Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon - An Investigation Into the Technique of a Great 19th Century Draftsman

7/21/2019 Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon - An Investigation Into the Technique of a Great 19th Century Draftsman

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Pierre-Paul Prud'hon

detail --Academie de femme debout

Charcoal, heightened with whitechalk, on blue paper


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In 1997, I came across a volume of

beautiful provocative drawings by an

early 19th century French artist in --

THELANGUAGE OF THEBODY: DRAWINGS BYPIERRE-PAUL PRUD'HONText by John Elderfield Drawings selected by Robert Gordon

Published by Abrams

...Well, I was seduced. I set out to gain some

understanding of Prud'hon's particular approach. The

works I'm referring to are the black and white chalk on

blue paper academies. Other artists during his time used

these combined materials to study the figure, but

Prud'hon took the form to new heights. Most artists

abandoned academic figure drawing once they completed

their training, but Prud'hon kept at it throughout his

career. His technique evolved into a beautiful style that

attracted fans from his time, all the way up to present

day.

Admired though he was, Prud'hon would not influence

the future of academic training. His willful preference for

"old fashioned" classical motifs did not suit the

dominating interests of France's very modern school of

Jacques Luis David, a force which would hold sway over

the future of 19th century art. The Academy would trainstudents in other techniques, thought better suited to

modern times. Although sidelined in his life, Prud'hon'sinsights in drawing would beckon future generations with

their enigmatic testimony to sublime beauty.


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With a return of interest in classical art and its training,

students are openly asking, "How did he do that?"

Beyond the obvious need to draw accurately, the rest of

the answer is not readily forthcoming. His process was not

exactly like the Academy's. There is much in common

with the standard Academy method, but, not immediatelyapparent, there are important differences. To see and

read more about what makes Prud'hon's technique both

unique and obscure, see this page.

My investigation into Prud'hon's technique has led to

some observations, postulations and discoveries, which I

share in the pages that follow. Perhaps with this material,

readers can join me in my ongoing quest for black and

white chalk on blue paper nirvana...
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon1a.htmlhttp://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon1a.htmlhttp://academicfigure.com/


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Unique & Obscure

A COMPARATIVE LOOK

AT

ACADEMIC TECHNIQUE

Unique

Let's take a look at an example of French academic figure

drawing.

In this drawing by an anonymous artist, and its detail

below, we can find the many shared traits with

Prud'hon's drawings. (Ignore the fact that the chalk is red

-- we can still find the common traits of academies)

The shared traits are:

careful analysis of forms within the body

variety in outline

diagonal hatching in background and other non-

figure subject matter

stumped tone beneath the hatchinghatches equidistant, not crossed, generally

straight, applied in rows

hatches shift direction very slightly over deeperform changes
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ompare

o this

rawing

y

rud'hon:


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The difference is:

while traditional hatching runs on an oblique path

over form,

Prud'hon's hatching runs parallel to form's length, onthe whole.


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If it was only hatching that was employed in his

drawing, analysis would not be so difficult. However,

due to the

extensive stumping in his drawings, we areleft with

questions about early application prior to the

final

hatching.

The pattern of hatch direction that Prud'hon used is quite

sophisticated. Managing the colliding groups that

invariably result is very tricky. There is no written record

of the thinking process that Prud'hon used in making his

application decisions. Through close observation, certain

"rules" have begun to surface, but there is no assurance

that Prud'hon would agreewith them.

Obscure
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Observations: Prud'hon's Materials


detail --Academie

Charcoal, heightened with white chalk, on bluepaper


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Many of Prud'hon's drawings on blue paper have faded toshades of tan. Various reproductions in my reference hint

at the original color, but from these, I couldn't know what

blue was used. However, color may be a moot point,

given

the slim pickings in today's available papers.Perhaps it is

enough to know that the paper was blue. Itmust certainly

have been a middle value, between #'s 3

and 5 in the scalebelow. In the case of #5, the artist can go

equally darker

and lighter from the blue base. If using #3,

the artist can

use the paper for middle and darker lights.

Throughout my book is evidence of a laid paper texture,

as seen in the detail above. The degree of texture in this

paper must have been subtle, since it was easily obscured

with certain treatments. From experience, I imagine that

the paper needed enough tooth to capture and hold

pigment, but it also had to be pliable enough for the laid

ridges to back off under the mild pressure of a sharpened

chalk, allowing for uninterrupted crisp lines.

