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Oil THEORY INGREDIENTS TECHNIQUES ANALYSIS

Painting SITEPLAN

Techniques
Portrait
Paintingin
Oils

PORTRAIT PAINTING
IN OILS

LAYERED PAINTING PaintingPortraits:


Principles
OLD MASTER
APPROACHES

DARK GROUNDS
Portraitshavebeenpaintedformanyreasons,to:
LIGHT GROUNDS

DIRECT PAINTING 1.Achievealikenessofthesitter'sfeatures.


STILL LIFE 2.Preservetheidentityofsomeoneforfuturegenerations,
FLOWERS particularlybeforetheadventofphotography.
LIFE STUDIES
3.Createasouvenir,aloyalremembranceofsomeonenow
ELECTRONIC HELP
absentordead.
STARTING OFF
PAINTING CLASSES 4.Establishapublicimage,emphasizingthe
ART HOLIDAYS sitter'sstatus,fashionablelooksorpersonal
NEW SETTINGS qualities.
FRAMING
5.Recordtheartist'sresponsetotheliving
SELF EVALUATION
presenceofthesubject.
SELLING

6.Representtheessentialdignityornobilityofthehuman
subject.

7.Recreateinacontemporarysettingthenormsofclassical
portraiture.

8.Explorethepersonality,psychologyorinwardqualities
ofthesitter.

9.Developorextendthenecessarypaintingskills.

Theaimsarefarfromexclusive,andportraitpaintings
todaywillbebalancingmanyoftheseaimsagainstthefee
andexpectationsoftheclient.

PaintingaPortrait:Some
GeneralAdvice
Mostportraitartistsbeginwithdrawingsof
thesitter.Thesedonotsupersede
photographs,butaregenerallypreferredas
theveryactofdrawingrequirestheartistto
studyandunderstandwhatheisseeing.Nonetheless,there
canbeproblems.Somedrawingswillcomeoffstraight
away,butmanyonlyafteragreatdealofeffort,andon
occasionsnothingseemstogivealikeness.Forthatreason,
somepainters,particularlythemoreexperienced,begin
immediatelyontheoilportrait.Bymovingfromgeneral
appearancetotellingdetailstheyavoidproducinga
photographicallycorrectbutfacile/bland/unilluminating
facsimileofthesubject.Somegeneralhints:

1.Usetheappropriatemediuminpreliminarywork:pencils
forasmalland/ordetailedsketch,chalksorcontforthe
broadersketch.

2.Ensurethelightinghelpstogivestrength,solidityand
charactertotheface.Itisverydifficulttocaptureafullface
likenessifthelightingandfeaturesaresuchthatthe
featuresarenottightlyorganizedbystructure.Eyesand
mouththat'float'inasoftwoman'sfacewhereyoucannot
putmuscles,wrinklesandshadowsareparticularly
difficult.Avoidfullfaceifyoucan.

3.Nevermakethefacefullsize.Twothirdsisthenormal
limitandhalfsizeissafer.Toolargeapaperorcanvassize
leaveswidespaceswhicharedifficulttofill,andinwhichit
isdifficulttoplacefeaturesaccurately.

4.Closenesstomodelisimportant.Manyexpressivedetails
ofeyefoldsandmoutharelostafewfeetfurtherout.

5.It'susuallybesttoblockinthebroadtonalorstructural
massesandthenfollowindetailwiththeeyesandnose.
Thetrianglebetweeneyesandtipofnoseisauseful
reference.

Portraits:Paintingona
DarkGround
Solomon{5}suggeststhesestepsfor
portraitpainting:

1.Makeanaccuratesketchincharcoal.
Ensurethisiscorrect.

2.Modeltonesonlyinturpsthinnedrawumberandwhite.

3.Repeatstage2severaltimesuntilmodelingiscorrect.
Eachattemptshouldcompletelybutthinlycoverthe
previous.Payattentiontohardandsoftedges,skinover
boneandpulpinesselsewhere.Toneshouldbeappreciably
lighterthanintendedresultdarkgroundstendtoabsorb
midtonesanddarkenwithage.)

4.Drythoroughly.

5.PaintshadowsinamixtureofIndianredandblack,
highlightswithstiffwhite,andintermediatetoneswitha
mixtureofthesecolorsmodifiedwithacobaltoravery
littlechromiumoxidegreen.

6.Drythoroughly.

7.Glazeand/orscumblethisgrisaillewithredandyellow
pigments,eitherinoil,oroilandglazesmixed.

Portraits:Paintingona
TonedGround
Thefollowingapproachismoregeneral,andemphasizes
theneedtoa.workouteverythinginadvanceandb.
undertakeoilsketchestosolvesproblemsastheyarise.

