plate no. 1664

City Child (Air in the City No. 2)

Will Barnet, 1938

lithography, paperSocial Realismgenre paintinginteriorwindowfigurecityscapearchitecturedoor

some experience helpful

Recreating this lithograph will help students develop skills in hatching, cross-hatching, and creating tonal variations using line work. It also provides practice in capturing complex interior spaces and figures within them.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light pencil sketch of the overall composition, focusing on the placement of the major elements: the window, figure, door, and chair.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the image using dense hatching and cross-hatching, such as the door and shadowed areas of the chair.
step 03
Gradually build up the mid-tones by layering more lines, varying the spacing and direction to create different values.
step 04
Pay close attention to the direction of the lines to convey the form and texture of the objects.
step 05
Use lighter, more sparse lines to represent the lighter areas of the image, such as the window and the figure's dress.
step 06
Add details to the cityscape seen through the window, using fine lines to depict the buildings and sky.
step 07
Refine the linework, adding more contrast and detail where needed.
step 08
Erase any visible pencil lines to complete the lithograph recreation.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary · gray

This image is monochromatic, so the focus is on creating different shades of gray through varying the density and thickness of the lines.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·stippling
·linear perspective
·value gradation

common pitfalls

→Failing to establish a clear value range, resulting in a flat or muddy image.
→Using lines that are too uniform, lacking variation in thickness and direction.
→Overworking the image, resulting in a cluttered or overworked appearance.
→Ignoring the direction of light, leading to inconsistent shading.