Beyond The Old Masters: Copy > Combine >Transform

Image created by DRHSART student, Taylor Moore (class of 2011)

Image created by DRHSART student, Sunny Kim (class of 2008)

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Go Beyond The Old Masters
The objective of this assignment is to truly observe and study the marks of the old masters.  Though I need you to prove that you are really seeing the integrity of those marks, I do not want you to simply copy the great work of art you have chosen to study.  Instead, it is expected that you go well beyond a copy by transforming the context of the work into a contemporary mixed media drawing.

​The image to the left is an example of how Taylor Moore, a former DRHSART student, added his own personality to the original work of art by the old master.  He added collage elements, small doodles, dripping paint, stitching, and many other elements to take something old and make it new.  That is what I want to see from each of you. 

You will all be given one sheet of Fabriano handmade 90 lb drawing paper for this assignment.  This paper will hold wet media well, and is very receptive to collage, and other mixed media treatment. I really want you to take risks and experiment with this particular assignment.  How can you take something that is centuries old, and make it feel like it belongs in a contemporary art gallery, but still retain the integrity of the marks made by the old master?  This is no easy task, but an important lesson in appropriation. 

The images from which you will all be working will be provided by me (or can be found on your own) and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Once you have chosen your image, you will need to grid your paper and then lightly lightly sketch the basic structure of the drawing. You are not required to use a grid for this assignment, but you are more than welcome to if you find it helpful. If you choose to use a grid, you will want to do your structural drawing first, erase the grid, then stain the paper.  Otherwise, you’ll end up with a grid of erased marks that disrupt your stained paper and ruin the integrity of the drawing.

The grid system was certainly used during the Renaissance, so it is a completely valid method for attaining the proper proportion in your drawing. I recommend speaking with an upper level student about how they did this project.   Since "proportion" is a part of the grading criteria for this assignment, you will need to be sure to focus while you are working out the basic structure of your drawing.

Etching by Albrecht Durer titled "The Draughtsman's Net"

Use This List of Old Master's Names To Find Your Inspiration

Renaissance:
Leonardo Da Vinci
Michelangelo
Albrecht Durer
Mantegna
Raphael
Tintoretto

Baroque:
Velazquez
Caravaggio
Rembrandt
Vermeer
Rubens

Neo Classical:
​Jacques Louis David
​Jean August Dominique Ingres​
​Delacroix
Gericault
​Goya


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