The Paper

blue middle value typically laid


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detail --Academie

Charcoal, heightened with white chalk, on blue paper

The blacks and whites of Prud'hon's drawings carried afull range of densities from opaque to transparent, from

fine and firm to fat, intense and fluid. Sometimes a

charcoal-like "mist" was used. Stumped areas leave a

trace of the original lay-down of color, reading as a subtle

vibration...

Note the soft transparent gray surrounding the arm, thelended veil of white in the arm,

--black and white


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... and the dense whites and blacks in the hand...

Note the crisp opaque black and white hatches below.


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Discussion: Modern Materials


detail --Academie

Charcoal, heightened with white chalk, on blue paper


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Simple, but oh so hard to get right.

It took some trouble to figure out what the necessarytraits were for each element, and then to find modernproducts that were suitable and compatible with each

other. The bottom line is, you need chalks that can freelysmudge but also hold a point for a series of crisp lines.You need a toothy erasable paper that is medium value,laid, with a subtle blue color.

he Paper

Almost all commercially available laid drawing papershave over--or--under emphasized textures, poor chalkreceptivity, and the wrong colors and/or values. Only

three papers I found work. And, I must say, they workvery well -- one is perfect for beginners, the other two,

experts.

Expert/Gourmet

Ruscombe Paper Mill's Cotswold Colours, Laid

middle value blue laid paper

white chalk

black chalk

Three ingredients:


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(UPDATED NOVEMBER 2001)I found these gorgeoushandmade papers just a year after I mounted this online

Prud'hon discussion. These papers were developedespecially to replicate 18th and 19th century book papersfor restorers, but are also specified for drawing. Finding

them was like winning a time travel tour to 19th centuryFrance!

I immediately wanted to tell you about this paper, but

unfortunately, by stocking my drawer with only 150sheets, I exhausted the known supply in one fell swoop.

The dealer told me that it was discontinued, but specialorders in large quantities were possible -- at twice theprice that I paid! The problem seemed insurmountable

until 2001, when I contacted Chris Bingham, the maker ofthese wonderful papers. After showing Chris how I was

using his paper, he offered to see to it that artists couldstill get their hands on it. (In late 2001, Chris visited theLouvre in Paris where he hand inspected several


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ru on raw ngs. e pronounce t at t e matc to spapers is uncanny!)

So, there IS hope for serious blue paper devotees. I am not

part of the paper sales business, so please don't ask me toorganize orders, but you won't be sorry if you get this

paper. It is THE BEST, because it:

is visually luxurious -- absolutely beautiful handmade

is a perfect, very light drawing weight, laid

is very toothy very fine -- supports very fine line work

takes multiple erasings without damage

comes in two lightfast colors: one lighter, both in themiddle value range

is made with flax, cotton, abaca

replicates 19th century paper -- miracle!

Find ordering details in the supply list.

Beginner

Hahnemuhle (German) Ingres


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This is the first usable paper that I found, and it remainsthe ideal training sheet. Once you have mastered the

basics of the technique on this paper, and if you canpossibly afford it, switch to the gourmet version

mentioned above.

This paper's color is a close match to the blue Prud'honused, and it beats all the other similarly priced sheets,with its assorted combined attributes:

non-mechanical looking mold made laid

good, light drawing weight

pliable enough toothy enough

takes multiple erasings without damage

middle value, lightfast

made with alfa cellulose

reasonable price

Find ordering details in the supply list.
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon5.html


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If you won't get the specified papers, make sure that thepaper you do get is medium value, like between #'s 3 and5, below. You can use gray paper with black and whitechalks, but the resulting art will not carry the same coolmoonlit feeling that Prud'hon got in his drawings. He and

his contemporaries knew what they were doing. Correct?

White chalk

This was the easiest to find. Conte makes two sticks thatprovide dense smudgeable white from one stick and crisp

line from the other. I have not needed to look further forbetter results. See supply list.

lack chalk

This has been the problem. At first I used vine charcoalas well as medium and very soft black Conte sticks.

However, their textures and color were not ideal(apparently Prud'hon did not even use charcoal). Conte

sticks are marginally good, but I learned how to makebetter drawing sticks, myself. I'm including instructions

for making them, so you can see what I mean.


