plate no. 8602
Face
Kaoru Kawano, 1950
some experience helpful
Recreating this image will help students understand the use of value contrast to create form and practice controlled mark-making to simulate texture and depth. It also encourages simplification of complex forms into basic shapes and lines.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
5
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic outline of the face and neck, focusing on proportions.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the background and the figure's form with solid black.
- step 03
Begin adding horizontal lines across the face, varying the pressure to create lighter and darker areas.
- step 04
Use short, broken lines to build up the texture and form of the hair and face.
- step 05
Pay attention to the direction and density of the lines to suggest the contours of the face.
- step 06
Refine the details of the eyes and mouth, using precise lines to define their shape.
- step 07
Add final touches to the background, ensuring a strong contrast with the white areas.
- step 08
Add the red stamp in the bottom right corner.
color palette
primary · black · white
secondary · red
Achieve variations in tone by diluting black with water or using varying pressure when applying the paint/ink.
techniques
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·dry brushing
- ·value contrast
- ·mark-making
common pitfalls
- →Creating lines that are too uniform and lack variation.
- →Losing the overall form of the face by focusing too much on individual lines.
- →Not achieving enough contrast between the light and dark areas.
- →Overworking the image and losing the spontaneity of the original.
materials
surface · Smooth paper or primed canvas
required
- ·White paper or canvas
- ·Black ink or acrylic paint
- ·Fine liner brush
- ·Medium round brush
- ·Pencil
- ·Eraser
- ·Palette or mixing surface
optional
- ·Red ink or paint
- ·Ruler
- ·Tracing paper
Using high-quality ink or paint will ensure a rich, dark black. Experiment with different brushes to achieve varying line weights and textures.
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