plate no. 1394
Young girl
Alessandro Milesi, 1904
some experience helpful
Recreating this drawing will help students develop skills in capturing likeness and using cross-hatching to create form and value. It also provides practice in simplifying complex forms into basic shapes.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
4
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the overall composition, focusing on the proportions and placement of the figure.
- step 02
Refine the sketch, paying attention to the angles and curves of the body and clothing.
- step 03
Begin adding darker values to define the shadows and create depth.
- step 04
Use cross-hatching to build up the values, varying the pressure and spacing of the lines.
- step 05
Focus on the facial features, capturing the likeness of the subject.
- step 06
Add details to the clothing and background, maintaining a consistent level of detail throughout the drawing.
- step 07
Soften edges and blend values where necessary to create a more realistic effect.
- step 08
Add final highlights and details to complete the drawing.
color palette
primary · graphite · brown paper
secondary ·
Varying pressure and layering of graphite creates tonal variations.
techniques
- ·cross-hatching
- ·value shading
- ·contour drawing
- ·blending
- ·sketching
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the drawing and losing the freshness of the sketch.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Creating muddy or undefined values.
- →Ignoring the overall composition and focusing too much on individual details.
materials
surface · toned brown drawing paper
required
- ·Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B)
- ·Eraser
- ·Kneaded eraser
- ·Drawing paper (toned brown)
- ·Pencil sharpener
- ·Blending stump
optional
- ·Ruler
- ·Fixative spray
Using a toned paper will help to establish the mid-tones and make it easier to create highlights and shadows.
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