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Commercial blacks are not all at once intense, firm butfluid, and cold in color. Vine charcoal is fluid, but notdark enough to stand out against the medium value

paper. The softest Conte black is dark enough, but forfine lines, it is too soft to keep sharp. The one-step-harder

Conte makes crisp marks, but it's too hard to go downboth gently and black. Last, there is a very unfortunate

red cast in the rubbed out tones. I spent more timedancing around the problems with commercial blacks

than I thought an artist should have to. Prud'hon's linework has a gentle freedom that is clearly different fromwhat is possible with the commercial blacks. Prud'hon

must have used less pressure to get his black lines. As faras the ugly red cast goes, this had to be present in the

blacks of the 19th century, because it is the nature of thesepigments to appear as the complement of this greenish

blue paper. However, I decided to fix it at the same time I

fixed the consistency of the sticks.
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How to Make Your Own Black Chalks

The following procedure will give you some niceblack chalks, better in many ways than their

commercial counterparts. This recipe replacesanother (less ideal one) that I showed until early

2002. The binder in this formula is "black Roman

earth," one of the dry Italian earth pigments

available at Williamsburg Paint. This pigment

binds the same way as the previously

recommended medium gray pencil clay, a binder

for crayon making, but since Roman earth is black,

it doesn't spoil the intensity of the bone black. I

show three hardnesses that represent the full range.

The soft recipe is very soft, so don't load it into a

portcrayon -- it could easily break under pressure.Even the harder sticks are more breakable than

factory made chalks, and must be handled with

care. They are much more likely to break under

pressure from the portcrayon. To help stabilize the

softer chalks, I am rolling a sleeve of paper aroundthem before installing in the portcrayon


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In researching recipes, I found that the historical

record contains a large array of additives, some

quite exotic. One recurring ingredient is soap. I

tried several recipes with soap and found that pure

liquid uncolored soap can increase friability and

modify the spreading and sticking action on paper.

Black pigments are a little bit uncooperative

compared with other common colors used in

crayon making. Black requires more binder to hold

together, so "enough" binder for making a stickmakes marking on paper difficult. The softer sticks

make easily scuffed drawings. A little soap

encourages the pigment to release from the stick

when drawing, and once on the paper, the mark

holds its place under light abrasion. I include theoptional soap formula below, so you can try it

yourself.

The pigments are available from different

suppliers, whose urls are listed in the supply list

below.

Important:If you do not intend to use the

recommended blue paper, omit the Phthalo Green.

If you use another blue paper, you may wish to

experiment with other pigments to cancel the redl


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Materials & Tools

1newspaper to absorb moisture while rolling out

chalks


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3 ultra fine sieve

4 broad flat blade for rolling dough

5 Bone Black, PBK9. This is an intense blackmade of calcium phosphate/carbon. available atSinopia(www.sinopia.com)

6 Phthalo Green, PG7 F AP.Cancels the red castin the black. Available at Sinopia(www.sinopia.com)

7 Italian black Roman earth dry powderedpigment, available at Williamsburg Paints

(www.oilpaint.com)

8 mixing knife

9 distilled water or optional soap solution in a

"drop controlled" dispenser. To make soapsolution, mix 50% water with 50% Dr. Bronner's

Pure Castille liquid soap (aloe vera version), or

other pure, uncolored, liquid true soap.

10measuring spoons

11a glass or plastic surface for mixing dough

Procedure
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Measure ingredients into sieve. Make sure to level the measuringpoon to control proportion accurately.

Sift and mix the powders onto glass or plastic.


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it. It might be a good idea to add slightlyless green than theamount shown above, then test it on the blue paper by fingerrubbing a small sample together with a few strokes of the softwhite Conte. If you get a reddish color cast in the tone, sift

just a little more green onto the pile, mix well, and test again.If major adjustments are made, remember to keep the binder

proportionate to original recipe.

Add only enough distilled water or soap solution to just moistenIf using the soap solution, keep your fingers away from your ey

Better to add too little first, blend, and add gradually untilright.

Dough should be stiff, and just moist enough to hang together witheing so gummy that you can't smooth the surface with mixing kni


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With your mixing knife, shape a slab just over the height that yoolled chalk will be, and control the expected length to something

manageable for drawing.

If you want equal portions to make equal sized sticks, premark ylab with the mixing knife.


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Cut away section for rolling and place on newsprint.

Newsprint will absorb excess moisture and permit freerolling. Glass or plastic seems to encourage sticky resistance.

