plate no. 6823

Head of a Young Man

chalk, paperHigh Renaissanceportraitportraitheadfigurehairmale

some experience helpful

Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in rendering form with hatching and cross-hatching, and understanding light and shadow on the human face. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and expression.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall head shape and proportions.
step 02
Establish the basic planes of the face with light lines.
step 03
Begin adding darker values to the shadow areas, using hatching.
step 04
Build up the values gradually, using cross-hatching to deepen shadows.
step 05
Pay attention to the direction of the lines to suggest form.
step 06
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
step 07
Render the hair with loose, flowing lines, varying the pressure to create highlights and shadows.
step 08
Refine the drawing, adding subtle details and adjusting values as needed.

color palette

primary · red chalk · sanguine

secondary · ivory black

Vary the pressure and layering of the red chalk to achieve different values. Use black sparingly to deepen the darkest shadows.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·contour drawing
·value shading
·line weight variation

common pitfalls

→Overworking the drawing and losing the freshness of the lines.
→Failing to establish a clear light source.
→Ignoring the underlying structure of the face.
→Making the lines too uniform and lacking variation.

materials

surface · toned paper

required

·red chalk
·drawing paper
·kneaded eraser
·pencil
·fixative spray
·sharpener

optional

·tortillon
·sandpaper block

Use a paper with a slightly textured surface to allow the chalk to grip the paper. A toned paper can help establish the mid-tones and make the highlights pop.

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