plate no. 8859
Portrait of Maria van Rysselberghe
Theo van Rysselberghe, 1919
some experience helpful
Students would develop fundamental skills in portraiture including facial proportions, expressive gesture drawing, and creating form through cross-hatching and linear mark-making techniques.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Begin with a light outline sketch focusing on overall proportions and head placement
- step 02
Establish the basic facial features and thoughtful pose with finger to chin
- step 03
Block in the major shadow shapes on the face and clothing
- step 04
Develop the clothing folds and fabric textures with directional strokes
- step 05
Refine facial features, paying attention to the contemplative expression
- step 06
Add cross-hatching and linear details to build form and depth
- step 07
Work the background with loose diagonal strokes
- step 08
Final refinements to hands, facial details, and overall contrast
color palette
primary · burnt umber · raw sienna · ivory black
secondary · yellow ochre · titanium white
Work primarily in monochromatic earth tones, using white sparingly for highlights and mixing with browns for mid-tones
techniques
- ·cross-hatching
- ·linear drawing
- ·gestural mark-making
- ·form modeling
- ·portrait proportions
common pitfalls
- →overworking facial features too early
- →making lines too uniform in weight
- →neglecting the overall gesture for details
- →creating muddy tones by over-blending
materials
surface · medium tooth drawing paper or prepared canvas board
required
- ·drawing paper or canvas
- ·burnt umber paint or conte crayon
- ·raw sienna
- ·#2 and #6 flat brushes
- ·round detail brush
- ·kneaded eraser
- ·blending stumps
optional
- ·fixative spray
- ·palette knife for mixing
- ·tortillon
- ·white charcoal
This appears to be a drawing or monochromatic study, so drawing materials may be more appropriate than full color paints
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