Note, this dough is not so elastic that you can begin with ahuge chunk and roll it down and down into a narrow stick. Itwill resist this treatment by coming apart as you roll. This iswhy I recommend that you make this crude stick shaped cut-out before you roll.


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With a large flat blade, roll stick of dough, controlling elevationwith wood dowel, selected for correct diameter.

Place tender stick in open wedge (like creased, bent tag board) to

revent curving while drying.


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Supply List

A brush for lifting and removal blending, try also a chamois clo

not shown)

2 Large stump

3 Small stump
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4 Tortillons, a few

5 Erasers, block and stylus

6 Two portcrayons: one holding the soft sticks and one holding thard sticks

soft sticks

black

Conte brand 2340-9, or...

Handmade stick, "medium" recipe

white

Conte brand 2456-2B

hard sticks

black

Conte brand 2460-2B, or...

Handmade stick, "hard" recipe

white

Conte brand 2456-HB


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7 Portcrayon shown before tips are protected with duct tape

8 Sharpener for factory made chalks, or (not shown) single edgeazor blade for either factory or handmade

9 Not shown: a clean chamois

0 Paper:

Experts/Gourmet

RuscombeLaid-- "endpapers" or, "book papers." 2 of theirCotswold Colours are perfect: Barnsley Blue (once known asQueen Anne Pamphlet Blue, or Deep Blue) and Selsley SugarBag (once known as Queen Anne Strong Granite Blue, orMid-granite Blue). Selsley Sugar Bag may only be availablein wove now. Still, it might be worth giving it a try, becauseof its beautiful color and toughness.

Available from Talas, 568 Broadway, New York, NY 10012Store phone: (212) 219-0770, Fax (212) 219-0735

e-mail: [email protected]: http://www.talasonline.com

Or, try visiting Ruscombe's websitein France.

BeginnersHahnemuhle (German) Ingres color: 036 Blue Green
http://www.ruscombepaper.com/http://www.talasonline.com/mailto:[email protected]


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Atlantic Papers at 1-800-367-8547.They will provide you with a list of stores that you can orderfrom.

A note about the portcrayon

ortcrayons were in wide use when Prud'hon was making hiscademies. There is little doubt that he used them. Paintings from t

me invariably show artists wielding these two headed tools, loadewith white in one end and black in the other. I can attest to themproved control these handy grips offer. You should use them.

he gripping brass tines of currently available portcrayons are burrnd score the chalks This will nick and break the handmade sticks


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uct tape (shown here), but dipping rubber works better. It's best thou do something to coat the tines even for the Conte sticks. Bewar

hat the "soft" handmade stick will always break in the portcrayon, ust hold it with your tender fingers.
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Observations: Parameters of Technique


detail --Academie de femme debout

Charcoal, heightened with whitechalk on blue paper
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Here, I list a set of observations that begin to define

rud'hon's control over his tonal language. Exceptions

ccur, but there is a pattern which is identifiable.

he Marks

On balance, white is used for the lit side, black for the

shade

and the blue paper, or blends of black and white, for

halftones and low light.

Smudged tones(mixtures of black and white) are seen

in all areas of form, including halftones and low light.

Sparsely used fine white markscan be found in shade

and the same can be found in the lit side with black.

Final black outlineis used in varying widths, or not

used at all (see below).

Stumpingis extensively used.

Hatches

Run parallel to each other and mostly run with

the length or edge of the main form but

sometimes run obliquely to the main form,especially in shade


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Are equally spaced

Are both straight and short in length

Are applied in row series across total form, but

are ...

... organized separately over smaller anatomical

form changes.

Only slightly interlock -- cross hatching rare in

final stage

Underlying ghost hatches vary in direction from

final top hatches

By direction, hatches show mirror symmetry in

conformity with anatomical symmetry (see below)

Are commonly diagonal in background (see

below)

Many areas of drawings are coarsely rendered, and

these are often stumped

Torso is often most highly rendered

st continues with next picture...


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ighting

Single, artificial point light sourcewas aimed at the

model, clarifying volumes and simplifying transitions

between light and shade.

Artist must have worked in darkened room. White

chalk sparkles even in dim light by contrast, the paper

and blacks absorb dim light. Dramatic volumes can be

perceived with delicate additions of white in dimly lit

rooms. But in strong light, this effect is degraded. If you

draw in a strongly lit room, you will not perceiveimpressive variations from the sparkling whites and your


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drawing will probably come out crude -- possibly making

the flesh look oily from heavy highlights.

oses

Poses are harmoniously arranged in stepped elevations,

or suggestive of motion.

