An innovative,practical approachto drawing theworld around you

SARAH SIMBLET

BOOK

FOR THE ARTIST

BOOK

FOR THE ARTIST

SARAH SIMBLET

DK PUBLISHING

133

HOLBEIN THEYOUNGER

German portrait painterdraftsman, and designerfrom Basel. Holbein wasemployed toward the endof his life by King Henry VIIIof England. In addition to hisnumerous exquisite portraitsin oil, he designed court

costumes,

made a popularseries of woodcut prints

titled

The Dance of Death,

and produced numeroussociety portraits such asthis one here.

Blended colors

this portrait

drawn with colored chalks on

slightly textured paper,

Holbeinunified the woman with her

background

gently blendingcolors from

her

clothes

and faceinto the atmosphere around

her.

outlined

her nose but not herupper

lip, which,

gently flushed,presses against the bindingacross her face.

Cropping

This regal compositionfits its paper

perfectly.

Holbein hascropped and pinned his subjectwithin the four outermost linesof

the

image—the edges of

thepage. The

peak of her cap clipsthe uppermost edge, and itsdownward slope crowns thediagonal of the composition.Her folded forearms supportand frame her weight above.

Portrait of DorotheaKannengiesser

1516

n (385 x 310 mm)HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER

Anatomies

These highly finished drawings express

the

emotional powerand physicality

of the

head

and

neck. Newsome's eerilyshadowed form

smooth

and

bears

linear grain evocativeof wood.

floats

space, solid above

and

almost hollowbelow. Psychological drama

contained behind

grid, whilewhite painted flecks

and

wisps suggest electrical illumination.The style

Durelli's drawing opposite sings with

the

confidence

truth

and

precision,

its

highly clarified detailclaiming

to be

drawn from observation.

fact,

the

faceis

one of the

hardest parts

dissect. Delicate muscles

are

integrated with

the

skin

and fat

that

is to be

removed.Nerves, blood vessels,

and

glands also complicate form.This

is a

marvelous interpretation

of the

truth.

The

realdissection would have been

far

more complex, confusing,distorted,

and

unpleasant

to see.

Anatomically, Durelli

has

made

a few

minor mistakes,

but

they

are

irrelevant here.

VICTOR NEWSOME

British sculptor painter and draftsman. Newsomewas awarded

the

Prix

Rome

1960, taught

numerous British

art

schools from 1962-77,continues

exhibit regularly,

and has

works

major collections including the Tate Gallery, London.

Contrasts Sharp, dark lines made with

pencil appearagainst smooth, dark tones

graphite blended into

the

paper,perhaps using

tortillon. Highlights

white gouache wereapplied late

in the

making, using

fine

and

relatively

dry

brush. This

is one of a

number

similar disembodied femaleheads seen behind,

defined

by, the

contours

a grid.

Profile Head

1982

in (328 x 460

mm)

VICTOR NEWSOME

PORITUR

134

Linear perfection This is a red chalk drawing of extraordinaryaccomplishment. It is hard to think of a more difficult mediumwith which to achieve such linear perfection. Stylized parallellines are reminiscent of engravings, and it is likely that thisdrawing was intended for reproduction as a print. Pencilnumbers refer to the list of muscles written beneath.Red Chalk and Pencil Drawing ofthe Muscles of the Head and Neck

1837

x 14

in (440 x 372 mm)ANTONIO DURELLI

ANTONIO DURELLI

Little is known of this Milanese painter andengraver who came from a family of artists, Durelli'sexperience as an engraver is reflected in his stylizeddrawing of muscle fibers, which, when contracted,pull their points of attachment toward each other

AOME

135