Here is the translation of the content you provided: Sketching the of plaster sculptures

Author: Ma Rongjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Humans are the masters and protagonists of human society. Therefore, in painting art, the representation of figures has always been an important subject. To facilitate the study of figures, plaster figures are generally used as research materials in shaping training. The reason for this is: first, plaster figures are motionless, making it easier to observe and sketch; second, the plaster we commonly use are mostly famous sculptures from ancient Greece and beyond, with relatively accurate and artistically expressive forms, which are beneficial for fundamental shaping research. Usually, shaping training follows the principle of progressing from simple to complex and from easy to difficult. When facing complex plaster figures, beginners leap from geometric solids and still-life sketching to portrait sketching in one step, which is quite challenging. Therefore, decomposing the facial features of plaster figures and practicing sketching them one by one is a more appropriate training method. Because it successfully prepares for the transition to plaster figure sketching, it is widely adopted in this practice.
Any fundamental shaping training includes two main parts: understanding forms and expressing forms. The former serves as the purpose and preparation, while the latter is the means to achieve the purpose. Both are indispensable; neglecting either can lead the training astray and result in serious consequences. Beginners should be cautious and remember this! In practical learning, the combination of copying and sketching is usually adopted. Copying is used to learn expression methods, train shaping skills, and enhance the re-cognition of forms; sketching is used to train the ability to recognize and express forms. However, both must be based on the understanding of forms.