Choose a historical artwork and create your own response to it in one week. Borrow the composition, palette, or lighting — but make it yours. Learn by looking closely and translating those ideas into your voice.
Pick a historical artwork (painting, drawing, sculpture, textile, etc.) and create a personal “response piece.” You might replicate the composition, simplify the palette, or reinterpret the subject with your medium. Keep scope small so you can finish.
Keep it bite-sized: the win is a finished study that teaches you something concrete about the original work.
Choose a specific historical piece (title/artist/date if possible). Decide your learning focus: composition design, light & shadow, color harmony, or edge handling. Write it at the top of your page.
In 2–3 minutes, block in the big shapes and value groups (3–5 tones). Squint at the reference; keep it abstract. This prevents detail-spiral.
Transfer your map onto the final surface. Establish big masses first (no eyelashes yet!). If painting, premix 3–5 pools for a limited palette.
Push the single focus you chose (e.g., keep edges soft in shadow, or keep color families simple). Compare to the reference often; avoid zooming into details too early.
Stop at “clear statement,” not perfection. Add a 1–2 sentence note about what you discovered (palette, composition trick, brush economy).
Post your study in the gallery along with the title/artist of your reference and a short note about your focus. It helps others learn, too!