- Hi, this is Kath Macaulay, and do you wanna know what we're gonna do next?

This is so classic.

I hated it when I had to do it.

I did it in college.

Go to a museum and copy something you don't like.

And copy it over and over until you come out really a whole lot like it is.

And you don't get to pick it.

Nah, somebody else picks it for you, you don't like it.

And let me tell you, you probably never will like it.

Well, what we're gonna do is we're going to get to pick something we actually do like, and we'll show you how to pick it, and what it's gonna tell you.

This is so much fun, and it's going to be something you're gonna love to do, and you get to pick the whole thing.

We're gonna be copying some wonderful art.

Come join me.

(cheerful music) Hi, and welcome back to "Pocket Sketching."

We're gonna go really traditional today.

There's a long tradition in fine art of sending people off to museums to copy specific pieces of art.

Didn't matter whether you like it or whether you don't like it.

You're gonna do it.

And you're gonna do it perfectly, which means you're gonna do it over and over and over.

This would be fairly typical.

This is from a Eugene Delacroix and in the 1800s, this was very typical of painting when there were people.

It was either an historical subject or a biblical subject, and your job would be to go to the museum and stand there and copy this for hour after hour and then go back and do it again and again until you got it right.

That's really not a lot of fun.

Plus if you haven't done it before, you're gonna feel very silly doing it and going to a museum and standing there in the open doing this where people can see you and there is no place to hide.

So what are we gonna do about it?

We're gonna turn it into a really fun exercise instead.

We're gonna make this a lot, lot, lot more fun.

The one that's up on the monitor, that happens to be a copy from a John Marin.

It's a little hard to see this, but I wanted to know how he did this.

And I found out that what he used it was not paint out of a tube.

Wasn't paint out of half pan.

These are half pans.

It was probably paint out of the lid of his palette or off his palette paper, whatever he was using.

This is all dilute.

And so it was taken right from here.

And what I wanna know is how did he do it?

There's always a reason why you see something and you like it.

So where do you get material?

Well there are lots of different ways.

One of my favorites, get a good art magazine.

Secondhand store, secondhand bookstore, weave through, find something you like, whoops, and then it's yours.

You own it, right?

You don't have to protect it, tear it out.

This is fun.

Especially if it's, you know, you've been taught to never do this.

Never, never, never do this.

Tear it out, and now you've got the picture.

There's a reason.

There's a reason why you liked it.

So whatever that reason is, that's what you're gonna go for.

So if you like this because of, you know, I can't lead you.

You might've liked it because of the color.

You might not have liked it in the first place, really.

But if you did like it, it might've been the color.

It might've been the contrast.

Might've been the subject matter, but there's reason why you liked it.

That's what you wanna capture.

There's a little bit more about this too that I really have to mention.

Technically, if you copy somebody else's work and if you just keep it for yourself, anything is okay.

But if you put it in anywhere in public whatsoever, you have to give credit to the original artist.

That's part of copyright law.

So this is a copy taken out of a magazine of Elaine de Kooning.

I liked it.

I didn't know why.

I wanted to know why I liked it.

So I copied it.

Here's the copy.

It's the motion.

I actually happen to like mine better than I liked hers.

But anyway, it's the motion.

That's what I liked about it.

And the way you handle signing it, you can put your name on it but it has to have the original artist too.

So this one's got my name and it says after Elaine de Kooning and I love this piece.

And then you could display it.

I wouldn't put it in anything public like a show, but on your wall for sure.

But at least you've given credit.

And something I've learned to do, I didn't do I then, I do it now.

Write the name of the artist on the back when you first copy it so that you've got it.

I have a beauty at home of a seascape that I copied.

I didn't write the artist name down.

I can't show it to anybody because I don't have the original artist name.

So now I'm gonna do one for you.

I took a copy out of, this actually happens to be out of a book.

It's my book.

This is a John Singer Sargent sketch for one of his paintings.

And I love it.

