Drawing & Cut-Outs – Inspiration from Rodin

Drawing & Cut-Outs – Inspiration from Rodin

You will have certainly heard of Auguste Rodin, this artist is still a very famous French sculptor in the eyes of the public, but do you know his works on paper?

“The drawings are the key to my work,” said the artist.

Today, I am talking about Rodin’s technique of Drawing and Cut-outs. It inspires me a lot in my artistic exploration in the studio. I think it will be the same for you.

I’ll tell you all about it in the next post!

Illustration and picture by Amylee

Once upon a time in Rodin’s studio

Between 1900 and 1910, Rodin used a device that was unexpected for his time: Drawings and Cut-outs.

His technique was really easy.

Rodin cut out several dozen watercolour nudes on paper. These illustrations can be found in the Rodin Museum in Paris, among other places.

Through this technique, the artist quickly manipulates and cuts out the forms in a rough manner. His aim is to create a new composition from combinations of multiple papers.

In his working process, Rodin plays with the spatial arrangement of bodies or figures, while revealing modern silhouettes cut out in a very daring manner. He sought to simplify forms by considering movement in all its forms. 

The artist submits to the sketches a whole series of steps

Rodin draws, locates the interesting movement, applies the colour, cuts out the figures, replaces them, assembles them and then glues them onto various recovered, already worked or even previously printed supports (using loose sheets or albums).

Rodin magnificently executed the artistic assembly from illustrated and cut-out figures. He played with the small papers as if they were made of plaster. 

GREAT TO KNOW

Would you like to know more about Rodin drawings and cut-outs?

Do you know the book “Rodin, Dessiner Découper“, Musée Rodin, Éditions Hazan, if not, it is worth checking out.

Tools in my studio (see list below) – Rodin book cover

What You will need :

• sheets of watercolour paper
• 1 graphite pencil, 1 fine black marker
• 1 set of watercolours pans or tubes
• 1 palette to mix the colours.
• 2 containers of water (1 clear water, 1 to wash the brush)
• 1 wiping cloth
• 1 reservoir brush
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 glue stick 
• Sheets of printed or already worked paper. In my demonstrations I use printed scores on crumpled paper.

WHERE TO FIND TOOLS ?

In my demonstration, I use the Sakura Koi WaterColor palette

and the ceramic palette from the Blanches Tulipes website.

You can find a great range of paints in GreatArt store in Shoreditch (London) or on GreatArt.co.uk online shop.

Here is all of my stuff and ready I’m to go! Photo/Amylee

Rodin’s creative process in Amylee’s Studio

Below is a sequence illustrated with some photographs to better understand the creative process of Mr Rodin.

STEP 1

First of all, draw different characters on a sheet of paper with a pencil or black marker, varying their position.

Picture and Photo /Amylee

STEP 2

Apply the colours to your drawings using watercolours.

Allow to dry and then cut out the characters without worrying about a precise cut-out.

Sakura Koi Water Color Watercolor / Photo Amylee

• 

Cutting out the silhouettes after the colours have dried – Photo/Amylee

STEP 3

Finally, glue the cut-out shapes onto a support such as drawn or printed paper, magazine sheets, album pages, packaging samples, or fabric.

And that’s it!

Collage of cut-out silhouettes on printed paper – Illustration/Photo Amylee

Collage of cut-out silhouettes on printed paper – Illustration/Photo Amylee

Collage of cut-out silhouettes on printed paper – Illustration/Photo Amylee

Content provided by Amylee Paris

The passion of Amylee, fine artist and author is to share her paintings between galleries, art collectors and her community. Amylee is also recognized as one of the most influential French artist-entrepreneurs. Since 2009 she has mentored thousands of visual artists guiding them to thriving their art career.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

You can visit her colourful portfolio, her Instagram, or find all Amylee’s posts published in GreatArt online Magazineby clicking here!