Copy after Herbert Draper - "Study for a Bather"

When I started this copy, I was pretty exhausted, and the next time I went to work on it, whew, there were a lot of errors that needed to be fixed (like, for instance, her right arm being about 1/4" too short, ha!). I probably should have just started over :P But I didn't, so I struggled through the mess. I think the darker gray paper was throwing me off a bit--I really haven't done much of the darker gray + white thing. The way all the different landmarks were tilted at different angles was pretty difficult too. I wanted to straighten everything more toward the vertical or horizontal. And the foreshortening of the legs--tricky. 

I had a lot more trouble with this copy than I usually do, is what I'm trying to say. I almost quit halfway through, but decided to keep pushing. That deliberate persistence is really important if I'm going to get better at this stuff. I really believe that. And I hope I'm building my confidence for problem solving by pushing through when I really really really don't feel like it. Some people make drawing look easy. I'm starting to believe that that's all it is--that it's never easy, but they just figure out how to make it look as though it is (though I'm sure with practice a lot of things will feel more natural than they do now). I could be wrong. I always reserve the right to change my mind ;). 

Here is a side-by-side of this drawing and my progress shots. This drawing isn't perfect--far from it. I have a long way to go before I've mastered these materials and drawing techniques. But as usual, it was a good learning experience, so that's what really matters.

Also, here are a couple paintings Draper did, using this study as reference. I don't know how someone paints something like this in a studio without photo references and such. Pretty cool :)

"The Kelpie"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_James_Draper

"By Summer Seas" 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_James_Draper