Portrait Painting, You Can Get Better Results Using These Two Simple Techniques

In the following article I am going to give two simple techniques to help you as an artist achieve accuracy in your portraiture. Sometimes as an artist you will start to evolve these techniques without even realising that you are using them, however, putting these techniques into words often helps the beginner.

The first technique is the application of negative shapes in your art. Essentially a negative shape is a shape formed around the head or body of a person that you can objectify. A classic negative shape would be the shape of the space between a body's arms and hips. Using negative shapes, you may see a curl of hair on the head you are painting. The curl of hair will interact with the background you are drawing. It may protrude into the spine of a book, half way up, on a bookcase behind the person you are drawing. As an artist it is easier for you to draw something you can define as an objective reality rather than something you feel emotionally about. So you would in this example draw the shapes formed between the bookcase, the head, the shoulders and the curl of hair. By drawing the negative shapes formed by the head and the bookcase accurately you will obtain a correct perspective and proportion for the head without even considering the head shape.

You can start to use negative shapes within the structure of the face and head as well. Take the effect of light for example. It is always good for an artist to draw a portrait in good directional light which casts shadows. This makes form much easier to see and define than a soft non directional light source. In directional light there will be shadows cast around the nose, around the forehead and the eyes. Start to look at the shadows and consider their shapes. Again by using this technique we are removing emotion from our work and making it easy to see an objective reality. The shadow cast by light on an eye often takes the shape of a triangle with one side flat down the side of the nose. Study and draw the triangle and not the eye. If this is correct then the proportions of the eye will start to fall into place without any worry on your part that you are not getting the shape quite right.

The second simple technique I would like to give you to use is called plumbing. Plumbing is imagining a vertical line on your drawing. You can if you wish lightly draw a vertical line to assist you further. For example imagine a vertical line from the outside corner of an eye. Follow this down. How near would this line approach the corner of the mouth. This technique is most useful if you are drawing or painting a head which is inclined from the vertical. It is also much more real for the viewer to see a head inclined slightly in thought than held erect like a statue.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this short article and if you start to use these two simple techniques you will be pleasantly surprised at the results you start to achieve.

Mark Robb is a practising artist based in Haworth. If you have enjoyed the article above then he invites you to browse the website http://firstforart.com/ where you will find all kinds of art materials, art prints and further advice and tips to help you become a better artist

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Portrait Painting Artists Sketch Faces

The first and most important step in portrait painting is to draw many sketches until you feel the sitter's personality is captured. The personality may be completely captured by your judgment call or reviewed by the sitter and both of you settle on an agreed decision. Use a live model to pose for you. This is portrait sketching at its best. A photo may substitute should you not be able to get anyone to pose.

The purpose of sketching faces is to outline general features; then detail and refine. I had a personal experience which taught me a lesson. Before completing your portrait painting check with your client to be sure the sitter is in agreement.

Why?

I had described exactly how I wanted my portrait to be done and I asked the portrait painting artist if she could do it. If it was not within her talent range to give me what I wanted, do not take the job. She said she could it. We agreed to 50% down and 50% on completion.

She completed the portrait. I was very disappointed as she did not fulfill my requirements. I refused to pay the balance of the agreed amount. I was very angry. I lost my money, but more importantly the portrait never got done.

Till today, I truly feel that if the artist had me review her work as she progressed with the portrait we would have both been very happy. She would have had her money, I would have had my portrait, and I would have done much advertising for her.

Artists may have their tempers, but the paying customer has their rights to the best product that an artist can produce. Artists like any other business person needs to give good customer service.

Thank you for listening to me. Let's go back to being a portrait artist.

Let us take a moment to reflect and think. It was not uncommon years ago for a person to be painted surrounded by those effects which defined the individual. For instance, if the person was a hunter, there would be dogs nearby. If the person enjoyed gardening, he or she would be surrounded by their flowers.

A decision needs to be made if there is to be a background or not for the person you are sketching for a portrait.

This should be an easy decision:
A significant background symbol representing their interestsWearing apparel which identifies the personA piece of jewelry which marks their identityAn emblem or medals signifying their accomplishmentsBirthmarks or tattoos

The personality of the sitter needs to be captured on canvas with or without a significant symbol. If using symbols, do not let them take away from the sitter. The person is the focus point on the canvas.

After making portrait sketches consider where light and shadow will be noted in the portrait. Light and shadow are critical for emphasizing or de-emphasizing facial lines and expressions.

What size will you be drawing and painting? A standard rule says the subject should be 2/3 of the canvas.

Mixing flesh tones:

The complexion of the human face has many colors. Experiment with pigments to get different shades of flesh tones.

When I do get what I consider the 'correct' shade I make extra and store appropriately or write the formula in a notebook so it may be mixed again when needed. It is not necessary to purchase flesh tinted paint.

It will take time and practice to become a good portrait artist, but it can be done. Find yourself a mentor who will be a great help to you. Learn all that you can from that person but at the same time your experiments and personal experiences will lend towards original works.

For more information to improve your portrait painting artist skills visit the hobbies section at http://www.Infotrish.com and review Portrait Painting with Acrylic & Oil Paint.

Tricia Deed, writer for http://www.infotrish.com/ brings you through internet marketing hobbies for your leisure, recreation, and business opportunities. I invite you to visit my web pages to review the various hobby companies. Do take advantage of their free giveaways.

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