This blog is about portrait painting techniques, with articles about how to paint portraits. There are also articles about other subjects in art, including color theory and painting landscapes.
How to Do Portrait Painting is a blog that has articles about how to paint portraits. It also has articles about other subjects in art, including color theory and painting landscapes.
How to Do Portrait Painting is a blog that has articles about how to paint portraits. It also has articles about other subjects in art, including color theory and painting landscapes.
How to Do Portrait Painting is a blog that has articles about how to paint portraits. It also has articles about other subjects in art, including color theory and painting landscapes.
How to Do Portrait Painting is a blog that has articles about how to paint portraits. It also has articles about other subjects in art, including color theory and painting landscapes.
How to Do Portrait Painting is a blog that has articles about how to paint portraits. It also has articles about other subjects in art, including color theory and painting landscapes.
I see you are new here. Welcome to Mona Lisa 101. You asked:
I have been wanting to learn how to paint portraits, but I have no idea where to start. Do you have any suggestions?
For a great place to start, try our portrait painting techniques blog posts. This is a great way to get a quick introduction to portrait painting techniques and the basic supplies you’ll need.
The most important point of all to remember is that it’s not the portrait that matters, it’s the person in front of you. It’s a piece of their journey through life and you are honored to be asked to capture some part of it.
I’ve painted over 150 portraits and I’m still learning every day. I’m always surprised at what a gift it is and how much I learn from each sitter. Once you get started, don’t worry about being perfect. Each time you paint you will learn something new and that will become your new technique for the next portrait. Learn from each sitting, then go for your next subject!
This blog is dedicated to sharing our knowledge and building a community of artists who are interested in painting people. Enjoy! -Bob Ross
A good portrait painter will usually have a good understanding of where to place the light sources in a painting. This is an important part of creating believable form.
The lighting will be different depending on whether you are outdoors or indoors, but there are also other considerations such as the time of day and the color of the walls.
When working from life it is important not only to pay attention to how the light falls on your subject, but also how it reflects off the surroundings. For example, what color are the walls? Is there a window nearby? What color is it? Are there any other people in the room with your model? How do they reflect light onto your subject? These things all influence how you should plan your lighting.
Mood is another consideration in choosing where to place your lights. If you are painting someone who is feeling sad or thoughtful, it’s best to have fewer bright areas and more shadows than if the person is having a happy moment or is in a playful mood.
For the most part, I am talking about portrait painting in acrylics. The following is a list of materials that I have found to be necessary for producing a professional oil painting.
1. palette knife
2. paint brushes of various sizes and shapes
3. two plastic trays in which to mix paints and keep the palette knife clean
4. palette paper
5. canvas or panel (canvas preferred)
6. varnish (preferably matte)
7. mediums
8. turpentine or mineral spirits for cleaning paint brushes
I’ve written about why I paint and how to do it before. But if you’re still not sure where to start, here’s a list of materials to buy.
Many of these can be found at art supply stores, but it’s often more affordable to buy them online.
You Will Need:
– Canvas — an inexpensive cotton canvas is fine. A standard size is 20″ by 16″, but larger rectangular canvases are also available and can be easier to work with.
– Brushes — the number you’ll need will depend on the size of your canvas, but this set includes all the basics you’ll need. You might also want a smaller set for detail work.
– Oil paints — I’ve used this brand and have been happy with it. Buy a starter set if this is your first time painting in oils. This set also comes with linseed oil, turpentine, and other useful supplies for working with oil paints, including palette knives for mixing colors (you can use your finger or a brush if you don’t want to buy one). The colors in the starter set are enough to get started, though you can add additional colors later if you want to experiment.
– A palette — I got mine from an art supply store
I am often asked by email and at workshops what materials do I use. Here is my answer:
I have been working as an artist for 34 years. I have used many brands of brushes, paper, paints, etc. In fact, I have used them all. However these are the ones that work best for me.
The brushes I use are Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Watercolor Brushes. I use
