Portrait with oil paints for beginners. How to draw a portrait with watercolors How to draw a portrait of a person with acrylic paints step by step
Instructions
Make a sketch. If you are going to draw a portrait in watercolor, acrylic or gouache, you can draw a sketch with a simple pencil. Before working in color, the pencil lines will need to be made lighter using an eraser. If you prefer tempera or oil paints, the painting will have to start with an underpainting. Make a sketch on a separate sheet, calculate the proportions of the person. Transfer these calculations to paper or canvas.
Make the underpainting for a tempera portrait with the shade of tempera that is present in all elements of the drawing. The shade should be light so that it can later be enhanced or covered up. For underpainting it will be more convenient to do it with acrylic paints. Outline the basic shapes of the figure and apply a drop shadow.
The way you work in color depends on the paint you choose. If it is watercolor, diluted acrylic or gouache, you need to paint over the drawing with wide fills. Start with areas of the body that are not covered by clothing. Determine the lightest shade that is visible on the skin. Mix the same in the palette. Try to immediately mix enough paint so that there is enough for the drawing and you do not have to re-select the color combination.
Then create a shade of shadow on the skin. Using a wide brush, spread the first color over the design. When it dries a little, apply shadow spots. Fill the person’s clothes in the same way. After this, paint the face using smaller brushes. Do not draw the face completely; just apply the main shade and partial shade on the cheeks, temples, chin, and near the bridge of the nose.
Take thin brushes and draw all the penumbra and your own shadows on the person’s torso and head. In this case, it is important not only to convey the shape of the body, but also to take into account the change in shades of both clothing and skin. They affect each other's coloring, so on a red shirt, for example, the blue of the trousers will be noticeable in the shadows. And on your face there will be a warm reddish reflex from the shirt.
To make the drawing come alive, do not forget about the glare. They don’t always appear on the skin, but on the hair and eyes you should definitely leave an unpainted area of white paper.
When working with tempera, you will not have to create large fills, but work “from a piece”. That is, use small strokes to completely draw one area and only then move on to the next. If you are painting a person with oil paints, pay attention to the degree of transparency of the shades that you are going to mix. This information is on the paint packaging. This is especially important when choosing skin color - if you mix transparent paint with opaque paint, the color will turn out heavy and unnatural.
watercolor master class
« The only expression allowed in portraiture is expression that conveys character and moral qualities and no temporary, fleeting, accidental grimace"(E. Burne-Jones).
The PORTRET-ART workshop offers you a master class on drawing a portrait with watercolors.
To create a portrait we will need:
· Paper or cardboard
A watercolor portrait is made on special watercolor paper, pre-stretched on a stretcher. This paper comes in different types (you can find out more about this in any art store). Let's just say that the Portret-Art workshop recommends working on Torchon watercolor paper.
· Brushes - brushes should be made of natural materials (squirrel, mustel, badger or ferret)
· Sponge
· Pure water
And, directly, watercolor paint.
construction and technique
Before starting work, carefully study the photo. Always start building with the shape of the head, the oval of the face. First, determine the height (distance from the chin to the crown) and width of the head. Then you need to find the middle line, as a rule, this is the approximate line of the eyes (but not in my case, since a complex angle has been chosen and the reduction is in progress). Make the lines light, do not put pressure on the pencil (we recommend using a soft pencil), do not forget that the main work will be done with watercolor paint, obvious “black” lines can affect the accuracy and quality of your work.
After the line of the eyes is determined, we outline the lines of the nose, lips, eyebrows. We outline shadows and highlights. At this stage it is already possible to schematically show the shape of the nose, lips, eyebrows and eyes. Never start drawing a portrait with the eye, eyelashes and other small details - if you make a mistake (and everyone makes mistakes), it will be difficult to correct anything. With thin lines we are looking for shape.
The work is carried out by the general masses; we cannot get ahead of ourselves. We work with the proportions of the entire spot.
watercolor painting detail
Let's draw the details. This stage is the most difficult, since right now you need to achieve maximum similarity. It is important to convey the character of a person. The main thing is not to forget to take measurements to determine the relationship of certain parts to each other (see).
Now is the time to draw out all the small elements. In order not to overdo it with detail, you can squint while looking at the original image (photo, nature). Thus, you will see those important points that should be taken into account - the main large spots, facial features and lines. This will make your work easier. We do not forget to compare details all the time - we achieve accuracy.
We outline shadows and highlights.
