Master Copies as Traditional Education
Learning to See..
"The Hand of Voltaire" - graphite Bargue drawing by Aloria Weaver, 2014
The rigorous training of the traditional atelier system has been described as "bootcamp" or even "brainwashing", and that's from some of the alumni in the tradition. It is not about creativity whatsoever, but perfecting our observational apparatus. The importance of an instructor in the "sight-size technique" of representational draftsmanship can't really be overstated. A good instructor will help us to learn how to perceive the most subtle inaccuracy, and then hold ourselves to a higher standard.
The point of this sort of training is not ultimately to be a proficient copier, but to devotionally build the artistic muscles of perception and accuracy, which can be directly applied to our own creative works.
Cast of a Foot - Bargue drawing in graphite by Aloria Weaver