plate no. 5896

Ambrosius and Hans, the Sons of the Artist

drawingNorthern Renaissanceportraitportraitfiguresmenfaceshairclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, rendering of facial features, and creating subtle tonal variations with graphite or charcoal. It will also improve their understanding of line weight and shading techniques.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on the placement and proportions of the two heads.
step 02
Refine the outlines of the faces, paying close attention to the angles and curves of the jawline, nose, and forehead.
step 03
Begin adding details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, using light, delicate lines.
step 04
Start building up the tonal values in the faces, using hatching and cross-hatching to create shadows and highlights.
step 05
Focus on rendering the hair, paying attention to the direction of the strands and the way they catch the light.
step 06
Add details to the clothing, using simple lines and shading to suggest the folds and textures of the fabric.
step 07
Refine the background with light hatching to create a sense of depth.
step 08
Add the writing and numbers in the background, using a fine-tipped pencil.