Florence-based American artist Marc Dalessio has produced a series of short videos, each one making a single point about academic methods for painting the landscape and the figure.
(Direct link to video) This one shows how to use the the sight-size method for landscape.
(Video link) A pocket mirror helps check the accuracy of a portrait. You can hold it both horizontally and vertically to help spot errors in the drawing.
Some of Marc's other one minute videos:
Using a cuttlebone for to prepare the surface of a painting
Scraping down between painting sessions
Sealing gessoed panels
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Marc Dalessio's blog
Marc's website
Lines and Colors profile
Thanks, Thomas Kitts
Smart and good. But for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would want to be so bound to sight size. It is fabulous as a learning instrument for students, agreed. But as a basis for the rest of your painting career?
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who was a student and then a teacher at the academy in Florence. When we would draw people or landscapes together she would have such a difficult time because she couldn't draw or paint without sight size.
Sad really...she misses out on so much of what art is.
I know what you mean. Sight size methods are great, but there's much in art beyond the reach of observation. My view is that we should learn as many approaches as possible so that we can pull the approach from our tool belt that we need when the occasion demands. Accurate, sight-size painting of the figure or landscape is certainly a worthy skill, and I think every art student should learn how to do it.
ReplyDeleteAlways great to be made aware of an artist that was previously outside my scope of awareness. Thank you. I like your above comment about having many approaches available in our tool belt. It surprises me sometimes when pull something out of that tool belt that I haven't used or thought about for awhile and it's still there....
ReplyDeleteHaving followed Marc's blog for a couple of years now, I have to say that if sight-size is a problem, it's a problem a lot of artists would be happy to be lumbered with. His work is exquisite.
ReplyDeleteI'll second that, Andy.
ReplyDeleteI will third that Andy.
ReplyDelete