Before moving on to this stage, you need to gain at least basic knowledge of pencil drawing and the anatomy of the human face.
for beginners
When all the construction is completed, you can begin preparing watercolor paint for work. Using a brush and clean water, wet each color (this will help you blend the colors faster as you work). However, this is done only for convenience.
We remove the auxiliary lines with nags or a grater.
Take a palette (paper, plastic or glass). Sometimes you need to use several types of palettes (for example, both plastic and paper) - such details come directly during work.
We advise you to start working with paint by laying out the shadows and dark areas of the portrait. Thus, the figure will immediately acquire volume. Take a thick brush (how thick depends on the format of your sheet), make large strokes, use more water (something like a wash). Keep in mind that when watercolor dries, it becomes lighter. As for color and its production, there are no specific rules. In general, watercolor painting loves individuality.
We pay attention to the darkest areas of the face, trying to get a three-dimensional image already at this stage.
finding color. working with planes
Now it's important to find the right color. Remember, watercolor is a watery paint. This is what makes watercolor paintings light and airy, but at the same time rich and bright. Therefore, when applying the first layers, add more water - this will help avoid the “dirty work” effect.
It is worth considering that white paint, the so-called whitewash, is not used in watercolor painting, although it exists in some palettes. The lightest areas and highlights are the white paper that you leave untouched. In art stores you can buy a certain composition that can be used to cover the highlights in the portrait and the paint simply will not stick to these places.
Over time, try to limit the number of colors in your palette - this will make your work more natural and light.
It is important to identify light spots on paper; they help us perceive planality and volume.
working with color
Of course, it is impossible to achieve realism by covering the skin of the face with one color. The more different shades, the better.
Do not proceed to the next layer without completely drying the previous one - this can lead to mixing of paints right on your work (although there is a similar “wet on wet” technique, but not about it now). The artists in our workshop use a hairdryer. In this case, you should not turn on the hair dryer at full power and bring it too close.
Remember - watercolor is friends with water. And if you made a mistake, went too far with the tone, too dark - a sponge and running water will always come to your aid. Rinse off boldly (but, of course, do not overdo it).
As for technology, it is different for everyone, their own. Even when trying to copy, individual notes will eventually be visible. It's a matter of experience.
You can correct your mistakes, but consistency is even more important; don’t dwell on the details of your face. Now we need to find a color.
preparation for detailing
At this stage, it is necessary to pay special attention to maintaining similarities with the original. Don’t forget to distract yourself from the portrait from time to time (move away, turn away), because if you sit for a long time at work, after a lot of time has passed, you will simply stop noticing your mistakes.
We begin to give tone to the eyes, lips, hair - we prepare the portrait for detailing. At this stage, as a rule, errors that were previously invisible become noticeable. We eliminate it if possible.
We determine the lightest and darkest places and work on them. Not only the copied facial features, but also the shape of the shadows will make your portrait look similar.
Nags remove unnecessary pencil lines.
We look more carefully at the darkest and lightest areas of the portrait, correct it, and draw in the details.
DETAILED drawing. shutdown
And finally, the most enjoyable part of the work is the detailed drawing. Now we can see: where the shadow should be darker, where the reflex is more pronounced, where there is not enough color, and so on. We finalize these points and pick up a thin brush (as thin as you like) and begin to draw small elements of the portrait, paying special attention to the eyes, eyelashes, and hair. We control the glare - without them the drawing will not be three-dimensional.
Do not forget that what is good in a photo is not always good in a watercolor painting. The same applies to nasolabial folds, facial and age wrinkles, and so on. Such nuances need to be looked at according to the situation. We focus on the eyes.
Adding a background. You can also darken the lower part of the portrait, and then all the focus will go to the face (but in our case, this is how the background works).
Now is the time to draw the smallest details of the portrait and achieve the final likeness. The background of a painting is underestimated; it often plays a decisive role in its perception.
A portrait will be the most original gift for your loved one.
Leave a request and the artist will contact you within an hour to discuss the details of the order.
With love and trepidation, Workshop
Despite the rapid development of photography, fine art still remains quite popular. It is extremely important to know how to draw a particular picture correctly. For example, a portrait with paints.
Many artists are familiar with the situation when a sketch created in pencil looks just perfect. But when it comes to coloring the sketch, things don't go as planned.
How to learn to draw a portrait of a person with paints?
