plate no. 3358

Portrait of a Young Man

Lucian Freud, 1944

oilSurrealismportraitportraitfiguremanclothingscarfhair

some experience helpful

Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions and rendering of form with subtle tonal variations. It also provides practice in creating texture and pattern with hatching and cross-hatching techniques.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 7 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall proportions and pose of the figure.
step 02
Refine the sketch, paying close attention to the facial features and hand placement.
step 03
Establish the main areas of light and shadow with a mid-tone.
step 04
Begin adding darker values to define the contours and details of the face, hair, and clothing.
step 05
Use hatching and cross-hatching to build up the textures of the jacket and hair.
step 06
Add highlights to the scarf and face to create contrast and depth.
step 07
Refine the details and adjust the values to achieve a balanced and realistic representation.

color palette

primary · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna

Mix raw umber with small amounts of black and white to create a range of neutral tones. Use burnt sienna sparingly for subtle warmth in the skin tones.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·tonal shading
·portrait drawing
·rendering texture

common pitfalls

→Inaccurate proportions of the facial features.
→Overworking the details and losing the overall form.
→Failing to create sufficient contrast between light and shadow.
→Uneven or messy hatching and cross-hatching.

materials

surface · toned paper (tan or brown)

required

·toned paper (tan or brown)
·graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
·kneaded eraser
·tortillon or blending stump
·ruler
·sharpener

optional

·white charcoal pencil
·fixative spray

Using toned paper eliminates the need to establish a background tone and allows you to focus on adding highlights and shadows. Experiment with different grades of graphite pencils to achieve a full range of values.

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