plate no. 3113

Portrait of Johann Grund

pencil, drawing, paperRomanticismportraitportraitfiguremanbeardclothinghair

some experience helpful

This drawing is a great exercise in understanding value and shading to create form. Students will learn to build up tone gradually using different pencil grades and hatching techniques.

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 clothing.
step 02
Establish the main light source and identify areas of highlight and shadow.
step 03
Begin shading the face, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth, using light pencil strokes.
step 04
Gradually build up the darker tones in the beard and hair, using cross-hatching to create texture.
step 05
Add shading to the clothing, paying attention to the folds and creases.
step 06
Refine the details of the face and hair, adding highlights and shadows to create depth.
step 07
Add the background shading to create contrast.
step 08
Erase any unnecessary guidelines and clean up the edges of the drawing.

color palette

primary · graphite · white (paper)

secondary · none

Varying pressure and pencil grade creates the range of values.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·blending
·value shading
·line weight

common pitfalls

→Applying too much pressure too early, making it difficult to erase mistakes.
→Not paying attention to proportions, resulting in a distorted likeness.
→Overworking the drawing, resulting in a muddy or lifeless appearance.
→Failing to create a full range of values, resulting in a flat or two-dimensional drawing.