plate no. 6016

Ritratto N° 25

Enrico Prampolini, 1926

oilExpressionismportraitportraitfaceheadexpressionistlinearmonochromatic

suitable for beginners

This drawing emphasizes fundamental portrait construction and expressive line work, helping students understand facial proportions and how to convey emotion through simplified linear elements.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 2 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Start with basic oval shape for head placement on paper
step 02
Map out facial feature guidelines using light construction lines
step 03
Define the eye placement and basic eye shapes with confident strokes
step 04
Establish nose and mouth positioning with angular, expressive lines
step 05
Add hair outline with loose, gestural strokes
step 06
Define facial structure with bold contour lines
step 07
Add subtle shading around eyes and cheek areas
step 08
Refine and darken key linear elements for final expression

color palette

primary · charcoal gray · warm white

secondary · light gray · medium gray

Work primarily with graphite or charcoal on toned paper, using white highlights sparingly

techniques

·confident linear drawing
·expressive contour lines
·minimal tonal modeling
·gestural mark-making
·simplified facial construction

common pitfalls

→overworking the drawing with too much detail
→making lines too tentative or weak
→getting proportions wrong without construction guidelines
→adding unnecessary shading that conflicts with the linear style

materials

surface · medium-tooth drawing paper or lightly toned paper

required

·drawing paper 9x12
·2B graphite pencil
·4B graphite pencil
·kneaded eraser
·blending stump
·fixative spray

optional

·white charcoal pencil
·toned gray paper
·drawing board

This expressionist approach works well with slightly textured paper that can hold graphite effectively

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