plate no. 7653
Auguste Rodin
Paul-Albert Besnard, 1922
some experience helpful
Recreating this etching will help students develop skills in line control, hatching, and cross-hatching to create form and value. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and conveying character through subtle details.
technical profile
palette complexity
1
brushwork visibility
5
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic outline of the head, shoulders, and beard.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas, such as around the eyes and in the beard, using dense hatching.
- step 03
Use varying line weights to define contours and create depth.
- step 04
Employ cross-hatching to build up darker values and create texture.
- step 05
Use short, directional strokes to suggest the form of the hair and beard.
- step 06
Pay attention to the direction of light and shadow to create a sense of volume.
- step 07
Add subtle details to capture the likeness of the subject.
- step 08
Refine the drawing by adding more layers of hatching and cross-hatching as needed.
color palette
primary · black · white
secondary ·
Varying the density of lines creates the illusion of different shades of gray.
techniques
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·line weight variation
- ·contour drawing
- ·directional strokes
common pitfalls
- →Applying too much pressure, resulting in overly dark lines.
- →Creating uniform hatching patterns, which can flatten the image.
- →Ignoring the direction of light and shadow.
- →Overworking the drawing, resulting in a muddy or unclear image.
materials
surface · Smooth drawing paper
required
- ·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
- ·Eraser
- ·Sketchbook or drawing paper
- ·Sharpener
- ·Ruler
optional
- ·Kneaded eraser
- ·Blending stump
Use a variety of pencils to create different values and textures.
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