Artist's Magazine - USA (2020-05)

20 Artists Magazine May 2020

Build DRAWING BOARD

Whether you’re an abstract expres-

sionist trying to place your brush

precisely to create a particular shape

or a figurative artist striving for

accurate proportions and delicate

details, drawing is an integral part

of the painting process. Of equal

importance, however, are the

drawings that occur off the canvas

in preparation for and support

of the painting. Those drawings—

often in the form of “comp” sketches

and working drawings—analyze

the details of objects and figures

in the composition.

There’s no better example of these

types of preparatory drawings than

those of 17th-century Baroque artist

Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–

1640). These drawings were pivotal

in helping Rubens determine color,

value, details, form and placement

for his large-scale multifigure paint-

ings. Follow along to see how the

master used his prep works to inform

his finished works—and consider

how sketching and studies can

advance your own painting practice.

COLOR AND VALUE

STUDIES

A comp sketch doesn’t need to be

elaborately detailed; it can start off

simple and scribbly to aid in the

exploration of ideas, much like

PRELIMINARY STUDIES

In Pursuit of a Painting

DAN GHENO highlights the importance and benefi ts of preparatory drawings

to a successful painting, as seen through the works of a true master.

The Presentation in the Temple (recto)

by Peter Paul Rubens

1611; pen & brown ink and brown wash,

8⁷⁄₁^6 x5⁹⁄₁^6

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART