plate no. 9166

Mary

Will Barnet, 1936

lithography, paperSocial Realismportraitportraitfigurewomanhairfaceclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in tonal shading and understanding form through light and shadow. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and expressing mood through subtle variations in value.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head, shoulders, and hair.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the composition, such as the hair and background.
step 03
Begin to build up the mid-tones on the face and clothing, paying attention to the direction of light.
step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on accurate placement and subtle shading.
step 05
Add details to the hair, creating texture and volume.
step 06
Soften edges and blend tones to create a smooth transition between light and shadow.
step 07
Add final highlights to the face and hair to enhance the sense of depth.
step 08
Review the overall composition and make any necessary adjustments to the values and details.

color palette

primary · black · white

secondary · gray

Achieve various shades of gray by mixing black and white in different proportions. Use a touch of black to create darker tones and a touch of white to create lighter tones.

techniques

·tonal shading
·blending
·hatching
·cross-hatching
·softening edges

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall sense of form.
→Creating harsh lines and edges instead of smooth transitions.
→Failing to accurately capture the proportions of the face.
→Not paying attention to the direction of light and shadow.

materials

surface · Smooth drawing paper

required

·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
·Eraser
·Blending stump or tortillon
·Drawing paper (smooth or slightly textured)
·Kneaded eraser
·Ruler
·Pencil sharpener

optional

·Charcoal pencils
·White chalk pencil
·Sandpaper block

Use a variety of graphite pencils to achieve different values and textures. Experiment with different blending techniques to create smooth transitions between light and shadow.

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