Drawing Lessons from the Famous Artists School

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Job: 11803 Title: #218076# Drawing Lessons From The Famous Artists School (Rockport)

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Norman Rockwell’s rough preliminary sketches were the first

depictions of his ideas. He began each modeling session by showing

his thumbnails to his models and describing the concept for his new

illustration. Then, he would strike the poses himself and enthusias-

tically act out each part to demonstrate what he wanted, getting his

performers into the spirit. The camera was also an integral part of

his process, as it captured the nuances of expression and the di-

cult-to-maintain positions that he coaxed from his models.

SKETCHING FOR GREATER CLARITY

In New Television Antenna, Rockwell measures the promise of new

technology against the historical past, and invites our consideration

of whether television may become the “religion” of the future, as

suggested by the church steeple. The artist’s conceptual drawings

increase in detail as his idea for this 1949 Saturday Evening Post

cover crystallizes.

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Job: 11803 Title: #218076# Drawing Lessons From The Famous Artists School (Rockport)

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(All images on this spread)

Norman Rockwell

Sketches, photographic studies,

and final illustration for

New Television Antenna, 1949

Cover for

The Saturday Evening Post,

November 5, 1949

Final, oil on canvas

In New Television Antenna, Rockwell measures the promise of new

technology against the historical past, and invites our consideration

of whether television may become the “religion” of the future, as

suggested by the church steeple. The artist’s conceptual drawings

increase in detail as his idea for this 1949 Saturday Evening Post

cover crystallizes.

51

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Job: 11803 Title: #218076# Drawing Lessons From The Famous Artists School (Rockport)

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Job: 11803 Title: #218076# Drawing Lessons From The Famous Artists School (Rockport)

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Text

Notice Fred Ludekens’s rough sketch for Renegade Canyon on

this page of studies. Although the background has a more vertical

orientation, the composition is closely aligned with his final illustration.

In his sketch of a cowboy on horseback holding a woman in distress,

Ludekens made sure that “the man’s arm comes forward and clearly

goes under the woman’s arm,” and that a rhythmic, flowing line

enveloped both figures. Informal thumbnail drawings allow the

artist to consider the possibilities of a composition’s vantage

point, narrative, and perspective.

According to Robert Fawcett, drawing the same thing over and over

again enhances an artist’s knowledge of form and sharpens focus on

detail. This allows the artist to forget “technique” and concentrate

on structure. The three interpretations of an identical man, below,

seen from the rear holding a shovel, examine the figure’s stance and

silhouette, and explore the eects of light and shadow on form. First,

Fawcett created a simple contour drawing and filled it with flat tones.

His second drawing employs line and stark shadows to delineate

form, and his final work relies upon line, shadow, and varied tone to

create a more complete picture.

The quick portrait studies at right, which Fawcett frequently made,

rely on light and shadow to create volume, and search out the small

details that reveal character and emotion.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF FORM

Fred Ludekens

Studies and final illustration for Renegade Canyon by Peter Dawson

The Saturday Evening Post, 1949

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Job: 11803 Title: #218076# Drawing Lessons From The Famous Artists School (Rockport)

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