Preparatory Drawing
Copies of reference drawings 'from the flat' are assigned and accomplished chiefly to prepare the student for their early work 'from the round' (directly from three-dimensional drawing subjects). At the AAC, the sight-size method (employing a one-to-one comparison between subject and the student's work) is not used to accomplish any of the flat copy drawings assigned in our curriculum.
Although the first Bargue drawing" is not achieved employing the alternative comparative method, the student is required to double it up to twice its size. This unit measurement approach eases the student into drawing proportionately at different sizes, and perhaps more importantly, ensures that the student doesn't secure a misleading sense of security from copying shapes that are of equal size. This approach makes things a little more challenging in the early going, but in the increased challenge lies the increased growth.