plate no. 5916
Self portrait
Joseph Ducreux, 1791
some experience helpful
Recreating this portrait will help students develop skills in rendering form with hatching and cross-hatching, as well as capturing emotional expression through facial details. It will also improve understanding of light and shadow to create depth.
technical profile
palette complexity
1
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 8 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the oval frame and the basic proportions of the figure.
- step 02
Outline the main shapes: head, shoulders, arms, and hands.
- step 03
Refine the facial features, paying close attention to the expression.
- step 04
Begin adding hatching and cross-hatching to establish the darkest areas (vest, hair shadows).
- step 05
Build up the mid-tones with lighter hatching, varying the density of lines.
- step 06
Use delicate lines to indicate the lighter areas and highlights.
- step 07
Add details to the hair, clothing, and hands, refining the textures.
- step 08
Adjust the overall values to create a sense of depth and volume.
color palette
primary · black · white
secondary · gray
Vary the intensity of black and white to create different shades of gray for highlights, midtones, and shadows.
techniques
- ·Hatching
- ·Cross-hatching
- ·Value gradation
- ·Line weight variation
- ·Rendering textures
common pitfalls
- →Making lines too uniform and lacking variation.
- →Not establishing a clear light source.
- →Overworking the details and losing the overall form.
- →Failing to capture the correct proportions of the face and body.
materials
surface · Smooth drawing paper
required
- ·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
- ·Eraser
- ·Drawing paper
- ·Ruler
- ·Sharpener
- ·Blending stump
optional
- ·Kneaded eraser
- ·Tracing paper
- ·Calligraphy pen
Use a variety of pencil grades to achieve a full range of values. Experiment with different hatching techniques to create different textures.
tips & new artworks in your inbox
no spam — unsubscribe anytime.
or to save artworks, chat, and track progress
in this vein
related artworks
Louis XV, King of France
Charles-Andre van Loo (Carle van Loo)
William James
Joshua Reynolds
Wooded Landscape with Gypsies, Evening
George Lambert
Head of a Scholar
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
Gentleman and Wife
William Williams
Portrait of Antoine Watteau
Rosalba Carriera
Portrait of Henriette of France, daughter of Louis XV
Jean-Étienne Liotard
Mr. John Williams
Benjamin West