plate no. 4177

Portrait of the Artist Isaac Levitan

Valentin Serov, 1900

oilImpressionismportraitportraitfiguremanclothinghatbeard

some experience helpful

Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in value shading, capturing likeness, and creating texture with charcoal. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.

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 figure, focusing on the head, shoulders, and overall pose.
step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the painting, such as the hat and collar, using broad strokes of charcoal.
step 03
Begin to build up the mid-tones in the face and clothing, paying attention to the direction of light.
step 04
Refine the facial features, focusing on the eyes, nose, and mouth to capture the likeness of the subject.
step 05
Add texture to the beard, hair, and clothing using short, broken strokes of charcoal.
step 06
Soften edges and blend areas to create a sense of atmosphere and depth.
step 07
Add highlights to the face and clothing to create contrast and dimension.
step 08
Make final adjustments to the values and details to complete the portrait.

color palette

primary · charcoal gray · white

secondary · light gray · dark gray

Varying pressure and layering charcoal will achieve the different shades of gray. Use blending to soften transitions.

techniques

·value shading
·blending
·hatching
·cross-hatching
·charcoal layering

common pitfalls

→Overworking the details and losing the overall form.
→Failing to establish a strong value range.
→Not capturing the likeness of the subject.
→Creating harsh lines instead of soft transitions.

materials

surface · drawing paper (smooth or slightly textured)

required

·charcoal pencils (soft, medium, hard)
·kneaded eraser
·drawing paper (smooth or slightly textured)
·blending stumps or tortillions
·fixative spray
·ruler
·pencil sharpener

optional

·charcoal powder
·chamois cloth
·sandpaper block

Experiment with different types of charcoal to find the ones that work best for you. Use a light touch when applying charcoal to avoid making the drawing too dark too quickly.

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