plate no. 3857
By Edgar Allan Poe
some experience helpful
This artwork helps students develop skills in contour drawing and creating tonal values using hatching and cross-hatching techniques. It also encourages observation of details in facial features and clothing.
technical profile
palette complexity
1
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
5
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shoulders, and clothing.
- step 02
Refine the sketch, paying attention to proportions and facial features.
- step 03
Outline the main contours of the figure with a fine-tipped pen or marker.
- step 04
Begin adding darker values to the hair using hatching and cross-hatching.
- step 05
Add shadows to the face and clothing, gradually building up the tonal range.
- step 06
Use finer lines to create details in the hair, eyes, and clothing.
- step 07
Add any final details and adjust the contrast as needed.
- step 08
Erase any visible pencil lines.
color palette
primary · black · white
secondary ·
This is a black and white drawing, so no color mixing is required.
techniques
- ·contour drawing
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·line weight variation
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall form.
- →Making the lines too uniform and lacking variation.
- →Not paying attention to the direction of the light source.
- →Failing to create a full range of tonal values.
materials
surface · smooth drawing paper
required
- ·pencil
- ·eraser
- ·fine-tipped pen or marker
- ·drawing paper
- ·ruler
optional
- ·various pen sizes
- ·graphite pencils
Use a good quality drawing paper that can withstand erasing and multiple layers of ink. Experiment with different pen sizes to achieve varied line weights.
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