ABSTRACT
From the earliest days of the Renaissance, the primary method used toteach students to draw was to copy directly from masterworks, both draw-ings and paintings. Vincent Van Gogh copied Rembrandt drawings of hands over and over until he had mastered them. Traditionally, repetition has helped students learn to “see” what is before them — to see as an artist sees, in great detail, with attention to line, light, and shadow; visual relationships; and emotional content. By focusing deeply and experiencing the character and feeling of each line and shape as if it exists independent of the rest of the composition, you can learn to draw what you perceive rather than rely on preconceived childhood schema or ideas.
