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.
Standard planes and proportions.
There are countless examples of how a face can be divided into a number of equal parts. Also regarding to the many planes of the head, there are a number of standard forms. This is what Bridgman says in his Complete Guide to Drawing from Life:
´At first the study of heads should be in the abstract, that is, we should forget everything that distinguishes one head from another and think of the masses common to all heads´
For anyone who wants to learn portrait painting seriously, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. If you don’t want to buy this book you can search the Internet for “Planes of the head”. It is really important to become familiar with these standard dimensions and surfaces.”But not one face is like the other!” you might say. That is precisely why it is important to understand these basics and to get the feeling of how and where they deviate from the standard.
Ask models to sit for you.
It is also of great importance to study from life. Try to get family, friends and neighbors to pose. Do not try to make a piece of art. See it as study material, just as an athlete does his workout.
Look on the internet.
When it is difficult to find a model, the internet is also a fantastic solution. Search for “faces” and you get a source of examples from which you can choose.
If you think that I myself already know everything, then you are wrong.
Hi Ben,
Dank je voor deze instructive post!
Een heel goede reminder!!
Klein vraagje: Hoe hoog is het podiumpje waar het model op zit?
Bij voorbaat dank en hartelijke groet,
Joke
Mijn podium is 35 cm hoog, 75 cm breed en 90 cm diep. Kijk even goed naar de foto: ik heb een latje rondom zodat een stoel niet zomaar van de rand afkukelt. Groet
Hello Ben. Thank you so much for this wonderful, common sense and down to earth approach to portraiture, which I’ve struggled with all my life, making all the mistakes of the amateur you’ve outlined. I paint dotted landscapes in acrylics, but a lovely email friend in Chicago lost a life-long friend to cancer, and she was devastated. I said I’d have a go at doing a portrait from a small grainy image of a 1950’s photo of them as 5 year olds, but have struggled to realize the image in colour. Your tips have given me the knowledge I need to do a better interpretation as a gift to someone who has been a wonderful mentor and friend for the past 10 years, but whom I’ve never met.
Hello Ben. Thanks for this down to earth and practical guide to portraiture. I paint dotted landscapes in acrylic, but an email friend in Chicago lost a life long friend to cancer, so I said I’d have a go at doing a dual portrait of them as 5 year old children from a grainy copy of a black and white 1950’s photo. I’ve made all the mistakes you’ve mentioned, but now I have a better understanding of what I need to do to realize that image in colour. You’ve answered all my prayers!!