Bust of an Elderly Man in a Flat Cap
1636
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a tired-looking man in a flat cap. His face is wrinkled, and his hands rest on his knees. The lines are rough and dark, almost like scribbles. The artist used quick, overlapping strokes to build up shadows and texture. It looks like they didn’t smooth anything out. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists create depth with ink alone.
