I was born and grew up in Soest, The Netherlands, 1951.
In 1990, I moved to Spain with my wife, the sculptress Helma Vanrens, and our daughter Karen. We first settled in Paterna and later in village called Chelva.
For over 25 years, my working life has been filled almost daily, with portrait commissions. In recent years an idea grew that I should share my portrait painting experiences and knowledge. Ultimately this is what I did. About ten years ago I started teaching and later, making video tutorials.
Since then much has changed. In the past I found myself only behind the easel. Now part of the day I also spend behind a computer. I am in touch with people from all over the world who want to learn portrait painting. Every few days I write my blog posts and in addition, sometimes for weeks on end I am filming and editing videos. When I started this portrait-painting-internet project I had no idea that it would become such a success. Nor had I expected that I would enjoy it so much. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to help others improve their painting skills.
Luckily for me , out of all the videos and advice on Youtube I happened to pick on yours my friend , in particular an excellent step by step process of painting a portrait from a photograph . I too moved to Spain some 11 years ago and recently a Norweigian couple with two young grandchildren , after seeing some of my work shown locally asked me to paint a potrait of said grandchildren from a single photograph . Trouble is I’ve never attempted a portrait before and the photograph is , well , not of the standard I would have liked . However I don’t want to disappoint my friends . Wish me luck !
P.S. I shall be following your advice to the letter !¬
Indeed. I wish you luck!
Great Mr.Lustenhouwer! Found your portraits wonderful! Particularly the way you keep colors neat,clean & fresh. Happy to note that you too, like me,use photographs to paint portraits! But tell me ,how do you arrive at the out line drawing before you paint? Do you use tracing papers or enlargers etc? or is it free hand that you draw? warm regards! c.s.pant
Hello.
Usually I draw from enlarger sometimes I from hand, but than I use charcoal. Grid and tracing paper are useful as well
Great Mr.Lustenhouwer! Found your portraits wonderful! Particularly the way you keep colors neat,clean & fresh. Happy to note that you too, like me,use photographs to paint portraits! But tell me ,how do you arrive at the out line drawing before you paint? Do you use tracing papers or enlargers etc? or is it free hand that you draw? warm regards! c.s.pant
Hello.
Usually I draw from enlarger sometimes I from hand, but than I use charcoal. Grid and tracing paper are useful as well
Ben,
Many thanks for making this information available to those of us who did not have the opportunity to attend art school or private lessons. Your videos and work are very well done and full of useful information. Please keep up the good work!
Thanks
Bill
Ben,
Many thanks for making this information available to those of us who did not have the opportunity to attend art school or private lessons. Your videos and work are very well done and full of useful information. Please keep up the good work!
Thanks
Bill
You are quite the inspiration Mr. Lustenhouwer. What amazing work and informative videos. Refreshing insight like yours does not come along very often. Thank you for making your methods so accessible and uncomplicated.
-Lindsey
Your point about faces being recognizable in school group photographs even though it is impossible to pick out detail is probably the best portrait advice I’ve ever heard. I’ve been drawing for decades, consider myself a decent draftsman, but portraits are something I still struggle with(though I’ve seen some breakthroughs the last few years), so I thank you very much for the tip!:)
Your point about faces being recognizable in school group photographs even though it is impossible to pick out detail is probably the best portrait advice I’ve ever heard. I’ve been drawing for decades, consider myself a decent draftsman, but portraits are something I still struggle with(though I’ve seen some breakthroughs the last few years), so I thank you very much for the tip!:)
great lessons from a great artist i enjoy the videos though am a watercolour painter. maybe i will try oil one of these days. thanks for your generosity.
You are an inspiration. I’ve watched many of your tutorials via YouTube and have realised in your efforts true skill and warmth in your work. I have recently taken up drawing and painting again after a lapse of far too many years. Thank you for sharing your skills with us amateurs and professionals alike. I shall be following your every move to improve on my own.
Best wishes and please keep producing your excellent demonstrations.
You are an inspiration. I’ve watched many of your tutorials via YouTube and have realised in your efforts true skill and warmth in your work. I have recently taken up drawing and painting again after a lapse of far too many years. Thank you for sharing your skills with us amateurs and professionals alike. I shall be following your every move to improve on my own.
Best wishes and please keep producing your excellent demonstrations.
Hi sir ….. Just now i have watched your YouTube video. Its wonderful…..amazing…….. Best wishes……………& Thanks.
Hi sir ….. Just now i have watched your YouTube video. Its wonderful…..amazing…….. Best wishes……………& Thanks.
Quiero acusarle recibo y agradecerle el envío de su PDF “Quick approach wet-in-wet”, tan claro y útil como todos sus consejos. Le sigo desde hace tiempo porque me gustan mucho sus retratos. He dibujado y pintado desde hace años, pero tengo más de ochenta años y aún me considero un aprendiz. Sus tutoriales me ayudan mucho. Perdone que no le escriba en inglés pero, estoy seguro que, tras su larga estancia en España, me podrá comprender perfectamente. Le deseo fervientemente que sigan sus éxitos para el disfrute de todos sus “fans”. Un cordial saludo.
Gracias Guillermo. Si que me defiendo bien en castellano.Me allegro mucho que te gustan mis actividades.Un abrazo.
Ben
Hola Ben. Me alegra mucho saber que hablas español, me gustaría mucho saber si tienes un tutorial explicativo de la paleta de oleos y los pro.mix ? No se como aplicarlos en el retrato. Un saludo Marcela
Hola Marcela.
Si, tengo el video de “Little Girl” in castellano subtitulado. Miralo aquí: https://paintingportraittips.com/video-tutorials/
Hola, tengo una duda aunque me gustaría que me aconsejara, como fijar el dibujo a carboncillo sobre el lienzo antes de pintarlo con oleo para que a la hora de pintar no se mezcle el carboncillo o grafito con el oleo, me podría decir por favor, ¿cómo lo fija y que material utiliza para fijarlo?
Hola Jorge. Yo uso goma laca pare fijar dibujos. La goma laca se vende en las tiendas de bellas artes, preparados para usar. Pregunta allí también la forma de aplicar. No con un pincel sino con el aire de tu boca. Y muy ligera la capa.
Un saludo.
Ben
Congrats Ben. I found your tutorials very useful and inspirational. I paint too, landscape, still life, to portraits. Your way of teaching is clear and straight, what it makes a good way to memorise lessons. Thank you for the tips. All the best, Daisy
many thanks sir.
YOU ARE MY FIRST GURU