Master Study Philosophies
4mo
Hey everybody! I've seen a few questions regarding the purpose of doing master studies recently and would really like to hear everyone's approach when it comes to studying other artists' work. What mindset do you go in with, what are you trying to get out of it? Any tips or tricks you have or general observations about the process. Thanks!
This is an excellent question that made me think about master studies more deeply. For me the biggest issue with master studies is that it is hard to get insights into the entirety of the process. Every time I do master studies, I learn a lot for sure, but I don't know if I am only learning the most superficial details. Also I usually don't have goals, I just find a striking artwork and try to copy it as well as I can. There are always unexpected discoveries, bit as I said earlier, I feel these are mostly less significant things, like the way the artist layered the brushstrokes or pencil marks, how they designed shapes, how the subtleties in colour and shading affect the result, etc. But in terms of the bigger picture, like composition, construction, the references they may have used, the preparatory work, how much of that is analytical versus automatic or emotional - that's very hard to figure out.
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3mo
Super insightful @Vera Robson. I think making those small discoveries opens doors to your own creative process. It's one thing to watch or be told about a process, but another experience to discover it first hand following the blueprint of a master.
There may be one or more reasons; overall mood, beauty, complexity or, on the contrary, the simplicity of the master's art or even something undefined. It is also the will to learn something from the work of art and, if possible, also to practice/ study when making a similar work or detail to find answers to the questions: What? How? Why? Where? Studying the master's art is also a way of appreciating the artist/ art/ model/ reference/ history/ time etc. It does not always have to involve drawing or painting, but for example just admiring.
Why are you doing the master studies?
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3mo
Lovely answer @maciek szczech. I like the idea of studying just for the sake of appreciation. Sometimes it's difficult to slow down and fully take in a work of art.
For me, master studies are so valuable as a concentration of the artists decades of studies. I think you can learn a lot when you practice by doing rather than just viewing (as in a demo, which is valuable in its own way) and what better way than to follow the lead of someone who has that much experience under their belt.
For me it's about finding what makes the master a master to me. And to figure out how they approach each drawing. So that I can incorporate their techniques into my work. I want people to see my style but also see my influences. And these influences all feed into the development of your own style.
Decide for yourself what you want to learn from a master, and pick your original accordingly: is it composition, value, gesture, anatomy, colour or something else? Focus on that aspect, and do not waste your time on an exact replica, unless you're into forgery.
