10 dos and don´ts in portrait painting

Portrait painting techniques

Based on some portraits that I am currently working on, I explain some dos and don’ts in portrait painting technique. Of course I have to say my 10 dos and don´ts. So to say my painting style.

Portrait painting techniques I

1. The two skin folds around the mouth, I make them lighter in tonal value and warmer in hue.

2. I show as few as possible individual teeth. I smooth the contrasts there.

3.  I NEVER use Blue or Black to indicate the contrasts in the mouth. Those two never match with the adjacent areas and make the portrait unbelievable. I normally use a combination of Crimson and Raw Umber.

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Portrait painting techniques II

4. I avoid “blending” as much as possible. I am looking for “connecting” brushstrokes.

5. I use as many recognizable colours as possible. So not a kind of general brown in the shadows areas or a general flesh tone in the light areas.

6. I try to render as little as possible the details. (Photorealism is not my cup of tea, you may know by now). Especially around the eyes but also with the mouth. I endeavour to translate what I see into brushstrokes.

Portrait painting techniques III

9. I always keep the hairline as soft as possible by blurring it into the background.

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Portrait painting techniques IV

If the model wears glasses then I don´t paint them perfectly. I paint “around the truth”. Otherwise the risk is that you first see the glasses and second the face.

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Read also this post.

And this one.