1.Preparegroundproperly:absorbentifyouareusing
muchmediumwithpaint,lessabsorbentifyou'reusing
glazingapproach.Grays,greens,pinks,brownsandbuffs
colorsarebest,allpale.

2.Decidecompositionbeforehand,eitherbyroughingout
incharcoalorbytonaldrawings.

3.Workoutpalettepriortopaintinganything,anddecide
inthisorder:skintones,thenhair,thenclothesandfinally
background.Adjusttone/hue/purityofcolorinclothesas
necessary.Youmayneedtomakemanyoilsketchesto
harmonizeeverything.

4.Uselateralfrontallighting.Shadowpatternshouldaid
composition.

5.Ensuremovementofbodydoesnotfollowthatofhead.

6.Makebackgroundsomeneutralcolor,notnecessarily
darkerthanshadowsofhead.

PortraitsinOil:Specific
Hints
Thereisno"correct"approach,butmany
authoritiessuggestsomethinglikethis:

1.Paintshadowstodefinebroadstructure,
startingwithnose.

2.Lowervalueinlowerhalfoflightedareatohelp
highlightsabove.

3.Makemuzzleareathesamecolorasrestoffleshbut
cooler.

4.Addtouchofcolorwhereshadowmeetslight.
5.TryVenetianredasalternativetorawsiennawhichloses
intensitywithwhite.Painthandsetc.withthesetwocolors
andwhite.

6.Usecadmiumcolorsforfaircomplexions,andearth
colorsforswarthy.

7.Shadowsshouldbesimilartobackgroundcolors.

8.Addbackgroundcolorstofleshtonestomakearea
recede.

9.Tonalrangeofhair(lighttodark)isoftenthatofeye
(highlighttopupil).

10.Highlightspickupstructuresandhavetoendonthem.

11.Startwithshadowareas.Cadmiumswithblack/cobalt
blue/ultramarineandumbermakegoodshadows.Deepen
shadowsiffacelacksstructure.

12.Breakthefaceintoplanes,assigntonesofonehueto
theseplanesandpaintthemsimply.

13.Warmskinareasalwayshavealittlecoolcolor,andvice
versa.Butkeepthelightareasandtheshadowsdistinct.

14.Thickfleshareasarewarmandboneareasarecool.

15.Bringcheeksandchinforwardwithwarmcolors

16.Createwarmbackgroundsbytakingshadowcolorand
bothlightenitsvalueandweakenitsintensity/purity.

17.Createcoolbackgroundbychoosingthecooledgray
colorthatwillrepresenttheturningplanesofyourobject.
Coolwithraworburntumberorwithalittlecobaltblue.

18.Don'tletbackgroundsoverpowersubject:makethem
moreneutraltomakesubjectcomeforward.
Portraits:Palette
Manymixturesarerecommended,butit's
essentialnottomixmorethanthree
pigmentspluswhiteifbrilliancyistobe
retained.Alittleblendingisacceptablebut
muchbetteristoapplypatchesofpaintwithflatorfilbert
brushesandleavealone.Rememberthatshadowareasare
anextensionofthelitside,sousethesameingredientsbut
varyproportionsslightly.

Abbreviationsinthemixturesthatfolloware:

TitaniumWhite=WCad.LightYellow=yCad.Yellow=Y
Cad.LightRed=rCad.DeepRed=RCobaltBlue=b
Ultramarine=BViridian=VRawSienna=sBurntSienna
=SRawUmber=uBurntUmber=ULightRed=LYellow
Ochre=OPhaloBlue=PPermanentRose=MNaples
Yellow=NVenetianRed=E

Thesearesomerecommendationsinbooksdevotedtothe
artofportraiture.

BasicOilPainting
Generalcomplexions:W+s+L+b

Softergeneralcomplexions:W+s+V+b

Children'scomplexions:W+N+L+V

Mediumdark(yellow)complexions:W+O+S+B

Mediumtodarkcomplexions:W+s+M+b

Redhair:W+O+S+M+b

Darkbrownhair:W+O+U+B

Blackhair:B+M+U
Grayhair:W+u+b

Parramon
ThesearetakenfromParramon'scolor
schemes.

'WarmFleshTints'

OrdinarylitareasW+y+r+M+b

Lowerlip&rosyareasW+y+r

HighlightsW+r+y

StubbleW+P+Y+M

BluetingedshadowsW+PY+M

Basicshadowr+O+Y+P+W

Darkershadowr+O+Y+PM+W

UpperlipM+V

EyebrowsM+U+PV

Co'ldFleshTints'

OrdinarylitareasW+yO+M+V

Lowerlip&rosyareasW+yO+M+V

LightluminousfleshW+yO+V

StubbleW+yO+M+V

BluetingedshadowsW+b+O+M+S

BasicshadowY+O+V+M+W

DarkershadowV+W+M
UpperlipY+O+V+W

EyebrowsM+V+P/S

AngelaGair
Someofthesemayapplybetterto
watercolors.Experiment.