And whether it's gonna work or not, I have no idea.

I mean, you never know.

It's one of the delights.

You never know whether something's gonna work or not.

So there's a reason.

There's gotta be a reason why I like it.

I don't know what it is.

Is it the twist of the model?

Is it spacing on the page?

Is it the fluidity?

As you copy it, you'll learn what it was, why you liked it.

Another thing, you'll learn how to do what you like.

And you will learn from that artist.

The artist is not in the room with you, but in the process of copying it, you'll learn much better than just looking at it.

You can look at it a hundred years.

You'll never get it just staring at it.

Well, maybe a hundred years.

(laughs) Anyway, so where am I gonna start?

I don't know where I'm gonna start.

You start with a mark on the paper.

The turn of that neck is very unusual.

Turn on neck, this comes down off the shoulder, comes down and where you start is gonna change the neck.

And I'm trying to work this out.

This is unusual.

I happen to know a little history about this.

He hired a barmaid to pose for this because he liked her.

And then he posed her in this somewhat wicked pose.

Wicked in that it must have been hard for her to hold.

If she held this for any length of time.

And I'm just sorta trying to rough it out.

Should I go vertical?

Does it go vertical?

How does this go?

How big from the chin from the chin?

And it's a curved chin, she's got a wrinkle under her chin, would never have noticed that.

The face come up here, nose out a bit.

I'm just working my way through this.

And it's gonna take a minute, but what was it?

What was it?

You know what, right now I got the spacing wrong on the whole page.

Is there something else?

These are so, okay.

And that has to come way out here, way out and the arm and the elbow.

And he's got a little bit of the elbow down there, and you know, you never know.

It's gonna work?

There's no way of knowing.

It's actually sort of gutsy to just do it and hope.

Okay, I've taken a completely different view of this than or how Sargent had it spaced on the page.

Was there something else?

Was there something else that was attractive?

I don't know.

You see when you're doing it, you begin to feel what it was that caught your attention.

What was it?

And you could do it again and it's gonna be something else.

And you change also by the day.

Okay.

Is it the strength?

The massiveness?

The fluidity?

I don't know yet.

I know there's something, but I don't know what.

This comes in here.

It's a dark twist.

Come out here.

And I'm just trying to find out as I go, you know, I don't know.

I don't know why I picked it.

And you don't know, that's why you pick it.

You don't know why.

And as you're working on it, hopefully, you'll get to discover it.

Hand probably comes across here.

Thumb.

This is really telling you it's a really unusual pose.

Must've been a very patient girl.

(laughs) Or he paid her well.

Money does wonderful things.

Okay.

Certainly got the head size wrong.

Oh well.

There's a dark.

And I just, when I want it dark, I scribble.

The pen does it for me.

And we just, you know, and (laughs) sometimes they don't work at all, you know?

Whatever.

I understand when a woman says whatever, leave it alone.

Trying to get this.

Okay, here you go.

That's a dark.

Ooh, the arm is, comes in more like that.

Correct as you go.

This comes out further.

There's such a twist here.

And this is gonna come down and go down just a little bit more and over there.

And then back up and into there.

Then heavy, thick neck.

Come here.

Just trying to figure it out as we go, you know?

I can say as we go.

Hey, you're not on the line.

(laughs) Okay, I don't have enough head.

I bet it's gonna come in here.

She's got a high cheekbone, which shows the ear.

And I'm just toughing out where it might be.

And fortunately, I can go farther.

Whoop, and up here.

And I have to say, I was surprised as this was happening that I didn't get the proportions, but I'm changing them now.

You're not locked in.

And on top of that, it's yours.

And normally nobody else ever has to see.

It just looks like she's got glasses on.

That's all dark.

And lighter, dark.

Is it start?

And the twist on the neck, that's essential.

I think it's in there.

I think what it was is there's a motion imparted by this twist.

Then this, which comes back to here and fades into the background.

Gotta get some of that shape.

Let's see what happens here.

