plate no. 3797
Study of a Young Girl in a Turban and Frilled Collar
Joseph Wright, 1768
recreation guide
This artwork, 'Study of a Young Girl in a Turban and Frilled Collar' (1768), is a chalk drawing by Joseph Wright of Derby, created during his productive period in Liverpool. Wright is historically significant for his mastery of tenebrism and chiaroscuro, techniques that emphasize dramatic contrasts between light and dark to model form and create atmosphere (Source 4). While this specific piece is a study rather than a finished oil painting, it reflects Wright’s broader engagement with the 'Practice and Science of Drawing,' where the artist must understand the specific vital qualities of their medium—in this case, chalk on paper—to express form without attempting the illusionistic deception possible in oil paint (Source 1). The work serves as an exercise in reducing solid appearances to a flat surface, focusing on the structural accuracy of tone masses and outline (Source 2).
estimated time
6-10 hours over 2-3 sessions
materials
4 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| White and black chalk (or sanguine) | Primary medium for drawing tone, outline, and form. | Soft vine charcoal or high-quality graphite pencils for underdrawing; white charcoal or pastel for highlights. |
| Toned or white drawing paper | Surface for chalk application. Wright’s studies often utilized paper that allowed for both dark and light marks. | Medium-grain toned paper (e.g., Strathmore Toned Tan) or heavy-weight white drawing paper. |
| Blending stump or tortillon | To soften chalk edges and create smooth transitions in tone masses, essential for Wright’s soft-focus modeling. | Paper blending stumps. |
| Kneaded eraser | To lift chalk and create highlights, particularly on the frilled collar and facial features. | Standard kneaded eraser. |
preparation
surface prep
For a chalk study, the paper should be clean and free of dust. Wright’s practice involved working directly on the paper surface. If using toned paper, ensure it is flat and taut to prevent warping during blending. No gesso or oil ground is required for this medium (Source 1).
underdrawing
Begin with a light, loose outline using the side of the chalk or a hard pencil. Wright’s approach, consistent with the 'Practice and Science of Drawing,' suggests starting with bare outline to establish the structural accuracy of shapes before adding tone (Source 2). Focus on the silhouette of the head, the volume of the turban, and the complex geometry of the frilled collar. Do not press hard; this layer is for positioning only.
underpainting
Not applicable for a dry medium chalk study. However, conceptually, this step corresponds to establishing the 'tone masses'—blocking in the broad areas of light and shadow without worrying about fine detail (Source 2).
color palette
Black/Dark Grey
Black chalk or charcoal
Shadows, deep folds in the turban, and defining the outline of the face against the background.
White/Bright Grey
White chalk or lifted paper tone
Highlights on the forehead, nose, chin, and the intricate frills of the collar.
Mid-tone Grey
Blended black and white chalk or the natural tone of the paper
Modeling the planes of the face and the volume of the turban.
composition
Wright characteristically employed strong tenebrism, using light to sculpt form out of darkness (Source 4). In this study, the composition likely focuses on the head and shoulders, with the light source coming from one side to emphasize the three-dimensionality of the face and the texture of the turban. The frilled collar acts as a complex textural counterpoint to the smooth skin tones. The artist reduces the solid object to terms of a flat surface, observing the subject from a single point of view (Source 2).
step by step
underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Lightly sketch the basic proportions of the head, the width of the shoulders, and the placement of the turban. Use long, continuous lines to capture the gesture.
Tip — Close one eye to flatten your perception of the subject, helping you see it as a 2D arrangement of shapes rather than a 3D object (Source 2).
Line Drawing
first pass
step 02
Block in the major shadow areas using the side of the black chalk. Focus on the 'tone masses'—the large areas of dark and light—without refining edges.
Tip — Do not worry about outlines yet. Focus on the accuracy of values. This prevents the 'muddling through' method where line and tone are confused (Source 2).
Tone Massing
refining
step 03
Blend the chalk using a stump or finger to create smooth transitions. Wright’s style often features soft, atmospheric modeling rather than hard edges.
Tip — Use the paper’s mid-tone as a starting point. Add black for shadows and white for highlights. This utilizes the 'vital qualities' of the medium (Source 1).
Blending/Modeling
step 04
Define the frilled collar. Use short, broken lines or careful blending to suggest the delicate texture of the fabric. Contrast this with the smoother tones of the skin.
Tip — Wright’s attention to detail in textures (like the collar) helps anchor the ethereal quality of the light.
Textural Contrast
finishing
step 05
Sharpen key focal points, such as the eyes and the highlight on the nose. Ensure the contrast between the lit side of the face and the shadowed side is dramatic, consistent with Wright’s tenebrist style.
Tip — Check that the drawing does not look like a photograph. It should remain a 'painted symbol' (or drawn symbol) that expresses feeling and form, not just visual deception (Source 1).
Chiaroscuro/Tenebrism
critical techniques
Tenebrism
Wright is noted for his use of tenebrism, an exaggerated form of chiaroscuro that emphasizes the contrast of light and dark. This technique is crucial for modeling the form of the girl’s face and the volume of the turban (Source 4).
Tone Massing
The artist should study tone masses separately from outline. This involves reducing appearances to a structure of tone planes, which helps in accurately observing the shapes of masses before adding fine detail (Source 2).
Medium-Specific Expression
The artist must exploit the specific qualities of chalk. Unlike oil paint, which can approach illusion, chalk requires a selection of certain things to express. The drawing should not attempt to deceive the eye into seeing real nature but should express the artist’s feeling through the medium’s vitality (Source 1).
common pitfalls
- →Attempting to use chalk like oil paint, trying to achieve a photorealistic illusion rather than expressing form through tone masses (Source 1).
- →Confusing line work with tone study. Students often 'flounder' when they try to do both simultaneously without understanding the structure of tone planes (Source 2).
- →Losing the outline entirely in the blending process. Wright’s studies balance outline and tone; the outline provides strength to the forms (Source 2).
- →Ignoring the flatness of the surface. The artist must remember they are drawing on a flat surface and reduce solid objects to 2D terms (Source 2).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·The specific type of paper Wright used for this 1768 study is not detailed in the sources, though general drawing practices of the era are implied.
- ·The exact lighting setup for the model is not described, though Wright’s general use of artificial light (candlelight) is noted in his other works (Source 4, Source 7).
- ·Specific pigment composition of the chalks used by Wright is not provided, though standard black and white chalks are assumed.
- ·The exact facial expression or gaze direction of the girl is not described in the sources, so the artist must rely on visual reference or general portraiture conventions of the period.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Understanding the limitations and expressive qualities of chalk vs. oil paint; avoiding illusionistic deception.
- STUDY BY RUBENS... / LINE DRAWING: PRACTICAL — applied to Technique of separating outline and tone mass studies; reducing solids to flat surfaces.
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia bio — Joseph Wright↗
- part 1 / part 4 — applied to Context of Wright’s tenebrism and chiaroscuro style; his focus on light and shadow.
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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