Silverpoint

13 studies · about 18 hours · 5 weeks at 20 min a day

The Corot Mass

Squint, notan, the three divisions, trees as masses, then the charcoals and the Souvenirs. Buy willow charcoal in week two.
  1. 1
    The same landscape reduced to two values, three values and four values, showing that the design is readable at two and complete at four2 VALUESThe design. If thisfails, nothing saves it.3 VALUESCorot's working number.4 VALUESFinished. More steps addpolish, not strength.Notan: the arrangement of light and dark, Japanese for "light-dark".Squint until the scene collapses to three flat shapes. Draw those first.Every lesson in the Mass unit starts here.A drawing with a good two-value design and bad details beats one with perfect details and no design.

    Foundation · Corot

    Squint and notan

    Three thumbnails from Corot, three from your window

  2. 2
    La Cervara, the Roman Campagna

    Master study · Corot

    La Cervara, the Roman Campagna

    The three divisions of light, in paint

  3. 3
    Corot's three divisions of light: a landscape divided into foreground with the darkest darks and strongest contrast, a midground of halftones, and a background of pale, close valuesSKY · 1FAR · 2 to 3MID · 4 to 6NEAR · 6 to 9FAR: narrow, pale, softMID: medium rangeNEAR: full range, sharpestEach zone has its own quality of light. The far zone never borrows a dark from the near zone.

    Foundation · Corot

    The three divisions of light

    Copy the structure of Bent Tree by the Water, then build your own

  4. 4
    View of Genoa

    Master study · Corot

    View of Genoa

    A whole city as four values

  5. 5
    Four stages of a tree: the whole silhouette, then three to five big clumps, then a light side and shadow side on each clump, then leaf texture only along edges1 · SILHOUETTE2 · CLUMPS3 · LIGHT/SHADOW4 · EDGE MARKSEach clump is a sphere with its own light side, shadow side and cast shadow onto theclump below.Never draw a leaf. Draw masses that catch light, then let the edges say "leaves".

    Foundation · Prout

    A tree from masses

    Copy Prout's tree study, then draw a real tree the same way

  6. 6
    Sketchbook: Tree Study

    Master study · Prout

    Prout's sketchbook: Tree Study

    Clumps, a scribbled edge, a firm trunk

  7. 7
    Corot's branch logic: a trunk that tapers, branches that change direction at every fork in a zig-zag, and limbs that disappear into the foliage clumps instead of ending in airWRONG · LOLLIPOP, ENDS IN AIRsame width top to bottom, straight limbsRIGHT · TAPERS, ZIG-ZAGS, DIVES INchangesdirection atevery forkvanishes into the massWork from the ground UP, the way the tree grew. Each fork: thinner, and a newdirection.Corot drew the branches zig-zagging upward and disappearing into the leaves. Not one of them ends in open air.

    Foundation · Corot

    Branch logic and sky holes

    A winter tree from the ground up, then a summer tree that breathes

  8. 8
    Pond at Ville-d'Avray

    Master study · Corot

    Pond at Ville-d'Avray

    The sky laid flat, a half-step darker

  9. 9
    Landscape (The Large Tree)

    Master study · Corot

    Landscape (The Large Tree)

    One dark mass, the lights lifted out

  10. 10
    Bent Tree by the Water

    Master study · Corot

    Bent Tree by the Water

    Three divisions of light, a cow, and a leaning trunk

  11. 11
    River with a Distant Tower

    Master study · Corot

    River with a Distant Tower

    Five planes to a tower

  12. 12
    Lormes: Goat-Girl Sitting Beside a Stream in a Forest

    Master study · Corot

    Lormes: Goat-Girl Sitting Beside a Stream

    A dark wood interior with one lit figure

  13. 13
    Woman Meditating

    Master study · Corot

    Woman Meditating

    A dark figure in a dark wood, one lit face