plate no. 5023

Madame Besnard

etchingImpressionismportraitportraitfigurewomanreadingtableinterior

some experience helpful

Recreating this etching will help students understand how to use line weight and density to create form and value. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and conveying a mood through subtle details.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Begin with a light sketch to establish the overall composition and proportions of the figure.
step 02
Focus on the main shapes: head, body, and table.
step 03
Start adding darker values to the hair and background using dense hatching.
step 04
Use lighter hatching and cross-hatching to define the form of the face and clothing.
step 05
Pay attention to the direction of the lines to suggest the contours of the forms.
step 06
Add details to the hands and the book or paper she is reading.
step 07
Refine the background and add texture to the fabric.
step 08
Add final details and adjust values to create a sense of depth and atmosphere.

color palette

primary · sepia · ivory black

secondary · raw umber

Vary the darkness of the sepia by diluting it with water or mixing it with small amounts of ivory black.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·stippling
·line weight variation
·dry brush

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of form.
→Making the hatching too uniform and lacking variation in line weight.
→Not paying attention to the direction of the lines and creating a flat, lifeless effect.
→Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.