plate no. 9041
Frauenkopf
Albin Egger-Lienz, 1902
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in rendering form with charcoal and pastel, and understanding subtle shifts in value to create realistic skin tones. It also provides practice in creating soft edges and atmospheric perspective.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes of the head, shawl, and background.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the shawl and hair with charcoal.
- step 03
Begin layering mid-tones in the face, using a light touch.
- step 04
Introduce warmer pastel tones to the face, focusing on highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Blend the charcoal and pastel layers to create smooth transitions.
- step 06
Refine the details of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Soften the edges of the shawl and background to create a sense of depth.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall form.
color palette
primary · charcoal gray · raw umber · burnt sienna
secondary · ivory black · cream · light gray
Mix raw umber and burnt sienna for the skin tones, adding white for highlights and black for shadows. Use varying pressures with the charcoal to achieve different shades of gray.
techniques
- ·charcoal blending
- ·pastel layering
- ·value shading
- ·soft edge control
- ·atmospheric perspective
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details in the face too early.
- →Creating harsh lines instead of soft transitions.
- →Failing to establish a strong value range.
- →Making the background too distracting.
materials
surface · drawing paper (toned or white)
required
- ·charcoal pencils (soft, medium, hard)
- ·soft pastels (raw umber, burnt sienna, ivory black, cream, light gray)
- ·kneaded eraser
- ·blending stumps
- ·drawing paper (toned or white)
- ·fixative spray
optional
- ·tortillon
- ·chamois cloth
- ·workable fixative
Toned paper can help establish mid-tones more quickly. Use a light touch when applying charcoal and pastel to avoid overworking the surface.
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