The Artist - UK (2020-03)

http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMarch 2020 51

PRACTICAL



DRAWING IN MUSEUMS AND

GALLERIES, HAVING A GO...

When selecting a painting to work from it may help to choose just a small detail

or section that interests you to begin with rather than drawing the entire work. It

may be a particular gure, or shape of a few gures together that takes you into

the painting and this can be your starting point. Once this key element has been

established your drawing can always be extended and added to if you want to

develop the composition.

t Adele Wagsta drawing after Rubens’ Last Judgement, detail, sketchbook study in pencil,

5½4in (1410cm).

This small, rapidly made study focuses on the rhythm of the group of three gures on

the left-hand side of Rubens’ dramatic Last Judgement in Alte Pinakothek, Munich. It was

the overall shape of this particular group which stood out quite dramatically to me as I

stood in front of this incredible painting. The diagonal made by the two main gures was

the starting point of the drawing, with light, rapid linear strokes then used to create the

shapes, rhythms and angles of the limbs wrapping around each other

t Adele Wagsta Drawing after Rogier

Van der Weyden’s The Last Judgement,

detail, sketchbook study in pencil and

soft graphite, 118in (2820.5cm).

This drawing was made while standing

as close to the altarpiece as possible.

The room in which it is displayed was

rather dark, which enhanced the jewel-

like colour and surface of the painting

beautifully but made copying quite a

challenge. The movement here comes

through the woman’s ailing arms and

legs in diagonals of all directions, as she

tries to stop herself falling. The gure

in the composition is placed against a

black background, dark negative shapes

around her enhance her dramatic pose

further still

 This small sketch

allowed me to work out

the various angles of

this complex pose. The

diagonal of the spine is

crossed by the dynamic

of the arms moving out

to each side, creating

a cross. The triangle

created from hip, to

shoulder and knee is a

dominant shape within

the gure and it was

helpful to use this shape

to draw the rest of the

pose

 Although this seems to be a rather still pose, its

movement is implied through the angles of the torso and

the limbs and the tension that these create. The contrast of

the vertical of the hair and reaching hand further adds to

this tension and suggestion of movement to come

Adele Wagsta The Last Judgement, sketchbook studies

after Rogier Van Der Weyden, pencil and soft graphite,

8 11in (2028cm). Beaune Altarpiece, Hôtel-Dieu Museum, Beaune.

works and consists of nine oak panels,
six of which are painted on both sides,
with 15 paintings in total.
It was the smaller figures in the
landscape placed within the lower
register of the work that particularly
attracted my attention. These small
figures suggest movement in a quiet
and linear way using line and shape and
contrasts with the painterly and more
gestural approach of Rubens in his
paintings of the same theme.

After drawing the gure falling toward the entrance to hell, I made a

number of other sketches of individual gures within the scene.

I was drawn to the dramatic shape created by this poor unfortunate

woman who is about to be dragged into the underworld by her hair.