master copy strategies

[JParrilla]

I finally got some books of old master drawings to study. I'm aware that doing master copies is about learning their techniques.. And accuracy is crucial. I always used to draw from images on my computer, so my measuring technique was basically guessing. Now that I have a hard copy of the works, I'm able to put my drawing and the original side by side. I'm wonderin what techniques are best to use for measuring. Should I put the two side by side and line up the top, bottom, and other important parts of the drawing? Should I keep the original furthur away from my copy and use my eye to measure? Should I aim for a
1 to 1 ratio? Any help on the matter is appreciated

[the_allejo05]

Great! big joe, I have been copying masterdrawings for a while and quite a few masterpaintings..most of them are in an informal way, much the way aprentices would do when they would visit a museum or the place where the artwork was done. My first and foremost advice is always be respectful of them, take them as real teachers, they have much much to offer. At first they wont show much, but after a few hundred of them,they will begin to make sense,it will be hard to do an accurate copy(it doesn't matter if its totally exact but you aim for it). My advice is to place it at a distance an sketch if from there, especially if it is a painting you plan to copy, for a drawing you can have it side by side ,and use your eye,not mechanical copying like the ateliers do ,that is not good. Try to match the material used, chalk,pencil,ink whatever, try to do some engraving copies too because the pen is most useful to learn to draw.
If you look at Panchosimpson he is doing excellent copies and learning a ton from the masters. If you do research of the best painters, such as Rubens, the Zuccaro brothers, even Degas or the realist Corot in their years as a student they balance their drawings beetween nature studies and mastercopies for many many years. I dont know how much you are on your knowledge of anatomy,perspective,geometry, the antique,light and shade,color etc..but the more you study this, the more clear the drawings and paintings of the masters will become,the better copies you will do, because remember you have to be confortable with what they knew the time they did that particular work.
Just a few days ago a finished a multifigure copy of Raphael (from a pen drawing and a few figures from Michelangelo), I almost copy one drawing every other day and they are becoming better, more legible, I should post them but im lazy hehe. Again just be patient, and remember what you are learning is not only technique,but way of approaching what you see. It is a language that sadly most people dont want to learn.

[JParrilla]

Thanks man, Ive been doing some William Whitaker and Sargent copies. I have a great book from dover with master studies, but there not all completely finished works which I was a little unhappy about, some of them are kinda rough sketches by the masters. Im trying to find as many drawings to copy as possible because im not painting at all yet, and Im really trying to learn about values. Taking a master painting and drawing it in pencil is really tough for me because I have tons of trouble seeing black and white value within a colored piece