Copy of a Sargent Sketch of Madame X

9 5/8 x 10 1/16, pencil on paper, 10/26/15

I loved this drawing the first time I saw it. It has such a spontaneous quality, and you can really see how Sargent broke up complex subjects (like shiny black fabric and hands) so simply and effectively.

Doing these copies is helping me realize a lot of things. One, I always make heads and facial features too big. Including in this drawing. If you compare it to the real one, it's very obvious (also the tilt of the head is a bit off. see below). It's strange because I think I measure everything out and get it in the right place, and then it's not. Two, capturing a likeness takes ultimate precision. It is not easily done. Three, the details make a huge difference--type of paper (mine was too rough in this instance), sharpness and hardness/softness of the pencil, etc.

 I almost want to try this one again to see if I can get the head/face more in proportion... but I probably won't, at least not right this second. Drawing a sketch like this is extra challenging because the original was obviously done with such speed. To try to capture the manner in which it was originally executed, I very lightly plotted out the main proportions and then attempted to go at the drawing with as much speed and passion as appears to have been used in the original rendering--and then of course, everything didn't come out 100% accurate. 

Here's the comparison, where it is very easy to see how off the head is. Ugh. Oh, well :)