Faces are made unselfconscious.

That's enough to get us started...
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Method--Step by Step

Disclaimer:I didn't see Prud'hon work, and I havenever seen any artist make a drawing using his

technique. Sure, I've often made--and seen made--hatched and cross-hatched black and white drawings.There is no mystery to contemporary hatchingtechniques. But Prud'hon had a very particular anddifferent procedure that was both eccentric in itsdirection, and obscure in technique. The hatches areshort, uncrossed, very open, equally spaced, mostly

parallel to the form's length and most problematic,the hatches are set against extensively stumpedunderdrawings. Stumping obliterates evidence of theunder drawing's application. In many drawings, itappears that several hatched layers were applied, thenstumped before completion, but because of the

extensive stumping, I can't decipher how he got frombeginning to end. Since I first uploaded thisdiscussion, a reader sent me news of a quote from aneyewitness to Prud'hon at work. It offers somevalidation to my speculations. Mostly, my questionsremain unanswered, and a few new questions havearisen.
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This is what I assume to be Prud'hon's

drawing stopped in the second stage. (The

first stage would be the basic line setup.)


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Black and white chalk on blue paper

At this stage, black and white both are

laid down. No stumping has been done yet.It is very important to consider the

reasoning suggested by the first

marks.These marks play a crucial role in the

potential of the drawing.

The whites, capable of smudging out freely,always ride the highlights (based on anatomy), but

also go down in big, volume-following tic-tac-toe

hatches on large lit forms.

The blacks outline, run the lengths of forms

within shade, and sometimes go down in regular,coarse, diagonal hatches. Cross hatching is found

in the core of shade, and cave zones.

If laid out properly, these coarse marks can bepreserved to the finish (I'll call them "unfinished"

areas). Although the artist elects to go further

with the drawing in selected areas, well placed

coarse marks are complete in their own right, and

contribute to the interest of the entire drawing.

Once this stage is complete, the next step is to

stump generously all areas that do not call for thefirst coarse hatches...


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The next step is to generously stump all

areas that do not call for preserving the first

coarse hatchesAs shown above, much of the drawing remains as

the stumped out first layer--here, it's theextremities. Note the way that ghosts of theoriginal hatches remain, serving as diffusedhighlights and form direction from light to shade.Black and white are slurred together to makegray in this drawing, but in other drawings thewhite, black and blue paper are segregated. Since

more treatment follows for slected areas, I'll callthis stage "unfinished..."


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To "finish" an area, crisp hatches are

applied.

As I mentioned earlier, several passes can bemade, stumped over, and then rehatched and even

stumped again, but I don't know with certainty

whether there is a pattern of attack to this phase,

because stumping obliterates the under


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treatments. The above image seems to suggest that

final hatches can be made over the first stumping,

or second, or third, etc.

At some point a fresh iteration of the outline is

selectively applied.
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10 steps--a demonstration

This demonstration reflects

my mid 2003 understanding

--or lack of it--

of Prud'hon's Technique.This drawing was captured in 10 steps.
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1Outline


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This demonstration follows a different coursethan the previous one. Mainly, you will see newrecommendations for the various hardnesses of thechalks. I have added more information on organizingthe hatches, and I add a suggestion to stump withyour fingers or use a chamois to remove tone. So lets

begin...

Step 1is the initial outline.


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The outline:

places the figure on the page,solves shape and proportion, and

maps the important tonal boundaries.

Do not go forward with any of these mattersunsolved. Don't make the drawing beautiful here.

Just make it accurate. Take your time.

Before going on, step backand thoroughlyconsider your drawing. If anything is wrong with

the placement, angles or proportions, FIX THESEPROBLEMS NOW. Don't go to the next step

without taking a viewing break first. Fix as many

times as it takes. Don't go on until you take that

last break and see that everything is OK. The

reason this is important is that each stage may

become the last (so called "unfinished" part).

Remember though, stay nice and easy, like

Prud'hon did.

MaterialsUse a black chalk that freely releases

the color, so that you don't have to bear down.

