plate no. 4181
Self-portrait
Achille Devéria, 1835
some experience helpful
Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in cross-hatching, value shading, and capturing likeness. It's a great exercise in understanding form and light using a limited palette.
technical profile
palette complexity
1
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition and proportions of the figure.
- step 02
Establish the darkest areas of the background and clothing with hatching.
- step 03
Begin building up the mid-tones using cross-hatching techniques.
- step 04
Focus on the facial features, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 05
Refine the details of the clothing, including the collar, cuffs, and buttons.
- step 06
Add subtle shading to the hands and the artist's tool.
- step 07
Adjust the values to create a sense of depth and dimension.
- step 08
Add final details and refine the linework to capture the artist's likeness.
color palette
primary · graphite · white paper
secondary ·
Varying pressure and layering of graphite creates different shades of gray.
techniques
- ·hatching
- ·cross-hatching
- ·value shading
- ·contour drawing
- ·rendering textures
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the drawing and losing the freshness of the linework.
- →Failing to establish a full range of values.
- →Inaccurate proportions leading to a distorted likeness.
- →Uneven hatching creating a muddy appearance.
materials
surface · Smooth drawing paper
required
- ·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
- ·Eraser
- ·Sketchbook or drawing paper
- ·Blending stump or tortillon
- ·Pencil sharpener
optional
- ·Kneaded eraser
- ·Ruler
- ·Drawing board
Use a variety of graphite pencils to achieve a full range of values. Experiment with different hatching techniques to create different textures.
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