plate no. 5798

Portrait of Julius Rodenberg

oilRealismportraitportraitfiguremancigarclothingprofile

some experience helpful

This drawing is great for practicing hatching and cross-hatching techniques to create value and form. It also provides experience in capturing likeness and details in a portrait.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the overall proportions and pose of the figure.
step 02
Refine the sketch, paying attention to the facial features and the shape of the clothing.
step 03
Begin adding value using light hatching strokes, focusing on the areas of shadow.
step 04
Build up the darker areas with cross-hatching, layering the strokes to create depth.
step 05
Pay close attention to the direction of the hatching to define the form.
step 06
Add details such as the hair, cigar, and clothing folds.
step 07
Refine the values and details, making adjustments as needed.
step 08
Add final touches and clean up any stray lines.

color palette

primary · graphite · white

secondary ·

Varying pressure and layering of graphite creates different shades of gray.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·contour drawing
·value shading
·rendering

common pitfalls

→Not establishing a strong foundation with the initial sketch.
→Applying too much pressure too early, making it difficult to erase mistakes.
→Hatching in the same direction throughout the drawing, resulting in a flat appearance.
→Ignoring the direction of the light source.