My journey in Barcelona
12 April to 26 June
by Alexandre Coxo, 5 July 2021
In short
- From 12 April to 26 June 2021, Alexandre Coxo attended the Intensive Drawing Course at the Barcelona Academy of Art (BAA).
- The course follows the methods of the 19th-century ateliers: the exercises of Charles Bargue's Drawing Course and life drawing of the human figure using the sight-size method.
- With about 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus 3 hours on Saturdays, that came to roughly 480 hours of drawing.
- He did two long poses of 24 hours (graphite), one of 60 hours (charcoal) and 63 quick-pose drawings.
- He took part in the BAA group exhibition, where one of his paintings was bought by a Catalan collector, and the painting «Tiro - UHQCM 16» was selected for the second stage of the Figurativas 2021 competition.
Between 12 April and 26 June this year, 2021, I attended the Intensive Drawing Course at the Barcelona Academy of Art (BAA).
The course is based on the methods of the 19th-century ateliers, with the exercises of Charles Bargue's Drawing Course and life drawing of the human figure using the sight-size method.
With 6 hours of exercises a day, the aim was to develop and master the theory and practice of observational drawing. In parallel, the BAA offers 2-hour daily classes with free exercises, such as value studies or drawings of parts of the body.
As a complement, Fridays are reserved for theory or theory-and-practice classes; in the first year: Anatomy, Form and Art History.
Each day is run by a different team of teachers. Interestingly, this was a very pleasant surprise: the variety of styles and ways of explaining was very constructive and helped me progress.
The first week was more than enough to fall in love with the BAA and commit fully. With about 9 hours a day, 5 days a week (+ 3 hours on Saturdays), I did roughly 480 hours of drawing.
The images below tell the story of my journey, from the first day to the last activity.
Long Poses
At the academy, a Long Pose is a life drawing that studies the human figure with a high level of finish. I did two 24-hour poses, in graphite on 300g hot-pressed white paper, and one 60-hour pose, in charcoal on 300g medium-grain white paper.
Although I already had some experience with block-in drawing, the sight-size method, line quality, values and charcoal were completely new to me.
In the first two classes of each pose, A4 studies were done in graphite. In the gallery you can see some of the stages of the different drawings.
Bargue and Copying the Masters
To learn and train the skills that painting requires, the first afternoon class was devoted to the traditional exercises of Charles Bargue's Drawing Course. Then you move on to copies of master paintings and finally to drawing from plaster casts.
Charcoal, the importance of value studies and the different types of paper were new to me and gave me the knowledge I later used in the last long pose. As I did well in the first exercises, the teachers chose to challenge me with a copy of a portrait by Ferdinand Victor Roybet (black-and-white version). His style is looser and more impressionistic than I am used to, and rising to the challenge took a lot of effort.
Quick Poses
Quick-pose classes are always two-hour drawing sessions and can serve different purposes, such as portraits, value or colour studies, among many other things. As each day has a different teacher and sometimes I had to choose which class to attend, I realised the best use of the quick poses for me was to improve my block-in, line quality and understanding of light families. In total I did 63 drawings; the best are in the gallery!
Besides the classes, these three months also brought other activities and joys. After being selected, I took part in the BAA group exhibition, curated by Inês Batlló, where I had the pleasure of seeing my painting bought by a Catalan collector.
Apart from the academic experience, my painting "Tiro - UHQCM 16" was selected for the second stage of the Figurativas 2021 competition.
It was a pleasure to share this adventure with my fellow artists, and I send a big thank you and a see-you-soon to all the teachers and staff at the BAA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Intensive Drawing Course at the Barcelona Academy of Art?
A course based on the methods of the 19th-century ateliers, with the exercises of Charles Bargue's Drawing Course and life drawing of the human figure using the sight-size method. It has 6 hours of exercises a day, 2 hours of free classes a day and theory classes on Fridays; in the first year, Anatomy, Form and Art History.
What is a long pose?
At the academy, it is a life drawing that studies the human figure with a high level of finish. Alexandre Coxo did two 24-hour poses, in graphite on 300g hot-pressed white paper, and one 60-hour pose, in charcoal on 300g medium-grain paper.
How many hours of drawing did the course involve?
About 480 hours: roughly 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus 3 hours on Saturdays, for just over two months.
What are the Bargue exercises and master copies for?
To learn and train the skills that painting needs. You start with the exercises of Charles Bargue's Drawing Course, move on to copies of master paintings and finish with drawings from plaster casts. Alexandre Coxo was challenged to copy a portrait by Ferdinand Victor Roybet.
What did you like most? Are you curious about anything or would you like to ask a question?
Share your opinion or your questions by leaving a comment in the form.
