plate no. 3068
A White Bearded Man
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing likeness and rendering textures like hair and fabric using a limited palette. It also provides practice in controlling value and creating subtle tonal variations.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 12 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and beard.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the portrait, focusing on the shadows under the nose, eyes, and around the beard.
- step 03
Begin to build up the mid-tones, gradually adding layers to create depth and form.
- step 04
Pay close attention to the direction of the light and how it affects the shapes and values.
- step 05
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 06
Work on the texture of the beard, using short, broken strokes to suggest individual hairs.
- step 07
Add details to the clothing, paying attention to the folds and shadows.
- step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and details to create a cohesive and realistic portrait.
color palette
primary · ivory black · raw umber · titanium white
secondary · yellow ochre
Mix ivory black and raw umber to create a range of grays and browns. Add titanium white to lighten the values and yellow ochre for subtle warmth.
techniques
- ·value studies
- ·hatching
- ·blending
- ·portrait sketching
- ·tonal layering
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details too early in the process.
- →Failing to establish a strong value structure.
- →Ignoring the direction of the light.
- →Creating overly harsh or abrupt transitions between values.
materials
surface · drawing paper (toned or white)
required
- ·charcoal pencils (soft, medium, hard)
- ·kneaded eraser
- ·drawing paper (toned or white)
- ·blending stumps or tortillions
- ·fixative spray
- ·ruler
optional
- ·sandpaper block
- ·chamois cloth
Toned paper can help establish mid-tones more easily. Use a variety of charcoal pencils to achieve different values and textures.
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