Painting Portrait Tips / Lots of information about how to paint a portrait
Develop your drawing skills.
In order to learn portrait painting properly, it is essential to develop your drawing skills. Actually that applies to all forms of realistic art. I had the good fortune to have had an excellent drawing training at a young age. However, I know that many of you do not.
There are countless ways how to start a portrait in oil.
I have already made a video on Youtube with four different options. Three of these are based on copying a photograph in one way or another. Continue reading “How to start a portrait in oil paint”
These days, around the end of the year, Helma and I are busy clearing the attic. The plan is to make large cabinets with plenty of storage space. I am already looking forward to the carpentry because it has been a while since I have held a saw, hammer or chisel. Continue reading “Portrait painter, be professional, find a gallery”
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”
When I was 11 years old I received my first drawing lessons from Beatus Nijs. I´ve written about him before. To him I owe much of the success of my entire career. He was like a father to me. He encouraged me enormously and made me draw everything that was available. He once gave me a table leg to study as homework. I found a drawing pad of mine from 1964 with this pencil drawing. I was 13 years old. If you look closely you can see on the right side Beatus´ drawing correction. Continue reading “I loved all kinds of drawing”
If you don´t have the opportunity to study from live nude models, the internet provides a great solution. Search for “nude models for artists”. It’s obviously not the same as far as spatial perception, but it is excellent to study proportions, masses, light and shade etc. of the human figure. It has never been so easy. I wonder what, for example Peter Paul Rubens would have said if he could have seen us studying this way! See also this post that I wrote about portraits models.
There ain´t no cure for drawing, making doodles every lost moment. Thoughtlessly drawing, that is what doodles sketches is about.
If there is no pencil and paper near the phone, I cannot have a long conversation. I know: Drawing is a disease.
“I draw like other people bite their nails” (Pablo Picasso)
Above one of my long-call telephone doodles.
Changing my habit: portrait drawing in charcoal.
As I mentioned earlier we get together every week to work from life. We ask people in the neighborhood to model. There will come a day when we shall have “done” half the village. This time I decided to work in charcoal and not in oils. I haven´t done this for ages and once again I’m surprised how much I enjoy this. (1,5 hour session)
I used Winsor & Newton Artist’s charcoal, thin and medium, Fabriano drawing paper 120g / m2 – 24 x 32 cm, Faber-Castell Art Eraser (kneaded rubber eraser) and some brushes for blending.