1-Hour Master Studies — Vulturesong

Over several weeks in 2015, I spent an hour every day attempting to recreate a different famous work of art (with the exception of the Napoleon piece, which I spent two days and therefore two hours on), mostly in Photoshop CS6 with a digital tablet. I’d set up my canvases so I could work on my painting side-by-side with the master copy, with a translucent 4x4 grid overlaying each side, and I’d allow myself to color-pick with the eyedropper tool from the original for maximum speed and efficiency. The pencil drawings I just did the good ole fashioned way, freehand. I enjoyed my digital process enormously, and felt it was good eye-training and a great way to get more painting hours under my belt. Not only could I work quickly, but I could also correct mistakes quickly, and spent less time struggling and more time precisely dissecting how the painting was made by using these rudimentary digital tools.

Towards the end of the challenge, I chose some photographs as inspiration that I assume are protected by their artists’ copyright, so the original pieces have been cropped from the images here. If I have accidentally infringed living artists’ copyright, please contact me and I will remove the work. If you’re looking at these on a computer, hovering your mouse over each image will reveal the name of the original artist and the title of their work.

Nicolas Poussin, "Landscape with Saint John on Patmos"

Nicolas Poussin, "Landscape with Saint John on Patmos"

Karl Briullov, "The Last Day of Pompeii"

Karl Briullov, "The Last Day of Pompeii"

Giovanni Strazza, "The Veiled Virgin"

Giovanni Strazza, "The Veiled Virgin"

John Quincy Adams Ward, "The Freedman"

John Quincy Adams Ward, "The Freedman"

Arthur Hacker, "Imprisoned Spring"

Arthur Hacker, "Imprisoned Spring"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "La Perle"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "La Perle"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Grape Picker"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Grape Picker"

John Singer Sargent, "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw"

John Singer Sargent, "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw"

Herbert James Draper, "The Gates of Dawn"

Herbert James Draper, "The Gates of Dawn"

Thomas Moran, "Green River, Wyoming"

Thomas Moran, "Green River, Wyoming"

Pierre Julien, "Dying Gladiator," photographed by Antonio M(?)

Pierre Julien, "Dying Gladiator," photographed by Antonio M(?)

John Singer Sargent, "Portrait of Léon Delafosse"

John Singer Sargent, "Portrait of Léon Delafosse"

Herbert James Draper, "Flying Fish"

Herbert James Draper, "Flying Fish"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Petite Bergere"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Petite Bergere"

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version), (Hour 1 of 2)

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version), (Hour 1 of 2)

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version) (Hour 2 of 2)

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version) (Hour 2 of 2)

Herbert James Draper, "Lamia"

Herbert James Draper, "Lamia"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "The Ravello Coastline"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "The Ravello Coastline"

Sh1019, "Hupao"

Sh1019, "Hupao"

Natalia Avseenko and Phototeam, "Lady of Orda Cave"

Natalia Avseenko and Phototeam, "Lady of Orda Cave"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Night"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Night"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Penitent"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Penitent"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "Springtime at Lac Léman in Switzerland"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "Springtime at Lac Léman in Switzerland"

Nicolas Poussin, "Landscape with Saint John on Patmos"

Nicolas Poussin, "Landscape with Saint John on Patmos"

Karl Briullov, "The Last Day of Pompeii"

Karl Briullov, "The Last Day of Pompeii"

Giovanni Strazza, "The Veiled Virgin"

Giovanni Strazza, "The Veiled Virgin"

John Quincy Adams Ward, "The Freedman"

John Quincy Adams Ward, "The Freedman"

Arthur Hacker, "Imprisoned Spring"

Arthur Hacker, "Imprisoned Spring"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "La Perle"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "La Perle"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Grape Picker"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Grape Picker"

John Singer Sargent, "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw"

John Singer Sargent, "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw"

Herbert James Draper, "The Gates of Dawn"

Herbert James Draper, "The Gates of Dawn"

Thomas Moran, "Green River, Wyoming"

Thomas Moran, "Green River, Wyoming"

Pierre Julien, "Dying Gladiator," photographed by Antonio M(?)

Pierre Julien, "Dying Gladiator," photographed by Antonio M(?)

John Singer Sargent, "Portrait of Léon Delafosse"

John Singer Sargent, "Portrait of Léon Delafosse"

Herbert James Draper, "Flying Fish"

Herbert James Draper, "Flying Fish"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Petite Bergere"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Petite Bergere"

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version), (Hour 1 of 2)

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version), (Hour 1 of 2)

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version) (Hour 2 of 2)

Jacques-Louis David, "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" (Belvedere version) (Hour 2 of 2)

Herbert James Draper, "Lamia"

Herbert James Draper, "Lamia"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "The Ravello Coastline"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "The Ravello Coastline"

Sh1019, "Hupao"

Sh1019, "Hupao"

Natalia Avseenko and Phototeam, "Lady of Orda Cave"

Natalia Avseenko and Phototeam, "Lady of Orda Cave"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Night"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "Night"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Penitent"

William Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Penitent"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "Springtime at Lac Léman in Switzerland"

Peder Mørk Mønsted, "Springtime at Lac Léman in Switzerland"

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