A Beginner’s Guide to Drawing | Lesson 6: Plaster Cast Drawings

[New Masters Academy]

The New Masters Academy Beginners Program helps aspiring artists start their artistic journey on the right foot. Your expert instructors will gently guide you to an understanding of drawing fundamentals. In this sixth lesson of the series, renowned illustrator and educator, Mark Westermoe, will teach you the time-honored practice of plaster cast drawing. You will learn about the history of the tradition, and why it’s a great way to use your understanding of basic forms to draw complex structures. Mark will conclude the lesson by bringing a drawing to full-rendered finish.

 

Materials

• Conté a Paris Sketching Pencil – Black
• Newsprint
• Kneaded Eraser

[Alan Seedhouse]

When  Mark is rendering the shadow in the brutus demo I notice that he is orienting the shadow strokes at an upward 45 degree angle to the right. As I am left handed this would be difficult unless I turn the drawing or make the stroke in the opposite direction to the left. Would this be ok or should the strokes be in the same direction as shown in the video?

[JackMcShea]

The image of Brutus that Mark Westermoe works from is not included in the collections of references. A similar one, lighted from the right, is included.

[JackMcShea]

I am not able to view the reference images on an iPad running iOS 11.4.X using either Safari or Firefox.

[Jennifer Kayes]

I did not think I would enjoy drawing the plaster casts, but they are fun!  This is the only drawing class that I have taken.  Looking forward to the more in-depth anatomy lessons.

[Ambrose James]

Does anyone know the artist he refers to when he says the psychology of seeing in the last video at 29 mins in? He says that palaska or palacos or someone with a similar name emphasized that in his work. But I tried many variations of that name and could not find anyone like that.

[Joshua Jacobo]

Did you check the video captions?

[Sam Lam]

Hi Ambrose,

Mark was referencing Velázquez: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Vel%C3%A1zquez

[Author]

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