When you add water, remember everything changes.

When you add water.

A little bit more on the elbow.

Bring it down, out.

It's a pretty big, okay, come in little bit of the wrist before you get to the hand.

Again, I'm counting on this dark behind it.

This is this upper dark.

And hopefully it'll start to shape up in getting this in.

And come down in here.

And there's a drape in here.

This white comes out here.

That's very distinct, very distinct.

And it's gonna flow off there.

Okay, this is dark.

Very dark.

Will it have a twist?

I hope it has a twist, you know?

I hope I get it.

I hope I get the twist that's in there.

And then where's the darkest dark?

Always look for your darkest dark.

Major design is in there.

Okay this, make that more.

Okay, goes darker.

And you might blow a pen, you know, need another one.

This is so inexpensive, really.

Don't let it bother you.

I got that too low.

Wait a minute, I got it in the wrong place totally.

Supposed to come through up here.

That I can't quite correct.

Oh well.

That might not be where it is anyway.

That might not be what was important.

Come in for the dark.

What I'm hoping is when I get it done, I'll be able to recognize why.

Why to pick it in the first place?

And the fun thing is you get to pick the things you copy.

You can get taken to, and I've actually, I've had that happen.

I've been taken to a museum and told to copy specific things.

And I didn't like them.

I didn't like them in the first place.

Saw a fabulous t-shirt last year.

It's on a guy and it was just, it was a perfect t-shirt.

Back of it said, "Sorry I'm late, "I didn't wanna be here."

(laughs) Man, that's so true.

I didn't wanna be here.

You know when you have to copy something you don't like, really, you didn't wanna be there.

That hand, it's the hand tilting.

Now this is something from Sargent who was a master at figures, I'm not.

Pretty good though.

Pretty good, good enough.

Okay, these lovely little lines.

These lovely little lines in here.

He did oil paintings.

He was one of the top European portrait painters in the 1800s.

There were three of them that did all of the rich and famous people in Europe, very popular.

So he was a master at oil painting, but when he painted for himself, he had a lot more fun.

That hand.

Okay, this is just a little bit dark.

Now what happens when you play with it next?

I'm beginning to see what it is.

It's power.

This is a very powerful pose.

It's a pose somebody wouldn't do lightly.

It's a very powerful pose.

And I think it's all about the power and the movement.

And you know what?

When I looked at it, and the placement on the page is interesting.

That was a total accident.

Simply start, do, see what happens next.

Which we're gonna see.

What happens when you get to the next part?

Actually, and you can do this again and again.

Each time you do it, you'll understand it more.

There was a reason in the first place why you picked this.

If you picked a piece out of, let's say a magazine or a calendar, or maybe it's something from your mom's house.

Maybe it's something that your sister inherited, and you didn't and you always wanted it.

There's a reason.

That's what you're after, you're after the reason.

And then you're after the fun of, after you do this, you own it.

Isn't that cool?

You own it.

K, this.

And then get this, and her hair just kind of flows at the end.

So get a little bit of that.

Get a little bit of that there.

But I bet it's all about the strength of this pose.

I bet it is.

And I've often, I've seen this before.

I've seen the sketch and the finished painting.

I believe it's called El Jaleo and it's Spanish dancers.

And I think it's heck of a pose if she had to hold this for very long.

I bet that was tough.

When I'm teaching in a workshop, I pose for my classes and it's very hard to hold a pose.

I've been very surprised to see how hard it is, that wrinkle in her chin.

Got it.

There.

And the power up here, and this sleeve.

Yeah, and it's coming down.

I think you can see where this is going.

Just down here.

Look at the strength in this.

Look at the strength this lady has.

Yeah, and I'm understanding it.

The position on the paper was not intended.

It just happened, but it's emphasizing this.

It's so emphasizing it.

Come down here.

And then I'm getting, and then there's, now remember, I made a mess here and didn't get that sash in the right place.

Change it now.

You're not locked in.

Nobody says you have to do it that way.

Nobody says you have to do it that way.

Skip that.

Don't wanna do much on these fingers.

Not much at all.

This flows.

This flows, it goes from here.

It flows, it's just the advantage of watercolor.

It flows.

Look at that.

Isn't that cool?

Isn't that cool?

And a little bit out there.

Okay, dark, this is a really solid line over here.

Get that solid line.

And then this, and I wanna get a little bit of that tone.

Just a bit, not a whole lot.

Just a bit, just a bit.

And then the ear, there's almost nothing there.

There's almost nothing there.

Remind yourself and a bit of her hair line, and that, no, the cheek.

The cheek is important and this comes down there.

Is there a background?

If there is it's very, ooh.

Didn't wanna get that much, but wait a minute.

Maybe it's good.

Maybe it's okay.

I think it's okay.

Back here.

Pick up more.

It goes murky back here.

Real murky.

Leave the arm.

Then come down in here.

This is all really, really, really soft stuff down here.

The lines are gonna be held.

Don't don't mess with that too much.

This comes in a little bit darker to emphasize that strange position of the hand, strange position.

It's okay.

It's not in any way exactly like this.

A bit of a dimple there, I gotta pick up some ink for that.

And a bit of the dark coming in here before you get to the hand in here to make that arm.

Not much here, a little bit there.

You wanna be sure you have that very high cheekbone.

It's part of it.

And this is a very strong line.

Now I'm okay with this because it told me what I wanted to know.

What I wanted to know is why I like this piece.

I don't have the head with the exact shape.

That goes up higher and back.

Well, that can be fixed.

It's dry.

Just come in here, go on up here.

Like this, bring it down.

Does that make the difference?

I bet it does.

I bet that does.

I just bet it does.

And you know what?

If I hadn't learned it on this one.

Yeah.

If I hadn't learned it on this sketch, I can do it again.

But quite frankly, this is fascinating.

It is fascinating.

And it is all about the position, the power, the movement.

And then if I wanted to sign it, and quite frankly, this would be fantastic in a frame.

So I would sign it, and I just sign it with my pen.

And then after, John Singer, I can get it in, Sargent.

And now it's legal.

That also adds to the picture, by the way.

Look at the highlights here.

Highlight on the arm and the motion.

It's got the motion.

This is apparently, that and the power must have been what I liked about it, but you know what?

I would probably do this one several times because I also wanna do it in a larger format like it is.

The way he laid it out because I love that too.

And then do more of the washes, the wash with the brush, you know, where you take a line and you slosh?

Well, the wash with the brush to get this fluidness to it.

Now where do you find these things?

Well, interestingly, just about any place you go.

Like if you go to your sister's house, a friend's house, there's a good one, an antique store, any place you see something you really, really like, you can capture it this way, put it on paper.

But from the classics, if you're gonna learn as we did from museums, in that case, then you pick something you like and you copy it.

There's a reason why you picked it.

What you wanna find out is the reason why you picked it and how it was done.

And in the process of copying it, you'll find out how it was done.

And you'll also find out, this is terribly internal, you'll find out why you picked it.

And that might tell you a little bit more about you too.

This is so immersive.

Pocket sketching is amazing.

I mean, absolute portability, take it anywhere.

No mess, no cleanup.

Do it, put it away.

Don't clean it up and you get so much out of it.

It's really quite amazing.

And I've gotta thank you for coming along.

And I guess inspiring me to copy this because I haven't copied it before.

And I'm really pleased to have the copy and to stare at it and see what it looks like.

So thanks so much for coming along.

I really enjoyed having you here.

Again, pocket sketching, happy sketching.

(soft music) Want to learn more about the wonderful world of pocket sketching?

Then visit my website at pocketsketching.com We have so much there for you to explore including free tips and training videos, the pockets sketching supplies, photo galleries, and how to access additional training.

All this and more is available at pocketssketching.com Learn enough to play for a lifetime.

(upbeat music)