Over the past week, my focus has been solely on utilizing watercolour as my medium of choice, with portraits remaining the predominant subject matter.
Step 1
I lightly outlined the key features of the portrait using a soft pencil on watercolour paper that had been stretched.
Tip - if you use a watercolour pencil you will find the lines will blend seamlessly with the layers of watercolour that are added
Step 2
I mixed a generous amount of skin tone colour to apply as a first wash. Allow the first wash and all subsequent washes to fully dry before applying more paint.
Tip - Leave some white areas in the first wash to indicate the lightest areas of the portrait
Step 3
A stronger tone of skin colour was applied to the areas requiring mid tones.
Tip - Introducing a colour which is not normally associated with skin colours can add an element of interest and depth to the portrait. I introduced green into the areas which would be most in shadow.
Step 4
Continue to build layers using strong mixes of skin tone and apply to the darkest areas. I continued to add more and more layers until the darkest tones were achieved.
Tip - Include "lost and found" edges to add interest ie blend some lines and leave others as hard lines.
Step 5
The finished painting.
Tip - I will often set aside a painting for a day or two and re-visit it with fresh eyes; this often lets me see more quickly any errors that need correctly or areas that require further work.
Hope you have enjoyed seeing the process I use to paint a portrait. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have.
Another John Singer Sargent quote which I hope does not apply above:
"A portrait is a painting with something wrong with the mouth"
Until next time,
AW
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