There should be a certain ease to your marks. Usea black that can erase and also leave a ghost with

stumping. In the handmade chalks, the "hard"

will work nicely. Use the harder Conte.
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2Bold Hatching
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As explained in the eyewitness account of

Prud'hon's method, the outline wasrubbed to a pale mist before moving tothis step described below. It is not clear to

me that Prud'hon always rubbed out hisoutlines. I chose not to rub out the outlinein this drawing.

Step 2requires close observation and

fore planning.


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White

Observe the forms holding highlights. Use your

softest white to draw the highlights. You are

drawing anatomy here, no matter how coarsely.Highlights run along the peaks of forms, and in

the troughs between them.

Highlights are:linear on cylindrical and conical formscircular on the spherical formsnarrow and concentrated on small

turning formsbroader and more diffuse in large

turning forms

As seen in the example by Prud'hon, this is a stage

where your marks should be generous and openlyspaced. Cross hatching is applied mainly to allotenough material for eventual smudging andmodeling. Cross hatching can be directed

obliquely over the forms, and is typically destinedto be stumped thoroughly, which leaves a fluidhaze and ghostly hatches. If all goes well, selected

areas can be left 'as is' before or after firststumping, leaving a good sense of anatomy andlighting. A good setup requires that you keep the

coarse hatches firstly on the highlights andsecondarily on the main lights. (The lower leg inthis drawing is destined to be stumped once, and

never touched again.) If you place the hatches tooclose together the stumped out drawing will be
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opaque over the blue paper, which cancels thepaper's purpose as an undercurrent, and deniesthe possibility of elegant open marks in a final

effect.

MaterialsUse the softest white.

Black

Apply black to the shade zone using paralleldiagonal open coarse hatches. Cross hatch at the

core of the shade zone, or in extra dark areas likecaves, or at the joints of projecting, bent limbs(not an issue in this drawing). As with the whites,

you are allotting enough material to eventuallysmudge into the foundation as a medium darktone. At this stage, you can be deciding whether

the shade zone will be simpler, with lessanatomical description, than the lit side.

MaterialsUse the softest black Conte, or the"medium" handmade chalk.
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3Stump Out Hatches
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Step 3achieves a coarse tonalarrangement. Using the large stump, rub in

the separate colors in accordance with their

shade or lit condition.

Use one end of the stump for black, and the otherfor white.


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Note, however, the eyewitness accountdescribes a

stage where Prud'hon smears black and white

together, "until a smooth and muted velvet gray

tonality remains." Total separation of black from

white, then, is not required. In fact, the gray tone

seems fairly common in Prud'hon's drawings. Butnever forget: form depends on lights and darks.

There is a basic rule that no part of the shadow

may ever be as light as the lit side, and no part of

the lit side may ever be as dark as the shadow.

The stump will ingrain a hatch if you rub it withthe direction of the hatch. If you rub it across the

hatch, the stump will blend the chalk out into the

raw paper. At this stage, it is best to rub tones into

the raw paper, so make your stump go

perpendicular to the direction of the hatch.

If you wish, you can leave the middle value areasas raw paper.

If you realize you shouldn't have covered an area

with the chalk, you can erase all the way back to

the paper. Or, if the first stumping appears too

opaque over the paper, you can evenly removesome, but not all, of chalk with a clean chamois.

The stump may be used as a line making tool by

smearing with the point.

In this drawing, the stumping of the lower leg

becomes the final treatment.
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4Hatch White
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Step 4 starts with the lights. Once thesmudging stage has been taken to the limit

you wished for -- you might even have left

some areas untouched -- you can nowclarify and assert the lights.

You might need to do a little clean-up

before proceeding.


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When stumping, you may have

overstepped your mark. Perhaps low light

and halftone should be untoned (This

particular demo does not have clean-up).

ERASE.At this time you can erase back

to the paper where you think blue only-isbest.

RE-OUTLINE.Smudging causes theoutline to lose its clarity, so if necessary,

go back and clarify important outline at

this stage.

Detectably, Prud'hon gave most areas that

required anatomical specifics several passes. This

process hid previous steps, leaving me to wonderhow the work evolved. My sense is that after first

bold hatches, he proceeded purposefully, using

fine hatches that may or may not have matched

the final directions.

Here is how the above drawing proceeded:

First, a bit of outline marked plane changes and

consequent lighting. For example, see the

horizontal lines that mark the folds in the

abdomen.

