Painting Portrait Tips / Lots of information about how to paint a portrait
More than once people asked how a novice portraitist must decide his prices. I remember I once said: If you don’t have any orders you are either too expensive, or you have too little quality. If you have too many commissions, it may be that you are too cheap.
An interesting book that I am currently reading is “The lives of Jan Six”, written by the Dutch historian Geert Mak. I do not know if there is an English translation. Continue reading “Art flows to where the money is”
I’m often criticized because I explain how to paint a portrait from photography. Working from life is the only true religion, I always hear. I never answer because I know how things are in my profession. I say it again loud and clear: almost all my colleagues use photography when it comes to a commission. Only, they would rather keep silence in public. Anyway, I do not want to talk about that.
The exposure. The lefthand picture shows a portrait that I painted from life in my studio during our Tuesday sessions. I always take a picture of the model before we stop. That shot you see on the right. A major handicap in photography can be seen at a glance. The light-dark contrast is too big. In particular, the light parts suffer from the loss of the subtle nuances. I notice in my classes that many people overlook that phenomenon. So make sure that the print that you’re working from is not too light and that there is difference between the light and the high-lights.
Finally: of course work from life. Study as much as possible with a live model in front of you. The more training in direct perception the more your work from photography improves.
More posts on working from photography:
More posts on painting from life model:
Portrait painting and farming. Are there similarities? No. Although … I am a portrait painter and I married a farmer’s daughter. So: Portrait painter at the farm Continue reading “Portrait painter at the farm”
During the last week of August I am a painter with the large brush. I will exoplain why. Chelva celebrates its annual festival: Las Fiestas de Agosto. There is plenty to do. Fireworks, music, dancing for young an old, religious processions, paella competitions, too many events to mention. Continue reading “Painter with the large brush”
More than fifteen years ago, I sent this portrait as an entry for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters´ annual exhibition in London. I delivered the canvas myself at the Mall Galleries. Continue reading “Strange stories”
Looking back on some of my portrait commissions from the old days, I sometimes do with trepidation and mixed feelings. More than once it just happens that I´am no longer completely satisfied. These works I will not show you of course, haha! But occasionally I see something and I think: Not that bad.
I am a portrait painter you know by now. The last twenty-five years I have dedicated almost exclusively to this specialization. I have really enjoyed my job and thank goodness, I’ve always had plenty of commissions. And I´ll continue of course, as well as keep creating video tutorials about portrait painting and everything that comes with that.
I used to make detailed, preparative studies in oils for my portrait commissions. I stopped gradually. Along the way I realized I was putting my best energy in a study. By the time I made the real painting it sometimes seemed as if I was repeating myself. Norman Rockwell writes: “Be careful not to carry the colour sketch so far that there will be no fun left in the final job. ( ) I have often made the mistake of carrying the sketch too far, wearing out my enthusiasm before I get to the final job”. Continue reading “Portrait painting and sketching”
Protection of an oil painting.
When the portrait is dry to the touch, it is advisable to apply a coat of retouch varnish. For two reasons.
Continue reading “Portrait painting lessons (10) after treatment”
During the individual classes I always can rely on Luis, my favorite model for live sessions.
Here is my demo for today.