Many people who are passionate about fine art are interested in how to paint a portrait. An important disadvantage is that strokes applied with a brush cannot be erased later, like pencil sketches. They only have to be covered up, which does not always look aesthetically pleasing, especially if the mistake is made on the face. Then it may just be an ugly stain.
So it’s better to draw all the features of the portrait correctly from the beginning. To begin with, it is proposed to use watercolors and special paper intended for the use of this paint. She pulls it onto the stretcher. It is better to choose natural brushes. They are made from marten, ferret and squirrel wool. You also need clean water and a sponge.
The first stage of drawing a portrait is creating a sketch
Drawing is usually done from a photo. It needs to be studied well. First, the shape that the head should have, the facial oval, is built. It’s worth figuring out what the distance will be from the chin to the top of the head and horizontally. The midlines (eyes and nose) are looked for. The remaining outlines of the face are drawn. At this stage, you don’t have to go into too much detail, because this is just a sketch for now.
When it comes to the little things, special care should be taken so that the resemblance to the original is not lost. Looking at the drawing, an outsider should feel the person depicted. To catch all the vital details, you can squint. So, when looking at the drawing, you can notice something that was initially hidden from view. Then comes the application of shadows and highlights.
Lights and shadows
Now the moment has passed when you can start working with watercolors. How to paint a portrait correctly? To begin with, all the colors are wet, so that later the work goes faster. Previously created auxiliary lines are eliminated. A cardboard or plastic palette is prepared. The first to be laid are the shadows and those areas that should be dark. You can immediately see that volume appears. Large strokes are made with a thick brush using a large amount of water. It is worth knowing that watercolor will look slightly lighter when it dries. The drawing should lose as much as possible the created sense of two-dimensionality and become three-dimensional.
Applying shades to a drawing
After this, the desired colors are selected. Watercolor is characterized by lightness and airiness. When applying the first layers, it is better to use a large amount of water, so that the work will not look sloppy. Another interesting feature of this material is that white paint is not used here. This is another important reason to do it right the first time. The lightest elements, as a rule, are simply not painted over. There are special compounds that are used to cover these areas so that the paint does not stick to them later. It is not necessary to use a large number of colors in the palette.
Watercolor has such features that you can create a variety of shades simply by using different amounts of water. It is also important to know that the previous one must be completely dry before applying the next layer. In case of mistakes, you can quickly remove unnecessary strokes with a sponge. At each stage of creating a portrait, you need to look at the original and try to maintain maximum similarity. When the main colors are applied, thin lines are drawn and color accents are placed on those places that you especially want to highlight. These could be lips and eyes. If you follow the step-by-step technology, the drawing should turn out high-quality and neat.
If you dream of learning how to draw a portrait in watercolors, but are afraid that you won’t succeed, first put aside your fears and start reading this article. Here are simple and clear recommendations that will help you pick up your brushes and paints and start creating.
What materials will you need?
Before you start painting a portrait in watercolor, you will need to prepare the necessary materials for this:
Preliminary work
2. Now we begin to paint a portrait in watercolors. And the first thing you need to do is apply a light, transparent underpainting to the paper with paints. For the face, dilute cadmium orange or ocher with water (the paint should be very watery and pale). We paint over the face with broad strokes; in place of the highlights, the paper should remain untouched. Then we select other colors and brush over the hair and clothes, also leaving the lightest places untouched.
3. Now you need to do your eyes and lips. What eye color does your model have? Select the desired paint, dilute it with water until pale and paint over the iris of the eyes in the portrait. Do the same with drawing the lips.
4. Apply shadows to the face. To do this, add a little burnt sienna to our diluted pale cadmium or ocher. At this stage, shadows should also be applied very lightly, not at full strength. In fact, they should differ only slightly in tone from the first paint layer. Please note that you therefore need to pay attention to the shades that are reflected on the skin of the model's face. Let’s say that warm light from red curtains may fall on the face on one side, glare from cold-colored clothing may be reflected on the chin, etc. This must be taken into account and try to display in the portrait using additional colors.
5. Next, we begin to understand the shadows more carefully. We look for the darkest places on the cheekbones, on the lips, on the sides and wings of the nose, near the hair, etc. It is with the help of shadows that the face is modeled and volume is given to it. The main principle when working with watercolors is to always move from a lighter tone to a darker one.
6. We are looking for the lightest intermediate tones between shadow and light. On the face, where the light falls on it, there are also darker and lighter places. We follow the play of light and try to repeat it on paper.
