Friday, January 28, 2011

Figure Drawing Class with Robert Liberace, Exploring Prud'hon's Technique

In today's Figure Drawing class, with instructor Robert Liberace, we explored the technique used by French Romanticist Pierre-Paul Prud'hon (1758-1823). Prud'hon is known for his stunning toned paper drawings using charcoal and white chalk to create a sculptural drawing. Rob did a wonderful demo of Prud'hon's drawing technique used blue tinted Ingres paper, vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, charcoal pencils, white chalk and white charcoal pencils, brushes and a chamois.

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Liberace begins by blocking in the figure with vine charcoal. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer.

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As Liberace develops the drawing he blocks in the large shadows with charcoal and the highlights using white chalk, in a criss cross manner. This is how Prud'hon developed his works. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer.

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Finished demo drawing by Liberace. The finished drawing was built up using layers of charcoal and white chalk. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer.

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Sketch by Prud'hon showing criss cross application of shadows and highlights.

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Drawing by Prud'hon, female back.

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Another finished Prud'hon drawing.

Artist Rebecca Alzofon has reconstructed, step by step, Prud'hon's technique. Her website is very complete and worth a look.

3 comments:

  1. Love the dimension and depth created with the toned paper, charcoal and white pencil.

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  2. There is a real deep essence to these which makes them look like they could just walk off the drawing, don't they!

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