plate no. 8183

Negro Youth

Lois Mailou Jones, 1929

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanprofileclothing

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in rendering form with value and understanding subtle tonal variations. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and conveying mood through portraiture.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 10 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the basic outline of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the hair and clothing with a dark value.
step 03
Begin to build up the mid-tones on the face, paying attention to the planes of the face.
step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on accurate proportions and subtle details.
step 05
Add highlights to the face and hair to create a sense of depth and dimension.
step 06
Develop the background with a soft, even tone.
step 07
Refine the details of the clothing, adding texture and shading.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and details to achieve a cohesive and expressive portrait.

color palette

primary · sepia · ivory black

secondary · raw umber · burnt umber

Achieve subtle value changes by gradually adding white or diluting the darker pigments. Use thin washes for initial layers and build up opacity for darker areas.

techniques