plate no. 1331

Punctual

Paul-Albert Besnard, 1900

etchingImpressionismgenre paintingfigureskullclockbeddeathinterior

some experience helpful

This painting is a great exercise in understanding value and line weight to create form and depth. Students will learn how to use hatching and cross-hatching to build up tonal values and suggest textures.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 8 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Lightly sketch the main shapes: the sleeping figure, the skull-like figure, the bed, and the clock.
step 02
Begin adding the darkest values using dense hatching and cross-hatching, focusing on the background and areas of shadow.
step 03
Gradually build up the mid-tones by adding more layers of hatching, varying the line weight and spacing.
step 04
Use lighter, more delicate hatching to define the lighter areas of the figures and the bed.
step 05
Pay attention to the direction of the hatching to suggest the form and contours of the objects.
step 06
Add details such as the features of the skull and the details of the clock.
step 07
Refine the overall composition by adjusting the values and adding more contrast where needed.
step 08
Add the artist's signature.

color palette

primary · sepia · ivory black

secondary · none

This image is essentially monochromatic, so focus on achieving different values of sepia or black through varying the density of lines.

techniques

·hatching
·cross-hatching
·line weight variation
·value gradation
·contour drawing

common pitfalls

→Making the hatching too uniform, resulting in a flat and lifeless image.
→Not varying the line weight enough, which can make the drawing look too light or too heavy.
→Losing the overall composition by focusing too much on small details.
→Not paying attention to the direction of the hatching, which can flatten the forms.