plate no. 6744
Portrait of a Dalmatian girl
Anton Azbe, 1885
some experience helpful
Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in accurately capturing proportions and using hatching and cross-hatching to create form and value. It also provides practice in rendering details like hair and clothing folds.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the overall proportions and pose of the girl.
- step 02
Refine the sketch, paying close attention to the placement of facial features.
- step 03
Begin shading with light, even strokes, establishing the basic values.
- step 04
Build up darker values using hatching and cross-hatching techniques.
- step 05
Focus on the details of the face, especially the eyes and mouth.
- step 06
Add details to the clothing and headscarf, capturing the folds and textures.
- step 07
Refine the background with subtle shading to create depth.
- step 08
Add final touches and highlights to enhance the overall effect.
color palette
primary · sepia · white
secondary · light brown
Varying the pressure and density of the sepia pencil creates different values. Use white to lighten areas and create highlights.
techniques
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·blending
- ·value shading
- ·portrait drawing
common pitfalls
- →Inaccurate proportions can distort the likeness.
- →Overworking the details can make the drawing look stiff.
- →Uneven shading can create a flat or muddy appearance.
- →Ignoring the subtle value changes can result in a lack of depth.
materials
surface · drawing paper
required
- ·sepia pencil
- ·white chalk or pencil
- ·drawing paper
- ·kneaded eraser
- ·blending stump
- ·ruler
- ·pencil sharpener
optional
- ·tortillon
- ·fixative spray
Use a smooth drawing paper for best results. A variety of pencil grades can be used to achieve different values.
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