plate no. 9715
Portrait of M. Ye. Shishmareva
Pavel Fedotov, 1849
some experience helpful
Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in rendering form with hatching and cross-hatching, as well as capturing likeness in portraiture. It also provides practice in depicting fabric folds and textures.
technical profile
palette complexity
1
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on proportions and placement of the figure and objects.
- step 02
Refine the sketch, paying attention to the contours of the figure, dress, and furniture.
- step 03
Begin adding value with light hatching, establishing the basic light and shadow patterns.
- step 04
Build up darker values with cross-hatching, focusing on areas of shadow and form definition.
- step 05
Pay close attention to the details of the face, capturing the likeness and expression.
- step 06
Render the fabric folds of the dress and the drapery with careful attention to light and shadow.
- step 07
Add details to the table and objects, using hatching to create form and texture.
- step 08
Review the drawing and make any necessary adjustments to value, line weight, and detail.
color palette
primary · graphite · white
secondary · none
Varying the pressure and density of graphite creates different shades of gray.
techniques
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·rendering form
- ·portraiture
- ·fabric depiction
common pitfalls
- →Failing to establish accurate proportions in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the drawing and losing the sense of light and air.
- →Neglecting the details of the face and failing to capture the likeness.
- →Creating overly uniform hatching patterns.
materials
surface · Smooth drawing paper
required
- ·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
- ·Eraser
- ·Kneaded eraser
- ·Drawing paper
- ·Pencil sharpener
- ·Blending stump
optional
- ·Ruler
- ·Compass
Use a variety of graphite pencils to achieve a full range of values. A blending stump can be helpful for smoothing out the hatching.
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