The Foundation For A Good Painting

The drawing above is by one of our artists who drew it from a painting by the 19th century French artist Hippolyte Flandrin, a student of Ingres, who is generally acknowledged as being one of history's great masters of drawing. 

Drawing, for much of the mural painting that we do here at Silver Hill, is like a scaffold or support structure that, if properly built, holds the color and tactility of paint in a unified harmony on the canvas.  A good drawing helps a painting not fall apart into disparate elements, but ensures the finished work will be a unified whole. 

The foundation for a good painting is always a good drawing, or at least a good drawing ability.  This is true even if the final painting is not realistic, but entirely abstract. 

If you ever want to learn how to paint, learning to draw is a critical part of the process.  In the art education process of the 19th and early 20th century, drawing was absolutely integral to an an artist's development, and the academic drawings from this time period are some of the most lovely drawings from the time.

In this sphere, the artist Pierre Paul Prud'hon was an indisputable master, and when the artists of Silver Hill seek to brush up on their drawing skills, copies of Prud'hon work are a great place to start.
It's like going to a gym, and having Arnold Scwartzeneggar be your personal trainer.  You WILL get something out of the experience!

Below are three drawings by one of our artists after the work of Prud'hon (CLICK THE THUMBNAILS FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW):