Learn how to start a portrait in oil.
In this video demonstration I show how to start a portrait in oil paint, this time from observation, and based on photography.
I use high quality oil prepared canvas. In advance I applied two extra layers of oil painting primer. I made it off-white, adding a small amount of oil paint: ivory black and yellow ochre. Now, after two days, the surface is perfectly dry. For sketching I use charcoal because it is easy to erase. I love that material!
I start by drawing the vertical center line of the face which is a slightly inclined. Measuring with the compass, from the top to the chin I transfer the maximum length of the face. And from the bottom upward, I find the marker points of the lips, the nose, the eyes and the hairline. I make a horizontal centre line that intersects the center of the eyes, and mark the width of the face and the ears. After drawing the contours I complete the drawing with the features. I take the mirror and I see the drawing and the photograph at the same time. Mirrored I can judge more easy the entire proportion and the separate details. Try it yourself and you will never work without a mirror anymore!
When I am satisfied I make the underpainting in oils: raw umber. If the charcoal bothers me, I sweep it away with my finger. I did not fix the drawing, but of course you can do if you think it necessary. In the beginning I don´t use any medium. Later I block in the large areas with a bigger brush and I dilute the paint with citrus turpentine. And during the entire progress I keep checking the proportions.
After one or two days the underpainting is dry enough to start the real oil painting.
Hi again Ben,is it possible to buy the actual dvd rather than downloading it on the net ?, I live in Australia and wondered if the dvd can be bought here or ordered from overseas.
Thank You , Den Dewson.
Hi Den. Yes I can send you a physical dvd. I will write you an email.
Hello sir,
I’m following your blog recently and already got to learn a lot from your tips.
I have two question –
1. I did not understand well the requirement of the mirror. Can you please explain it?
2. You said you use charcoal because it’s easy to erase… I also tried to draw with a charcoal pencil and and a compressed charcoal crayon, but whenever I tried to erase it with an rubber-eraser, it just gets messy… both on paper and canvas. I dont understand why.
Is my canvas a problem, the primer? or the charcoal and eraser?
The canvas is board canvas and primed with 2 layers of gesso.
When drawing your brain is getting more and more used to what you have drawn. And that makes it harder to judge likeness.
Looking in the mirror you see the portrait and the painting at the same time and it makes it easier to see mistakes.
Charcoal behaves different on each surface. Erasing large areas make muddy surfaces so use the rubber only for the highlights.
Whipe off with a birds-wing or tissue for instance is the other option.
Kind regards.
Ah I see. Thank you a lot for clearing things up.