Making a watercolor copy of a Vincenzo Campi painting from 1575 of Christ being grabbed by the guy nailing him to the cross, so that he can pound the nail in.
I picked it because, 1. It was an incredible and moving image, and 2. because Campi is really great at setting up a powerfully believable shallow forground and a dramatically framed background. This painting has so much going for it, I just wanted to pick up some "moves."
I mean, it looks like Christ is about to stand up from the surface, crazily well composed image.
Also I cleaned Roman coins, which I have been working on for about 3 years. Everyday I work on them they reveal, in a tiny incremental shift, a little more of the relief sculptures on their surfaces. It is very exciting to have a coin go from a green encrusted blob to a miniature portrait, complete with individual hairs. The faces remind me of Robert Crumb ink drawings.
2 comments:
i know why i copy masters, why are you? i dig it, don't get me wrong, i am just wondering.
the piece you are doing reminds of a fave of mine. the raft of the Medusa.
i hope you get the moves you need. i think you already have them though. ;)
Oh Man, thanks Deryke.
I have been having trouble setting up convincing illusionistic space in the foreground of my stuff, and I saw this guy's paintings and was completely taken by the simple and powerful structure of his foregrounds. So I am copying a couple of them.
That being said, I always learn stuff I didn't expect to when I look closely at another person's art.
Why do you copy old-masters?
Nice to hear from you D.
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