plate no. 5441

Gian Battista Sommariva

oilRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghairface

some experience helpful

This drawing focuses on developing line control and understanding of hatching and cross-hatching techniques to create form and value. Students will also learn to observe and accurately depict facial features and proportions.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 6 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head and shoulders.
step 02
Refine the sketch, paying attention to the placement of facial features.
step 03
Begin adding line work to define the contours of the face, hair, and clothing.
step 04
Use hatching and cross-hatching to build up shadows and create depth.
step 05
Vary the density and direction of the lines to suggest different textures and forms.
step 06
Pay close attention to the direction of light and shadow to create a sense of volume.
step 07
Add details to the hair, clothing, and facial features.
step 08
Erase any unnecessary sketch lines and refine the final drawing.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary ·

This is a monochrome drawing, so no color mixing is required. Focus on varying the pressure and density of your lines to create different values.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·contour drawing
·line weight variation
·rendering form with value

common pitfalls

→Applying too much pressure too early, making lines too dark.
→Not varying line weight, resulting in a flat drawing.
→Inaccurate proportions of facial features.
→Overworking the drawing and losing the freshness of the lines.

materials

surface · smooth drawing paper

required

·graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
·drawing paper
·eraser
·pencil sharpener
·ruler
·kneaded eraser

optional

·tortillon
·blending stump
·drawing board

Use a variety of graphite pencils to achieve a full range of values. Start with lighter pencils for sketching and build up to darker pencils for shadows.

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