7. We work with hair and clothes according to the same principle as with the face.
8. At the final stage of working on the portrait, you need to take the thinnest brush and use it to finish small details and lines: individual strands of hair, eyelashes, lip line. Always remember that when working with watercolors, even in the darkest areas, the paint should remain transparent.
9. It is best to work on the background in parallel with the entire portrait, but you can leave this for later. The main thing is that the background should not be worked out more than the face, but negligence is also inappropriate here.
Conclusion
We hope you have learned in general terms how to paint a portrait in watercolors. Well, now it’s a matter of practice, because only direct work with will give you self-confidence, as well as the necessary experience and skill. Creative success to you!
If you dream of learning how to draw a portrait in watercolor, then put aside all fears and doubts and, using this step-by-step drawing lesson for beginners, feel free to take the first steps towards making this dream come true. Available recommendations with step-by-step photos will help you easily master the basics of drawing a portrait of a girl with watercolors.
Tools and materials
To paint a portrait in watercolor, you will need the following materials:
- watercolor paper;
- pencil;
- eraser;
- watercolor;
- brushes with a thickness of one to four (it is advisable to exclude the use of synthetic materials and give preference to natural ones: squirrel, pony);
- glass of water;
- palette
How to Paint a Portrait in Watercolor: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. First you need to draw a face with a pencil on paper. For convenience, it is best to take a photo from which you will paint a portrait. In order to correctly perform the construction, it is necessary to measure the angle of the head, the height and width of the head, the ratio of the parts of the face in relation to each other.
When constructing, it is necessary to monitor the pressure of the pencil - the lines should be light and non-greasy. After the pencil portrait is completed, you should erase all the auxiliary lines that were used to construct the face, leaving only the main lines - the outline of the eyes, nose, lips, hair, oval of the face.
2. The next stage of work will be to apply in watercolor the initial “framework” of the color component of the portrait. First of all, it is necessary to paint the darkest and most prominent places in the portrait to obtain volume, but you should not get carried away with any particular area of the face; you need to paint the entire portrait with a thin layer of watercolor.
Advice! To apply large-scale shadows, you can use brushes numbered 2 and 3; to draw small details (eyes, lips), it is better to use thin brushes – numbers 1 and 2.
At this stage of developing the drawing, it is good to use the technique of applying spots, to paint the entire portrait with local colors. To better see what shade should be applied to a particular area of the face, you can slightly squint your eyes.
During this process of work, you can avoid blurring the contours of the shadows, but you need to be careful not to darken the light areas of the portrait. The first layer of watercolor should be thin. Watercolor must be well diluted with water.
3. After the first layer has dried, you can start drawing in more detail: apply a light layer of the background (a brush number 4 is suitable for this) and fill in all the white places in the drawing (hair, clothes) with watercolors.
Important! The final detailing is still a long way off, but at this stage of work you should apply watercolors more carefully and skillfully than at the beginning of the work.
When painting dark areas, you need to slightly blur the edges between the color spots with a damp brush, forming them into a single soft shade. This procedure is necessary to achieve a realistic image. For this work, a brush number 2 is suitable.
On a note! It is worth knowing an important rule that you should not paint dark places with pure black.
It may seem that in the darkest place black dominates, but you should not use this color in its pure form without first mixing it with another.
To understand what color you need to mix black with, you need to look at the photo with your eyes squinted. Also, so that this color is not too active, you can paint it in a thin layer and cover it with another color on top.
4. The technique of painting with watercolors is a technique of gradually darkening the drawing by overlaying layers on top of each other. But it’s worth remembering that a watercolor portrait should first of all be “airy,” so the main thing is not to get carried away with layering. Final detailing (drawing of eyes, mouth, hair) must be done at the end of the work process.
Before final detailing, for a realism effect, you can slightly blur the edges of the facial contours (eyebrows, lips) with a damp brush. The same technique is good to use for drawing hair, so that it looks more realistic. The background can also be worked out at the final stage of painting the portrait.
Advice! To make the background have a smooth transition (from dark to light), you should make a tonal stretch. To do this, you need to dilute the paint well with water.
Artist Victoria Lemtyugova shared artistic secrets on how to paint a portrait in watercolor with readers of the “Wings of Inspiration” project.
If you want to start with a simpler option, then be sure to take a look. Here you will also find many different characters from popular cartoons.
Don't be afraid to draw! It's not that hard to make this dream come true!
