sketches

Day two hundred and thirty-one: If Picasso has a “blue period” and a “rose period” then I must be in a “Picasso period.” I guess this is the result of looking at nothing but Picasso prints all day. I noticed the figure on the left in an etching by Picasso titled La Danse (The Dance), and I was struck by the strong nod to classical style. I couldn’t help but recall the similar use of line by Athenian vase painters 2500 years earlier, and decided to explore a visual comparison by sketching the ancient and the modern side by side. The Greek fellow on the right is based on a red-figure plate painted by Epiktetos, now at the Met in New York. One thing I learned today is the value of the line, and how the slightest waver can have a powerful aesthetic effect — for better or worse. Thanks to the “edit undo” function in Corel Painter, I had plenty of chances to practice my skills!