In this video, I show some of John Sargent's drawing techniques. At the end of the video, I demonstrated how I copied the lips from one of his drawings. Facebook: / wordell.carter
Im pretty sure, as we do when we paint, he chose to direct our eye, to lead our focus. In his sketches he did this through detail & darker value, harder lines. He created all lines lightly at first in order to edit himself if necessary. Then after he was happy with the entire sketch, he then went back over the areas of importance. He didnt want us to focus on the back of her head in the profile or the hat & neckline in the straight on pose. He didn’t want those areas to distract from the face, the eyes & mouth. Thats the point. In painting, we typically blur areas, soften edges, & simplify detail in areas of less importance while doing just the opposite in the focal point. This is called leading the viewer.
How did he create such feint marks with the half tones? when i put charcol down the marks come up to dark. It seems many of the half tone masses are shaded yet im amazed how soft they are. Would he have used toned paper also or maybe laid some marks down and rubbed over the paper with a rag or something? Oh, and another... would he have used a plumbline or somekind for measurments ?
Here's the bombshell I believe he used optics to project the image onto canvas and paper and then trace.If you look for the signs you can see them.Alot of the greats did! Dont get caught up in the romance of it all. JSS wanted quick turnaround it was also a very lucrative business for him.
@@pianoatthirtythis is blatantly false information. If he did this all of his subjects would have seen him doing it lol. Unless they’re all in on some big conspiracy then I highly doubt this is true. There’s an interesting documentary on artists who might have actually done this though called “Tim’s Vermeer” and you can even buy the device they allegedly used online (called a camera obscura, some of them definitely used it but with others it’s not so clear). Another helpful device is viewfinder. Van Gogh used one for his landscapes. There are no rules only tools and self expectations but the claim that Sargent used a camera obscure is just false lol. He used the Russian academic technique called sight-sizing in which you put a mark on the floor and use a piece of thread to measure your subjects proportions before putting them down on canvas and comparing and contrasting them with eachother. Also a very useful technique if you’re interested in that kind of stuff
Even if he did (i don’t believe he did) that’s not where the magic lies at all. The power of his work lies in his shape design, edges, value and contrasting elements. Tracing won’t give you any of those elements, the artist has to masterfully edit to achieve a strong design.
Coordinates v. proportions? You're making way too many assumptions and generalizations. He didn't change his mind about the placement of an ear, it was an adjustment of altitude versus attitude. You really don't have a clue about portraiture from the late 19th century to early 20th century.
Does the similar job as kneadable rubber today, but not as precise. Using bread, kneaded in hand to act as an eraser, dates several centuries before Sargent.
Hi Wordell's. Jim from Madrid, Spain (a fellow artist and a New Yorker expat living abroad). It is funny how you position "John Singer Sargent" as a US Citizen (which he might have been legally, though I'm too sure of it) when he was born in Italy, and lived all of his life in Europe: - Paris to learn and become famous for his oils portraits until he was banished - check why in his his life - - and went to England and continued his professional career in oil painting whilst continuing his passion in watercolor as his personal artist form, non-commercial, until his death). So... he is a descendent of US parents, but he was Italian by birth and lived in Paris and the UK, as well as spending many many holidays and a lot if time in Spain for his watercolor paintings (not as good as Sorolla with color and light, but close enough). It is important to get the facts straight. And... YES! John Singer Sargent was a MASTER in watercolor!!!! AMAZING techniques and new discoveries for his time! As well as an amazing Oil painter (which is what he was famous for and made a living out if it at his time). Cheers from Sunny Spain! 😁👍😎✌
Hi, Thank you for your comments. Let's look at the facts pertaining to Sargent's US citizenship. In an article in tate.org.uk, it states, "He remained an American citizen throughout his life." In Britannica it states, "John Singer (born 12, 1856, Florence, Italy--died April 15, 1925, London, England) Italian-born American painter whose elegant portraits provide an enduring Image of Edwardian Age society." "The artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) defied labels. A man who lived more than half his life in England, but always considered himself American..." cbsnews.com. Many American artists traveled to Paris to learn to paint. "In the late 19th century, American artists by the hundreds - including such luminaries as James Abbott McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins, and Winslow Homer - were drawn irresistibly to Paris to learn to paint and to establish their reputations" (metmuseum.org). "Sargent’s first sustained success as a portrait painter came, not in England, but in America on two successive trips in 1887/88 and 1889/90" (Museum Fine Arts Boston). He also painted a portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. He traveled extensively, even to Florida, not far from my residence, where he painted many beautiful watercolors. Since both his parents were Americans, he had all the rights and privileges of a US citizen. The location of one's birth is irrelevant to establishing their US citizenship as long as at least one of the parents is an American citizen. In addition, living most of one's life in Europe or elsewhere does not revoke US citizenship. There are many more references that state that Sargent was a US citizen as well as an American artist, so I believe my facts to be correct. Having been born to American Parents in Italy which may automatically grant another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship as long as the parents are US citizens. It's fascinating to learn about Sargent's extensive travels and connection to Spain. Sargent made seven trips there in 1879, 1892, 1895, 1903, 1908 (summer), 1908 (fall) and 1912. His appreciation for Velazquez and his trips to paint there are intriguing connections. Living in Madrid must offer incredible opportunities to experience art and culture firsthand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
So glad you made this video, I am a huge fan of Sargent and this is gold, thank you so very much!! 🥰🥰🥰... Editing.. By the way I would love to have those art books and I will be waiting for your next video 🥳
I found your opening words about not having grown up in a culture very moving. You found your way into it, in spite of substantial force arrayed against your doing that, and are now contributing significantly-and of great value-to “the good fight.” You go, guy.
great info about the shading of the mouth. I havnt had soft and hard edges explained to me so well. Loved to hear about the bread. Do you know if JSS used a fixative for his charcoals?
damn bro, I like how he renders little information like saying "fuck wasting time on details, let the viewer's brain do the work", work smarter not harder fellas
Lots of great information. I don't agree that eyelashes indicate amateur; it really has more to do with the style of art. Hyper realists can draft circles around most people and they put in ever lash. People in Sargent's day didn't have access to photos which do allow studio artists to capture details unavailable to most great artists in history.
Much of his work was based on the grid method used in conjunction with photography. For example, a grid was drawn over a photo and then transferred to canvas. Many artists including the impressionists utilized photography as a means to “draw”. Degas, Manet, Van Gogh., Holbein, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and on and on and on. Since the advent of optics, artist have been tracing lines basically using whatever means necessary to achieve the end result. Sometimes to construct, sometimes to compare and adjust.. To achieve exact or precise proportions by freehand was more of the exception than the rule.
VanGogh's painting of his mother was created from a photograph which he details in his journals. He viewed painting and photography as a new art form that had great potential. Degas, before him, was already creating masterpieces with the use of photography, stitching images together like 1850’s photoshop and yet the end product was every bit a masterwork. See his ballet dancers, etc. And yes, he could also draw incredibly well. It’s the Museum curators and critics that continuously mislead the public because it undermines their narrative that these artists had god like abilities. The artistry of painting, the technical ability to render color was and is phenonomal, but the idea of free hand drawing in near perfect perspective is essentially impossible. Most of Warhol's drawings were tracings. It’s a long list.
