plate no. 2970
A Sketch of Gertrude at Five
suitable for beginners
This painting is great for practicing expressive line work and capturing a likeness with minimal detail. Students will develop skills in gesture drawing and simplifying forms.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 4 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, body, and clothing.
- step 02
Refine the outline of the face, paying attention to the profile.
- step 03
Add details to the hair using short, broken lines.
- step 04
Indicate the clothing with loose, flowing lines.
- step 05
Add the calligraphic text on the right side of the composition.
- step 06
Adjust the line weight to create depth and emphasis.
- step 07
Add a light wash of yellow to mimic the paper tone.
- step 08
Finalize details and correct any inaccuracies.
color palette
primary · black · yellow
secondary ·
Use diluted black ink or paint to achieve varying line weights. A very diluted yellow wash can be created with yellow ochre and white.
techniques
- ·contour drawing
- ·line variation
- ·dry brush
- ·wash technique
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the lines and losing the sketch-like quality.
- →Not capturing the correct proportions of the figure.
- →Making the lines too uniform and lacking expression.
materials
surface · watercolor paper
required
- ·black ink or watercolor
- ·round brush (small)
- ·watercolor paper
- ·pencil
- ·eraser
- ·yellow ochre watercolor or acrylic
optional
- ·ruler
- ·palette
- ·kneaded eraser
Use a smooth watercolor paper for best results. Experiment with different types of brushes to achieve varying line weights.
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