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Drawings
Portrait of Francoise, 1946 by Pablo Picasso
Types of Drawings
Studies:
These are investigations by the artist on how to capture
the most salient traits, interesting angles, difficult
gestures, miscellaneous details. For example, before
photography came about, it was extremely difficult with
the naked eye to see exactly the leg movement sequence
of a running horse, or the positions of the wings of
birds when they took off and landed, and generally any
motions which where executed quickly.
Sketches and Cartoons:
They are preparations for a painting. They are the same
thing to a painter as a blueprint is for an architect.
Sketches are prepared to map out the composition; what
will go where and in what position and angle. This is
particularly important for paintings comprising several
figures.
Finished Drawings:
They were produced as freestanding works on their own.
They are the most desirable type of drawing by any given
artist.
Medium:
Drawings are generally executed on paper and this can be
done with a silver stylus, pencil, charcoal, chalk,
pastel, pen and ink, crayons, or as a watercolor.
Indeed watercolors are drawings, instead of paintings as
many people believe. The reason is that watercolors were
born when some artists began to add touches of color to
their drawings.
Pastels are called drawings when they are studies and
sketches, and paintings when they are finished
compositions.
Paper:
The first Italian paper mills were built around 1250 and
the first German one in 1390. It was not until the 1400s
and particularly the second half that paper became more
widespread. In 1455 when Gutenberg printed his famous
Bible, some 45 copies out of 180 were still produced on
vellum (calf skin). Paper remained expensive and
difficult to procure in most areas until about 1500. For
these reasons, most drawings on paper were executed
after 1450.
Before paper, drawings were produced on wax tablets,
wood panels and slate sheets. They could be erased and
the surface re-used. Vellum (calfskin, or in Italy
goatskin) and parchment (sheepskin) were too costly and
reserved for final works.
Watermarks:
The watermark of the paper mill provides important
information on where and when the paper was made. For
this reason, we must ask you to check if there is a
watermark and to send us a crisp and large size picture
of it.
Value:
A simple way to look at the value of drawings is to
consider that they are worth today what paintings were
worth 25 years ago. Numerous drawings have now been sold
for several million dollars and a few for over 10
million dollars.
Discoveries:
Drawings tend to have a low profile. When they are
framed and behind glass, it is easy to mistake them for
a print. Unframed, they hide easily in the pages of a
book, in family papers, archives, stacks of old
documents, portfolios containing loose accumulations of
ephemera.
We research, attribute, authenticate, and appraise
drawings and issue certificates of authenticity (COA).
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