plate no. 9262

Le Biarotte

Paul-Albert Besnard, 1929

etchingImpressionismportraitportraitfigurewomanclothingshadowsseated

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students understand value relationships to create form and practice cross-hatching techniques to build depth and texture. It also offers practice in capturing a likeness and conveying a mood through subtle tonal variations.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the figure, focusing on the overall composition.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the background and clothing using a dark wash.
step 03
Begin building up the mid-tones in the face and shirt with lighter washes, paying attention to the light source.
step 04
Use cross-hatching to create texture and depth in the darker areas, gradually layering the strokes.
step 05
Refine the facial features, focusing on capturing the likeness and expression.
step 06
Add details to the clothing and background, using varying line weights to create visual interest.
step 07
Adjust the overall value range to enhance the contrast and create a sense of depth.
step 08
Add final highlights to the face and clothing to emphasize the light source.

color palette

primary · ivory black · raw umber

secondary · sepia · titanium white

Mix ivory black and raw umber to create a range of neutral grays. Add small amounts of titanium white to lighten the values. Sepia can be used for warmer dark tones.

techniques