure to coordinate with the staff before you go as there are different protocols depending on where your masterpiece resides). Sometimes that can be from an exhibition catalog, or you might be able to find a poster-size reproduction of the work. Just look for good tones and a clear representation of detail and gradation.

Fourth

You may also want to tone your paper in the style of the Old Masters. They rarely had pure white paper, so go with a surface that has a bit of neutral color on it or apply a wash to give it a bit of color.

Copying for the Love of Art

Copying master drawings is an enjoyable and rewarding way to improve drawing skills as one of our favorite instructors knows. Desmond O’Hagan’s foray into master copying started with a love for Edgar Degas’ pastels. He wanted to deeper, richer understand how his favorite artist actually painted. That led to entire series on the subject including Desmond’s Decoding Degas Drawing Collection, perfect for lovers of the Impressionist master.

If, after looking through all of resources from Desmond, you want to recreate a master drawing, don’t question it. That artistic urge is your creativity calling! Just make sure to make your own riff on the work and then get copying!   SaveSaveSave

Related Articles

Join the Conversation!

  1. I consider imitation to be the highest form of praise. The copy should be notated somewhere on the front or back, making clear it is a master copy and stating the name of the artist and the work. However, I see no reason to ever destroy a master copy.

  2. I think if someone is at least an intermediate painter this can be a good task to do. Having already established a strong understanding of color, form, light, perspective, and other aspects of creating art, an artist can further learn what an artist’s approach is by copying the work as a study. I did this once long ago and I felt as if I was getting inside the artist’s head. Creating a work of art is more than just technique. It’s a whole mind set.

    I think it is also important to never share this work as if it is your own artwork. The lessons should be purely for your own growth and not put on display to show people what “you” have done. Unless the work is some sort of spoof or adapted considerably, it is best to view this work as a study or destroy it when you are finished.

Become a member today!

Choose an option below to join now.

$14.99/month

Join Now

 

Free Gift Included

$99.99/year

Join Now

 

  • Stream over 850 videos anytime, anywhere.
  • Enjoy exclusive events with live discussions from today’s top artists!
  • Get access to the Artists Magazine archives and save 30% on additional magazines.

View All Benefits

*Membership cannot be purchased with Gift Cards.