By Copyist, we're referring to artists who copy paintings from original oils at the National Gallery of Art and elsewhere.
Imagine yourself starting a painting at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. To become a copyist at the National Gallery of Art, just follow the following tips to get started:
1. Choose a painting or print that has sufficient detail to enable you to easily copy not only the exact colors, but the brush stroke patterns as well.
2. You then need to apply for a permit/license (click at the link to see a sample) for the choosen target painting.
3. Research the artist and his/her painting. Books will often give artist's palette colors. This is a very important step, as your success hinges on mixing colors exactly. Pigments used by the masters may have been made from egg base and the canvas may have been sized with rabbit skin glue instead of gesso. These factors make the copying process more challenging!
4. Measure your canvas to the correct proportions, so your painting will fit the canvas or board you are working on. Note: research will help you decide between canvas or masonite. Some of the older paintings were not on canvas. It can be interesting to paint on a new surface!
5. Measure out a grid on your print, as shown here. You may need to make a copy of your print, so as not to destroy it. Another technique is to ink a grid on clear film and place it over the print.
6. Duplicate the exact grid on your canvas or board. Do this in pencil and light enough so as not to distract when you start the painting process.
 | Mr. Bruce I. Campbell Copying
in National Gallery of Art:
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