Liber Studiorum: Devil's Bridge, Cardiganshire
Cotman, Liber Studiorum: Devil's Bridge, Cardiganshire, 1838. Soft ground etching.
Pins mark where to look before you draw.
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland
Liber Studiorum: Devil's Bridge, Cardiganshire
Arches stacked over a gorge
1838, soft-ground etching: the bridges at Devil's Bridge, one built above another over the gorge, trees pressing in. Arches in perspective stacked vertically, with a dark gorge below and foliage masses either side.
- Master
- John Sell Cotman
- Difficulty
- Time
- about 2 h
- You draw with
- H, HB, 2B graphite
Why this one
- Arches in perspective at two heights.
- A dark gorge as the deepest tone, framed by foliage.
From your kit
The whole kit →- 1Grafwood H, HB, 2B H, HB for layout and line; 2B for the darks. Long points from the Blackwing on everything up to B.
- 2Kneaded eraser and the Mono Zero press-and-lift corrections only; the Mono Zero for a single sharp light.
- 3Alpha sketchbook 9 x 6 draw at the book's size and keep the proportions; date the page.
In general, this study asks for
- Drawing pad or smooth cartridge
- 2H and H with long points
- HB for accents
- Kneaded eraser
- Sandpaper block
Watch first
All videos →Longer, covers dividing bays and off-page vanishing points.
YouTube
The plan
3 stages · ~120 min- 1
Squares then arches
50 minPerspective squares for both bridges; fit the curves.
Checklist0 / 1 - 2
Gorge and trees
60 minGorge in four layers; trees as hatched masses; sky light.
Checklist0 / 1 - 3
Audit
10 minSquint. Box.
Checklist0 / 1
What it should look like
- Two bridges that belong to the same gorge, over a black drop.
Where it goes wrong
- Symmetrical arches on an oblique view. Memory. Square first.
Log this session
Start the clock when you pick up the pencil. Stop it when you put it down. Log it. Every session counts toward the box.
Status
How did it go?
Before this, ideally
