Hello to everyone who is interested in art and wants to improve their artistic skills!
I am a third year student of Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts
(Repin Institute)
With this post I begin a series of stories about my artistic experience, I will tell how and what students are taught in the oldest and biggest higher art institution of Russia.
I hope, that it will be amusing and will help you in improving your artistic skills.
The first stage of professional art education is copying
Une copistes du Louvre, Beroud Louis,1912
Since ancient times a study of a young artist began with the endless copying of old samples. And for good reason. To learn how to draw, it is not enough just to look at work of a famous master in a book or in a museum, you need to repeat it, go through all the difficulties that the master has overcome, to understand all his findings and solutions.
In the past two years I have already made quite a few copies. I like this process. I feel my progress with every piece.
I made my first two copies from pictures of Artur Fonvizin, Soviet painter of watercolors. Fonvizin's distinguishing characteristic is that he painted directly, without the use of preparatory sketches in pencil. His works are always like an impromptu and they are quite difficult to repeat. 
In addition to painting it is important to copy drawings. I chose a portrait executed by Boris Kustodiev. I drew it with black watercolor pencil and then slightly tinted the drawing with watercolor.
Of particular importance is the copying of the old famous masters, such as Pieter Paul Rubens
Old Masters Can Teach Us to Draw Elegant Air Drawing
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Portrait of Agostino Mascardi
Black, red, and white chalk on a tinted paper
I admire Andrew Wyeth It is difficult to copy his works, because he is very inventive in technique and materials. This is not an easy task for a newbie!
In the process of drawing, it is important to show your work to teachers, or if you haven't got any, then just to different acquaintances and friends. Our eyes get tired easily and become insensitive to simple errors. In such a situation a "fresh look", an outside perspective may be useful.
I continue to learn from the old masters. This time I became interested in René Gruot, the famous illustrator of French fashion of the XXth century, who created beautiful images of advertising companies Dior, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and other fashion houses.
It is obvious that behind the captivating ease of his manner is a firm hand of a professional. Therefore, it is really important to understand techniques and the order of actions. Next time I will show you in detail the step-by-step course of my work - from a pencil sketch to the finishing touch!