Next, I ran SHORThatches eitherat

the same angle as the outer form's edge,


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or

with the form's length,Or, although not done here, hatches can

run obliquely on form (I have seen traces

of oblique hatches just below the final

hatches in Prud'hon drawings).

MaterialsUse a white chalk that freely releases

the color, so you don't have to bear down. Use a

hardness that can erase and smear, and will leave

a ghost with stumping. Use either of the Contes,

depending on how dense you want your white to

be. The softer Conte will be the more dense. This

drawing uses the harder white (HB) at this stage.

Again, these hatches may be directed obliqueto

the form if you think that would be right or you

may direct them with its length. More about this

later...

More about hatches

To emulate Prud'hon, apply the hatchesin rows,NOT RANDOMLY.


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As the rows add up, you get acontinuous tone.

The hatches only slightly interlock:

On another matter, most of the hatches,

whether black or white, should be applied

to each separate form [A, below]. Routine

hatching across the all the separate forms

[B, below]will cause a loss of the forms.

Even though the hatches share the same

direction, they should still be separately


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applied to separate forms.

An exception to this rule would be

diagonal hatching in shadows,

intentionally applied to obscure form.

A B

Yet more on applying the hatches

Prud'hon's particular hatching technique

is eccentric. It is instructive to take a guess

at how he worked, try it out, and see if you

think your work improves. I can attest

that the struggle to render in his manner

(which is difficult) has strengthened mypainting.

Here are some ways to keep the hatches

crisp and on target.

Keeping line crisp.This is one of those


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things that you need to try. The concept is

so simple you might not think to make it a

habit:

While drawing, keep the chalk at a

low angle to the paper.

If you pull or push the chalk [in

the direction of its length] and

rotate between strokes to refresh

the tip, you will have a

permanently crisp line. If you

don't rotate, the tip will soon wear

and broaden.

If you swing the line, rather than

pull or push, the resulting line will

be broad.

Keeping the line on target.To directyour lines precisely, add this skill to your

bag of tricks:

For better visibility, pushyour chalk

along the path you wish to draw. When

you drag, the tool hides the desired path,

so you might miss your placement.


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5Hatch Black
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Step 5moves on to the darks.

The eyewitness account emphasizes that Prud'hon

focused on the lights. It indicates that the lightscame first, then the shadows. Clearly, the first

bold hatches of both black and white were applied

before the first stumping of tones. It is possible,

but not at all certain, that Prud'hon also hatched

both white and black before stumping again.

The BlacksFi t bit f " tli " d t k l


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changes and consequent lighting (see the

horizontal black lines with the vertical abdomen

hatches -- this describes the dark side of the form

and its base).

Then, as with the white,I ran SHORThatches

either at

the same angle as the outer form's edge,or

with the form's length,oralthough not done here, oblique to the

form's edge

The hatches were applied in rows,

NOT RANDOMLY.As the rows added up, I got a

continuous tone.

I made the hatches only slightlyinterlock.

I ran long'ish diagonal hatches in theshadows and background.

Direction in backgrounds and

shadows

The backgrounds in academies

were traditionally applied with

diagonal black hatches. Likewise,

it was common to use diagonal

black hatches in shade zones,

when the artist wanted

simplification


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Prud'hon used the traditional

diagonal black hatch background.

In shadows, Prud'hon sometimes

used diagonal black, but often

chose to run the hatches with the

form's length, just like he did withthe whites.

MaterialsUse a black chalk that freely releasesthe color, so you don't have to bear down. Use a

hardness that can erase and smear, and will leave

a ghost with stumping. Use the harder Conte.

Again, these hatches may be directed obliqueto

the form if you think that would be right or you

may direct them with form's length. More aboutthis coming up...
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6Lightly Stump
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Step 6is light stumping

You can use a small stumpor thetortillonsin these

areas, in order not to lift too much chalk away.Ghostly traces of hatch direction are permitted.

The lightly stumped white hatch running parallel

to the length of the thigh became the finaltreatment. It remains unchanged to the end of the

drawing.


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The following is a diagram of the approach I amleading you through:

We have already done {A}, and we arepresently at stage {B}.

A. First hatch in one direction

B. Lightly stump (as drawing

above)


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C. Re-hatch in new direction

(oblique here)

D. Stump again

E. Hatch again with the form

direction


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More...

