plate no. 2356

Portrait of Sakutarō Hagiwara

Koshiro Onchi, 1943

oilSōsaku hangaportraitportraitmanheadhairface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, particularly in capturing subtle tonal variations and rendering facial features with nuanced shading. It also encourages observation of detail and understanding of light and shadow.

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 of the head, shoulders, and facial features.
step 02
Establish the overall tonal range with a thin wash of diluted brown or gray.
step 03
Begin building up darker values in the hair, shadows, and clothing.
step 04
Carefully define the facial features, paying attention to the subtle shifts in tone.
step 05
Add details to the eyes, nose, and mouth, using small brushstrokes.
step 06
Refine the edges of the figure and background to create a sense of depth.
step 07
Add subtle highlights to the face and hair to create dimension.
step 08
Review the painting and make any necessary adjustments to the values and details.

color palette

primary · raw umber · ivory black · titanium white

secondary · burnt sienna · yellow ochre

Achieve the skin tones by mixing white with small amounts of raw umber, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre. Use black and umber for the hair and shadows, and white to create highlights.

techniques