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Drawing Course
The Bargue-Gerome Drawing Course is a complete reprint of a famous, late nineteenth century drawing course.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2003
74 people are currently reading
1,037 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 28, 2015
This drawing course is the most effective I have ever used. I am sure there are many people that will argue with the efficacy of directly copying master drawings of figures and sculptures, but in my personal experience it has proven to be an excellent way to teach a beginner, as well as hone an accomplished artist's skills.
To provide an example: in my year of teaching studio art in junior and senior high school, there was some question as to whether these drawings would be too difficult for kids who have never taken a drawing class before. We gave it a shot anyway. The results were really incredible -- I can say with perfect sincerity that every single drawing that came out of those classes was excellent. I had already seen adults make huge strides by using this course in dedicated art curricula, where each student had already identified themselves as artists, but this success was on a different level. It was so gratifying to see how proud the students were of their work. And how deserving they were of that pride!
Highly recommend. Let's hike up the demand for this book so that it comes back into print!
To provide an example: in my year of teaching studio art in junior and senior high school, there was some question as to whether these drawings would be too difficult for kids who have never taken a drawing class before. We gave it a shot anyway. The results were really incredible -- I can say with perfect sincerity that every single drawing that came out of those classes was excellent. I had already seen adults make huge strides by using this course in dedicated art curricula, where each student had already identified themselves as artists, but this success was on a different level. It was so gratifying to see how proud the students were of their work. And how deserving they were of that pride!
Highly recommend. Let's hike up the demand for this book so that it comes back into print!
April 9, 2013
I had no idea that this book still existed. It was remade from the original in 2003. What a find! This is the book that Van Gogh used to teach himself. The reading of the material is fast, but now the fun begins as I go back to replicate the drawings.
May 21, 2021
This is an essential book for those who wish to learn to draw well. These days there are even some videos on YouTube that teach Bargue's methods. The book does not however work if you purchase it to collect dust. You actually have to do the drawing!
I run a classical teaching Atelier in Guelph Ontario, (formerly in Kingston Ontario). Every single student is started with Bargue techniques, just as I was with my own master and his master before him. This book contains the cumulative knowledge from hundreds of years of Master to student teaching and is the basis of excellent tried and true teaching methods.
Even if you cannot afford to study under a master directly, if you pursue the skill of drawing using these Bargue plates, you will come out of the process with great understanding of hand eye coordination, shapes, shading, light and of course if you know this than you have gained a new skill.
I run a classical teaching Atelier in Guelph Ontario, (formerly in Kingston Ontario). Every single student is started with Bargue techniques, just as I was with my own master and his master before him. This book contains the cumulative knowledge from hundreds of years of Master to student teaching and is the basis of excellent tried and true teaching methods.
Even if you cannot afford to study under a master directly, if you pursue the skill of drawing using these Bargue plates, you will come out of the process with great understanding of hand eye coordination, shapes, shading, light and of course if you know this than you have gained a new skill.
July 1, 2024
This is a Drawing manual without words - highly recommend.
Mostly comprised of lithographs to be used as references, studying the way they are broken down from sketch to finished product is more helpful than tediously long lecturing from manuals with unclear instructions and vague explanations that are too generic for texts supposedly directed at beginners.
Mostly comprised of lithographs to be used as references, studying the way they are broken down from sketch to finished product is more helpful than tediously long lecturing from manuals with unclear instructions and vague explanations that are too generic for texts supposedly directed at beginners.
July 25, 2012
This is simply astounding. The images, the research, just wow. The Bargue course is the one that Vincent Van Gogh worked his way through twice on his own. I had always wanted to see what it looked like, and now I'm probably going to buy a copy and work my way through it as well.
February 17, 2018
No point in reading this unless you are reading with charcoal in your hand. I have spent many hours “reading� the lines in the drawings here, copying using the sight-size method described within and practiced by art students through the late 1800s... oftentimes in this practice my mind and eyes open up to see the inherent power of these fantastic drawings. If you want to study figurative drawing, look up Bargue drawings on YouTube to see what sight-size technique is about, then google for the print-resolution downloadable pdf of the images, and then get the book and get started. I recommend buying the book and not just downloading the PDFs because the print quality is excellent and the explanatory text is worth reading. It’s normal to spend dozens of hours copying a single drawing here and worth every moment spent doing so.
March 21, 2018
"Currently reading" is not the best way to describe my relationship with this tome. I was studying classical drawing, and this book is recommended as a way to get practice using exercises from the French Academy. I can only do so much at one time, so my progress is glacial at best, but I've enjoyed trying to reproduce the plates.
July 4, 2012
Though I have only gotten through the first few drawings, this is probably the best way to learn drawing if you cannot take part in atelier training.
June 19, 2022
Tedious and demands to be very patient, this is one of the surest methods to learn how to draw very accurately. Specially beneficial when combined with drawing from life in the schools that teach traditional method, nowadays it is usually academic art of the 19 century with some exploration into the previous centuries.
Highly recommended to anyone who want to have strong drawing skills.
Fun fact: if you lookup in the internet for “Picasso Barque drawing�, you will see one of the plates from this course, one of his early artistic learning experiences.
Highly recommended to anyone who want to have strong drawing skills.
Fun fact: if you lookup in the internet for “Picasso Barque drawing�, you will see one of the plates from this course, one of his early artistic learning experiences.
November 26, 2012
An amazing approach to drawing. The book is essentially a collection of plates that offer various degrees of difficulty. It starts off with teaching the ability to judge lines and proportions, then moves onto cast studies, and finally the copying of masterworks. For those who are interested in classical drawing, this book is a must.
October 19, 2009
I had long wanted a copy of this book and was not disappointed when I finally received and began reading - studying the plates inside, a masterpiece. Thanks Linda - 10/10.
April 23, 2025
I ‘did� Bargue from prints in 2018 and when I say it changed the course of my artistic life, I am not even exaggerating. It taught me to draw the way I’d always wanted to be able to draw. The full set of plates, with careful and scholarly explanations by an art historian turned student artist, is invaluable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2023
The excellent textbook used in the Atelier.
October 29, 2008
very good...
August 23, 2010
Definitive classical drawing primer
September 14, 2010
An absolute must if you want to hone your realist drawing skills.
April 3, 2016
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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