How To Create Master Studies To Improve Your Art

One of the best ways to improve your drawing skill is with master studies.

If you’re wondering how to improve your drawing skill, develop a personal style, or get yourself out of an artistic rut, master studies are for you.

I’ll guide you through my best tips on how to produce master studies.

This article will give you insight into the different master studies you can create, advice on how to produce your own, and the things you need to avoid.

If you prefer to watch instead of read, take a look at my recent video on this very subject on my YouTube Channel – The Portrait Guru. If you like this video don’t forget to subscribe to the Portrait Guru for even more videos in the future!

I’m going to break this down until it can’t be broken down any more!

Compositional Master Studies

First, select an artwork you absolutely love. For me, it’s this George Bellows artwork, Stag at Sharkey’s.

Choose an artwork that resonates with you and that you find visually compelling. In essence, select artworks you which has appealing compositions.

Once you’ve selected your artwork, convert it into a black-and-white version, or blur the image. You can achieve this in Adobe Photoshop for example.

This helps you to focus on the big shapes and overall composition, without getting distracted by the details.

Next, sketch the big shapes, and don’t worry or focus on the details. This drawing exercise is all about understanding how the artist you’re studying, arranged the elements within the composition and analysing what they did to guide the viewer’s eye.

These can be thumbnail sketches of only 5 to 10cm wide.

I recommend you produce a few of these to really get a good grasp of the different compositions you can create.

Pro tip – ask yourself questions throughout the study to really get into the mind of the master artist. Why have they positioned elements around the artwork like they have?

Exploring Techniques and Mediums

One of the most valuable aspects of master studies is the opportunity to explore different techniques and mediums. 

It’s a chance to push your comfort zone and see what’s possible.

This can help you push the envelope and work on your skills, which you can take across into your finished artworks.

For instance, you might want to replicate the brushstrokes of an oil painting or experiment with a particular shading technique in pencil. Each of these explorations will add to your skill set and broaden your artistic capabilities.

Pro tip – experiment with completely new techniques and mediums which you have never tried before to really get you out of your comfort zone.

Quick to Detailed Studies

Master studies can vary in complexity and time.

You can create quick sketches in your sketchbook, spending just 5-10 minutes to capture the essence of a piece.

Alternatively, you can dive into very detailed studies, examining the details of the artwork. This might involve spending several hours or even days on a single piece to fully understand the techniques used.

Mix and match and find a good balance.

If you want even more advice on master studies, I recommend checking out this video to help you.

Pro tip – add annotations and notes next to your studies to help you process what you’ve learnt, that you can come back to in the future for reference.

Stealing From Various Artists

Once you have a good understanding and have learnt from a few artists, you can begin to combine elements from each. 

This concept of ‘stealing’ from various artists means taking the best techniques and styles you’ve studied and incorporating them into your own work.

This approach not only enhances your skill set but also adds depth and variety to your personal style.

Pro tip – don’t just steal from one artist alone, or become a ‘copycat’ of someone’s style. Draw from various references and inspirations to really become unique.

Developing Your Artistic Style

As you continue to incorporate these influences, you’ll start to develop your own personal style. This is the prime benefit of learning how to create master studies!

Your unique voice as an artist will emerge from this blend of various techniques and compositions.

Every artist has been influenced and inspired by other artists.

No artist is truly original, but is an amalgamation of lots of different influences. Use master studies to broaden your personal style.

Pro tip – create a artistic style which you love. If you don’t love what you do or how you create your art, change it!

Long-Term Benefits of Master Studies

Finally, let’s talk about the long-term benefits of master studies:

• Improves your technical skills.
• Keeps your work fresh and original.
• Your style will evolve as you’re drawing from a multitude of different sources.
• Makes your artwork more compelling and distinctive, setting you apart as an artist.
• Gets you out of your comfort zone.
• Gives you a fresh perspective
• Ultimately it makes you appreciate artworks even more!

So, whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills, compositional master studies offer invaluable insights and opportunities for growth. 

Keep exploring, keep studying, and watch your art transform.

If you liked this article on how to create master studies to improve your drawing, check out this blog post on how to draw eyes, perfect for beginners!

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