You can direct hatches across form over and over,running the hatches in different directions with

each new pass. I suspect that Prud'hon typically

softened each directional series before adding newhatches over the top. If the area is not stumped

first, we could straightforwardly call that"crosshatching." But since stumping is usedbetween hatches, this is enough of a variant of

crosshatching to say it's not-crosshatching.

For the most part, Prud'hon finalized all hatching

by running the last hatches generally with theform's length, as in figure E.
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7Apply White Again
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Step 7is a re-hatching of the whites,aiming to close in on "final" look.

As with all stages, this one is done in row hatches.

Whites still mark the highlights, troughs, and

stronger illuminated areas. The paper can be left

"untouched" in the halftone, if desired (not

applicable in this demo).

This hatching stage is different than the first two,because tones beneath are now more saturated.


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The gap between hatches should be open enough

to let the value beneath play a role in the

modeling. Also, these hatches may be either

obliqueto the form, if you think that would be

right or they may be with its lengthto see if you

might possibly finish an area off. Finishing is

theoretically possible, if you did everythingperfectly in preparation. Fortunately, erasable

chalks and stumping permit endless layers and

corrections, while never losing that fresh, not

overworked, appearance.

In this drawing, I applied hatches to the separateforms, lightly softening the strokes with the side of

my little finger. Finger "stumping" is the best

method for reducing sometimes harsh hatches.

Materials.Use chalks that freely release the

color, so you don't have to bear down. Your color

should erase and smear, but leave a ghost withlight finger stumping. Use the harder white Conte.
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8Add Black Again
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Step 8: Re-hatch the blacks, with theaim to close in on a "final" look.

As with all stages, this one is done in row hatches.Blacks mark the forms in shade. In low light and

halftone, both black and white can mingle (see

ribs at flank). Alternately, the paper can be left

"untouched" in these areas.

This hatching stage is different than the first two,because tones beneath are now closer to the final


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effect. The gap between hatches should be open

enough to let the haze of color below play a role in

the modeling. For additional darkening, you can

repeatedly stump black hatches into the paper

and reapply new hatches. Also, these hatches may

be either oblique, if you think that will be right, or

they may be parallel to the edge or lengthwhichmight possibly finish an area off. Finishing is

theoretically possible if you did everything

perfectly in preparation. Fortunately, erasable

chalks and stumping permit endless layers and

corrections, while never losing that fresh, not

overworked, appearance.

The drapeis darkened with diagonal black

hatches. In the few examples that I have seen from

Prud'hon, this was his choice for black hatch

direction in drape.

Materials.Use chalks that freely release thecolors, so you don't have to bear down. Your

chalks should erase and smear, but leave a ghost

with light stumping. In the handmade chalks, do

not use the softest stick for this stage. Either the

"medium" or "hard" will work, depending on

your specific need. The hard will hold a point best.Use the harder black Conte.
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9Hatch, Tortillon, and Hatch Again
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Step 9uses both black and whitehatches, and heavy and/or light finger

stumping to reach the point where the

drawing has reasonable tonal accuracy andbalance.

When colors build up, you can use the stump ortortillon

to remove tone toward the value of the

paper. The tones

should be so close to correct that

the forms are reading

well. The total feel of the

main volumes may not yet be in

proper balance.

Usually, at this stage, the lights are not

quite lightenought, and the darks not quite dark enough.The definition and final emphasis might not be complete


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10Finishing Refinements
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon9.htmlhttp://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8i.html


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Step 10After looking at the drawing for a good long

time,

I solved overall appearances when I:

Used the softest handmade black to darken

hair mass, armpit, and low thigh.

Added final fine black hatches to darker sides

of ribs, whether in shadow or light.

Corrected the final direction of the form

hatches.


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Visual Summary

Close-ups, 1 through10

1 Outline
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8j.htmlhttp://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8a.html


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2 Bold Hatching
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8b.html


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3 Stump Out Hatches
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8c.html


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4 Hatch White
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8d.html


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5 Hatch Black
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8e.html


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6 Lightly Stump
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8f.html


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7 Apply White Again
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8g.html


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8 Add Black Again
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8h.html


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9 Hatch, Tortillon, and Hatch Again
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8i.html


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10Finishing Refinements
http://www.art.net/~rebecca/OnPrudon8j.html


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Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon - An Investigation Into the Technique of a Great 19th Century Draftsman

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Transcript of Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon - An Investigation Into the Technique of a Great 19th Century Draftsman