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.
Portrait painting business: Above an image from long time ago when I just started my career as a commissioned portrait painter.
For those who would love to do portrait painting on a commission basis, once again, I want to give some advice. The most important thing I must say is: Make sure you’re good enough. Continue reading “Portrait painting business”
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”
Lighting a model for portrait painting. One can illuminate a portrait in many ways. There is not only one correct lighting. However, as we study with a live model in my studio, once a week with a number of fellow artists, I prefer a simple set-up: one single light source directly above the head of the model.
When I worked this week on a quick sketch of this portrait, again it came to mind how often I see students paint almost without any paint on the canvas. Far too thin and almost transparent. Continue reading “Portrait painters: use more paint!”
If you have the intention to start working from life model try to find some friends to join you and agree a fixed day and hour in the week. It is good to have some obligation.
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:
During the individual classes I always can rely on Luis, my favorite model for live sessions.
Here is my demo for today.
In this short portrait portrait painting from life, underpainting, demonstration video I only use raw umber.
If you have the opportunity to paint from observation you should do so as much as possible.
To begin with, I give the entire canvas a very thin wash of raw umber with standard painting medium.
Then, using a flat synthetic brush I put down the first contours. I determine where the eyes, nose and mouth are.
Continue reading “Portrait painting from life, underpainting”
Portrait painting in oil: A quick approach in colour from a live model.
