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Things To Know Before You Paint Portraits
By Author1 | October 5, 2008
Portraits are a special kind of painting for the sole reason that you are painting a human being. The manner in which you lay-out the portrait can have a great impact on the quality of the work as a deformed person is an unhappy one. Learning how to paint portraits would mean a different curriculum than painting abstract or landscapes, so it is important that you know certain tips and techniques so that you have an idea on what to do and how to make your portrait the best it can be. A lot can be accomplished with just a handful of cheap modern art supplies and a vision of what you want.
To Study Your Muse…
Creating a likeness of someone entails looking at them closely to discover the traits that make them special. A vital component of this process is your own talent to observe, as you are charged with figuring out how to structure everything in order to really breathe life into the work. Do not attempt to get every last inch of the person you are painting onto the canvas. There is no need to reproduce each line or wrinkle. Pick out what is important and what stands out and use that as a strong point in your portrait.
To Paint a Person…
A lot of art students who learn to do portraits, whether with an oil or acrylic based paint set, have a problem with the skin of the subject. Another hurdle they have to get past is the delicate balance of light and shadow required to coax out the real beauty of the person. People are featured in several colors. That is why there isn’t one way to mix paint together and get the proper tone, and also what makes this a sticking point for those just starting out in portraiture. The best thing that you can do is to experiment and find out which mixture of colors would suit the subject’s skin color best. To completely capture someone’s likeness, you will also have to be able to draw areas of the face that may take time to perfect, such as the are right underneath your mouth. The only cure for these roadblocks is, once again, constant experimentation until you get to the point where you are comfortable enough to develop your very own way of capturing delicate features.
A Simple Backdrop May be Best…
Your subject might be sitting in front of something a little too busy. In the event that you want to include this backdrop in the painting, make certain that you don’t overdo it with the details, as it may draw the eye away from the intended target. Also, try as best as you can to manipulate the amount of light and shadow around the subject to add a more intense effect to your portrait. Just like in photography, if you know how to use light and shadow, your portraits will definitely have a much stronger effect on people than a portrait that is plainly the way it is with no touch of light whatsoever. Making this real impact on a viewer is what every artist strives to achieve, no matter what the chosen subject may be. It’s what makes creative endeavors so rewarding. Where else can you achieve such a response using nothing more than a quality cheap stretched canvas and a handful of other low-cost supplies.
Topics: Humanities | Comments Off
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