Painting Portrait Tips / Lots of information about how to paint a portrait
Last week I told you about the female nude commissions. And, I wrote that only during the photo session does it become clear how the model will be depicted. This post is again about Improvising and portrait painting. Continue reading “Improvising and portrait painting”
It’s not always that bad staying away from home for a while. No homesickness, but nevertheless…
On return I appreciate my everyday environment even more. I see it all with a renewed look.
Early in the morning, before the day begins, I help my wife in the kitchen garden. And it will be clear, when you see this picture, how privileged we are living in this beautiful environment. You can imagine how happy I am, being back home again.
Pretty soon I will take in hand my brushes to start afresh.
Usually I start by clearing my studio space. Clean everything really well. Checked all paint and canvases. I see this activity as starting the engine. I enjoy fiddling in my studio before the real work begins.
Let me start with a quote of the famous Art teacher Robert Henri form his book The Art Spirit:
“Better paint the gesture of the hand than the hand”.
I love to paint hands and this fantastic phrase animates me once again to show the expression of the hand.
Painting hands in oil paint. Many people think that a painted portrait is just only about the face. Of course it is more than that. Hands can belong just as well to the whole image. Hereto the hands of a commission that I have on my easel now. When the portrait is delivered, and I have the permission of the client, I’ll show you the whole painting. Continue reading “Painting hands in oil paint”
Sometimes I see students paint with miserable brushes because of slackness or just stinginess. A Very Bad Habit!
In my studio I have a brushes’ grave yard.
– Why not throw them all away?
– I can´t do that. They have served me faithfully.
– But they are far from being worn!
– No, but they are not good enough anymore.
Actually I should not think of a cemetery, let me call it a brushes retirement home. Sometimes I take some brushes out of that stock and I try them again, but I have to conclude that they are turned down for some reason.
What standards must a good brush meet?
Continue reading “Portrait painting lessons (3) about brushes”
This is the first of a series of 10 blog-posts, in which I will discuss ten of the most common pitfalls in portrait painting. I will publish every fortnight on each topic. Continue reading “About photography”
By means of this image I want to explain something that I do often.
In this portrait the light source comes from the top left. Consequently the shadow on the face is on the right side, on the chin. Sometimes it works well to have a high contrast in the values between the cast shadow and the background. That means I make this part of the background a lot lighter than the rest of the area.
When teaching I explain it this way: It’s possible to give a portrait some fresh air.
I have never been very stocky and my weight has never made me any concern. But now I see the studies that I made in front of the mirror when I was twenty years old, I do see a very skinny body. However, I could see enough muscles to name them.
I will not reveal my actual weight…
I’ve never been very stocky and my weight has never made me any concern.
But now I see the studies that I made in front of the mirror when I was twenty years old, I do see a very skinny body. However, I could see enough muscles to name them.
I will not reveal my actual weight…
“If you are self-employed, do you need a lot of self-discipline?” someone asked me a long time ago. “Of course!” was my answer, “because you need to know when to stop.” Unless you pay attention, you find yourself day and night behind the easel. I have had to think of that now I am seized with “watercolour fever”.
Two weeks ago I wrote you about a commission in watercolour. I finished the job but I could not shake myself free of watercolours as they captivated me. I attacked (after Van Gogh) a number of portraits in this beautiful technique. The working method in watercolour is opposed to that of oil. In oil you immediately start with the darkest parts, then the half tones and finally the lights. On the contrary, in watercolour you start with the light areas, (saving the high lights). Then the halftones and finally the darkest parts.
Already people have asked me for a tutorial and I have put it on the agenda for next year. Next post will be on the preparations for a watercolour portrait.
The colours on my palette:
I prefer to work on Arches France, Bockingford or Fabriano paper.
It’s been a long time since I made a commissioned portrait in watercolour. The technique is so different from oils that I need to change my mind substantially. I love this technique but I do it too little. So, today one of my good intentions: at least one portrait per month in watercolour. When the client gives me permission I will show you the end result.
I used watercolour: Rembrandt / Talens. Paper: Arches / France