plate no. 2518
Portrait of a girl
Youssef Idrissi, 2020
some experience helpful
Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in value shading, blending, and creating form with charcoal. It also provides practice in capturing likeness and understanding facial proportions.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes and proportions of the head and facial features.
- step 02
Establish the overall composition and background with light charcoal strokes.
- step 03
Begin adding darker values to the hair, focusing on the areas in shadow.
- step 04
Develop the facial features, paying close attention to the highlights and shadows to create form.
- step 05
Blend the charcoal to create smooth transitions between values.
- step 06
Refine the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 07
Add the final touches to the background, ensuring it complements the figure.
- step 08
Use a kneaded eraser to lift out highlights and correct any mistakes.
color palette
primary · charcoal gray · white
secondary ·
Varying pressure and blending are key to achieving different shades of gray with charcoal. Use a blending stump or your finger to smooth transitions.
techniques
- ·Value shading
- ·Blending
- ·Hatching and cross-hatching
- ·Kneaded eraser highlighting
- ·Charcoal powder application
common pitfalls
- →Applying too much charcoal too quickly
- →Over-blending, resulting in a muddy appearance
- →Ignoring the underlying structure of the face
- →Not using a kneaded eraser to create highlights
materials
surface · Drawing paper (smooth or slightly textured)
required
- ·Charcoal pencils (soft, medium, hard)
- ·Charcoal sticks
- ·Kneaded eraser
- ·Blending stump
- ·Drawing paper (smooth or slightly textured)
- ·Fixative spray
- ·Pencil sharpener
optional
- ·Chamois cloth
- ·Sandpaper block for sharpening
Use a paper with enough tooth to hold the charcoal, but not so rough that it makes blending difficult. Consider using a tinted paper for a different effect.
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