Although I have known of the sight-size drawing concept for most of my artistic life, I have hesitated to pursue a firm understanding of its purpose, use, and procedures. It has been in use for centuries. Why did I “feel” to ignore it so tenaciously?

If I’m being thoroughly honest with myself, and you too, I’d have to say there are a few reasons. Perhaps you have been plagued by the same or similar demons. For me, it has probably been procrastination coaxed on by the thought that it would be really hard to do. Next, it would probably be “Fear.” Of the “not known,” of failure, and the fact that it will take too long to get to the desired end result.

Since learning to accurately draw the model in front of you “from life” is the intent of the exercise called sight-size drawing, one of its greatest detractions, at least for me, has been the source of an adequate model. From my earliest years as an artist I seem to have been aware of the Charles Bargue lithographs used as models in many or most of the classical ateliers of, at least, the previous two centuries. But how does one gain access to these glorious images today? I have friends who have come across a few of these original treasures in used bookstores and antique shops tucked away in cities and villages throughout Europe. But the usual location of these images has been in books or pamphlets containing small, poorly reproduced photographs of the originals.

In 2003, and again in 2007 (with the Art Renewal Center Edition), Gerald M. Ackerman was able to publish a definitive book containing all 196 original lithographic images from Charles Bargue/Jean-Léon Gérôme Drawing Course. And, since there are only three known collections of the complete series of lithographs residing in museums, this book remains, as far as I know, the best source for these images available today. But, to use the images as models for this sight-size drawing exercise, one must photocopy directly from the book or have a printing shop make an enlarged reproduction from the book. Regardless, the resulting model will be greatly degraded in quality. Of course, this fact limits the quality of the student’s (we are ALL life long students) intended instruction and resulting finished copy.

It is hard to believe that it was more than three years ago that I received the May/June 2021 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. In it is an article, “Bargue Encore an Academic Tradition Revived,” by Peter Trippi (time really flies when you’re having fun!). The article revealed a newly established enterprise in France/Switzerland that has gained access to one of those complete sets of original Bargue lithographs and has been authorized to produce actual lithographic copies of selected images from the Drawing Course.

Unlike the images contained in the Ackerman book, which are photographs of the original plates, with chipped corners, fingerprints of those who used them in the studio over the decades, scribbled annotations, and cracks in the paper, these new lithographs have removed the flaws and have retained the finest nuances of detail just as Charles Bargue had intended.

For some unknown reason this new revelation excited me enough to follow the link to the BargueEncore website. I saw the current individual image offerings as well as Portfolio Collections intended to be purchased by individuals as gifts to recognized ateliers around the world. Though, to my mind, the price of these items was a bit expensive, I decided, since “I am an Atelier,” to enquire whether I could purchase a portfolio for my own use. As it turned out, Pierre, better known as Piet Herzeel, had not considered that option for his offerings. But thankfully, he relented and said, “Why not?”

So, I bit the financial “bullet” and determined to purchase the least expensive portfolio. But, that voice inside that we all entertain at times like this prompted me to go for the one with more lithographs included. That was a “BIG bullet” to bite and I feared, as I tend to do, that I would be sorely disappointed when the product arrived and I opened it in my studio.

Well, it finally arrived. I fully anticipated an emotional “deep dive.” What I saw when the front cover of the incredibly professional portfolio was folded back was beyond anything I could have imagined (something I wouldn’t allow myself to do for fear of having made a huge mistake in this undertaking)! Rather, I was in possession of a veritable treasure!!!! The lithographs are on a paper of the same size, color, and weight as the original Bargue plates. The detail is impeccable, exquisitely precise!

Needless to say, the price of these lithographic plates pales in comparison with their quality. And I have “spit those bullets out of my mouth as though they are nothing but wet cardboard,” and have collected every image Pierre and his talented business partner, Genta, have managed to produce over the last three plus years. Short of having an original plate produced by Charles Bargue himself in the mid 1800s, owning these new plates is to possess a truly unique work of art, not to mention the preferred, precise model for learning the process of sight-size drawing, just like the students studying with the Classical Atelier Masters of old. And each lithograph plate is provided a unique holographic registration number and accompanying certificate of authenticity.

And very recently, Pierre and Genta have put together “Academic Drawing Kits” containing all of the materials needed (a Nitram Charcoal Starter kit or a set of TomBow Graphite Pencils, appropriate erasers for each medium, a set of plumb-lines, an original registered lithographic plate to be used as the model, two pieces of heavy drawing paper of the same color as the lithograph, and even a practice piece of paper), to engage in a self-paced home study course of sight-sized drawing.

But that is not all. Everyone who purchases the “Kit” is given access to an online drawing course designed to accompany this exercise. Yes, I received my new kit last week! It’s a Treasure too!

All of these products can be found by following the link provided here. http://shop.charlesbargueprints.com/en/?aff-y237 – You can copy and paste the link to your browser, or a working link is available on the “About Bob Page” of my website.

And, YES, if you are wondering, as soon as I put my new lithographs in protective clear acetate envelopes, I engaged in my first ever effort to learn sight-size drawing! What did I learn? It’s not hard!!!! It does take some extra time (but, as with all things, experience and practice overcome time). Though it seems mechanical at first, the eye gains an incredible power to observe, and the artist in you acquires a much more refined ability to use and manipulate the chosen medium, charcoal or graphite. You can see the results of my efforts so far on the “Graphite and Charcoal” section of the Gallery Page of my website.