Palecomplexions:W+O+M

PinkercomplexionsW+O+M+b

PaleorangepinkcomplexionsW+O+M

GoldencomplexionsW+S+OV

Mediterraneancomplexions:W+O+S+b

Browncomplexions:W+S+O+M

Chinese/yellowcomplexions:W+O+V+S

Deeperbrowncomplexions:W+U+S+P

RichbrowncomplexionsW+S+b

ColdblackcomplexionsW+U+P

WarmblackcomplexionsW+U+P+M

FurtherReading
1.'StepbyStepArtSchools:Portraits'byJackBuchan&
JonathanBaker.Hamlyn.2001.Notfortheprofessional
oradvancedamateurpainter,butagoodintroduction
portraitpaintingtechniques.

2.'HowtoPaintPortraits'byJosParramon.Watson
Guptill.1988.Simpleandpractical.

3.'PaintingBeautifulSkinToneswithColorandLightin
Oil,PastelandWatercolor'byChrisSaper.Northern
LightBooks.2001.

4.'CompletePortraitPaintingCourse'byAngelaGair.
RandomHouse.1990

5.'ThePracticeofOilPaintingandDrawing'.S.J.
Solomon.Seeley.1910.

6.'ANewShortDemo'.PortraitPaintingTips.A
professionalpainter'sblog.

7.HowtoPaintaPortraitWithOilbyMarvinMattelson.
ArtistNetwork.Stepwiseapproachfromdrawing.

8.'AStrokeofGenius'.PortraitArtist.Agoodselection
ofportraitartists'sworksince1996.

Videos
Learnhowtopaintaportrait,portraitpaintingdemoby
BenLustenhouwer
Learn how to paint a portrait, portrait painting demo by ...

PaintingthePortrait

Painting the Portrait

Clipsfrom"PaintingPortraitsbyMarkCarder"
clips from "Painting Portraits by Mark Carder"

Speedpainting,portraitofCarolbyLouisSmith

Speed Painting, Carol by Louis Smith (art classes,cours...

PortraitPaintingofBreyonAustin
Portrait Painting of Breyon Austin

PortraitPaintinginOil,Paintaportraitwithoutdrawing.
Part1/4

Portrait Painting in Oil, Paint a portrait without drawing....

PaintingPortraitAllaPrimaSeanCheetham
Painting Portrait - Alla Prima - Sean Cheetham

PaintingOilPortraitswithaLimitedPalettewithJoy
Thomas

(Preview) Painting Oil Portraits with a Limited Palette w...

PaintingaPortrait
Painting a Portrait

SpeedPaintingoilportraitbyPeterCampbell

Learnhowtomakefleshcolorsinstruction.
Time-lapse how to make esh colours.

OilPaintingTechniques:HowtoMixOilPaintColors

Oil Painting Techniques : How to Mix Oil Paint Colors

Illustrations
14a.'SelfPortrait'byRembrandtvanRijn.1640.The
NationalGallery.London.Thesimplestofcolorschemes,
butsuperbcontroloftonesandgreatvarietyintexture,line
andshapes.
14b.'TheArtistandhisWifeinaHoneysuckleBower'by
PeterPaulRubens.160910.AltePinakothek.Munich.
Rubens'weddingportrait:acarefullyfinishedpiecewith
formssmoothlymodelledinthinpaintappliedoverdark
underpainting.Colorssubdued,indeedrathermuddy.
14c.'InsaneWoman'byThodoreGricault.18223.Muse
desBeauxArts.Lyon.Anotherportraitoflimitedcolor
range,butpowerfullydescriptivebrushwork.
14d.'MonsieurBertinL'Aine'byJeanAugusteDominique
Ingres.1832.MuseduLouvre.Paris.Analogousredand
redorangethroughout,buttonecontrol,sinewystrengthof
linesandrhythmicrepetitionsmakethisapowerfulwork.
14e.'TheDayDream'byDanteGabrielRossetti.1880.
VictoriaandAlbertMuseum.London.Adecorativepiece
builtonredgreencomplementaries.
14f.'HenryJames'byJohnSingerSargent.1913.National
PortraitGallery.London.Restrictedpaletteandbravura
brushwork.
14g.'SomersetMaugham'byGrahamSutherland.1949.
TheTateGallery.London.Asplitanalogouscomposition
(bluegrayintrousers)withfacialfeaturesrepeatedin
jacketandscarf

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