This small exhibition, Drawn to Blue: Artists’ use of Blue Paper at the Courtauld Gallery in London, explores the history of using a blue background for drawing. Originating in Venice, blue paper gave the artist an instant mid-tone enabling them to work on light and shade.
Most of the papers have faded to grey over time but still show why it was a popular choice:
I’m a sucker for a good drawing so this exhibition was a delight.
Drawing is a core element of my practice. Here are a couple of my figure drawings below, both using blue as the mid-tone.
And no, I had never seen the Wyndham Lewis piece before.
