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Tips and tricks for how to create a portrait from graphite.

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I think the biggest mistake people make when drawing a pencil portrait is to rub the shading with their fingers. It's something kids are often taught to do in art class at school, but it creates dull and sort of 'airbrushed' skin tones - the opposite of the light touch I always want to achieve.

If you try to create your shadows and different tones in this way it's also really difficult to control the exact degree of light or dark that you want to create in any particular area. Worst of all you risk introducing grease from your skin onto the paper (even clean fingers contain natural oils) and this can cause smudge marks when it becomes mixed with graphite dust.

When I'm drawing hair or animal fur I do smooth down my pencil shading to create the effect of sleekness, using a bit of facial tissue. However when it comes to drawing skin I do an absolute minimum of smoothing.

Instead I build up layers of very fine hatched lines, using harder pencils for the lighter areas (usually in H or HB grades) and softer, darker pencils for more shadowed areas (from a 2B grade up to around 8B) To increase the darkness for deep shadows I will sometimes crosshatch my lines in the opposite direction over the top.

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Top tips for drawing portraits * Anna Bregman Portraits

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I think the biggest mistake people make when drawing a pencil portrait is to rub the shading with their fingers. It's something kids are often taught to do in art class at school, but it creates dull and sort of 'airbrushed' skin tones - the opposite of the light touch I always want to achieve.

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A guide of how to draw a portrait with graphite.

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Drawing a Portrait with Graphite Pencils | Emmy Kalia

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A step-by-step guide of using oil pastels for portraits!

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This is a step by step Pastel portrait painting of a young boy with his favorite hat. I took several pictures of him inside doors, playing with the lights and the shadows, inspired by his strong personality. I choose an image where his pure and innocent look observed me intensively. I felt it could be quite interesting to make a post over this work, so I decided to start from how I built my pallet for this painting. However, this will be a different post that I´ll post later on.

To paint a Pastel portrait I always need a wide scale of colors. I use a lot of Pastel bars. Lot of white, Pozzuoli, English red, Ocher, Toasted Siena, Caput mortuum, burned Gray earth, Permanent red, etc. All of them with their different intensities of pure pigment. With this rich palette, it is a pleasure to work almost Alla Prima. Adding color by color, placing each stroke in its place ...

I prepare my sheet of Canson paper choosing a light Ocher tone... I start drawing with a well-sharpened pastel pencil. I study every detail. I take my time in the sketch while getting "into" the model personality.

Then I mark my brightest point... I need from the beginning to know where my high lights are. I work in the lights with two Pastel bars; White and a very bright Pozzuoly. The quality and creamy texture of the Shcmincke white is very interesting. It will resist clean and bright throughout the portrait process! As long as I do not friction with my hand over it. I'm careful to not erase by mistake my strokes, but if this would happen, I can always replace the light.

I continue, choosing my darker tones of the face. One slightly cold and one warmer. They are, basically, Caput mortuum and Burned Green Earth tones ... I apply them quickly, with big strokes. Rather than drawing, following the form. I already have a good contrast. This will not be the last adjustment on the shadow´s intensity, but it leaves me quite clear both sides in my palette needs.

Then, I need to construct rapidly the middle tones in the face and here I use more variety; burned sienna, burned yellow ocher, caput mortuum pale... I'm playing with the color temperature. And since it's a portrait of a child I smooth carefully my outlines. But not too much! For me, it is important to touch the Pastels with the fingers. It is not the same thing if you work with gloves, small cotton sticks or any other tool. The touch with the finger marks the difference when we speak about Pastels!

I can not wait any longer and I need to paint his eyes! Almost always I begin with a "pastel base" that I mark with the yolk of my finger. It is an exact tone and color that I mix among several pastels. For this, I use the paper palette that I always have next to my painting. (It is very useful to have it because sometimes I need to create my proper color as if it was a mixture of painting in oil or acrylic) I define the details with dry pastel pencils, I take my time, I am not in a hurry. The eyes are the most imposing In a portrait ... But they don´t work alone. I get the expressiveness touching everything else, the eyebrows, the mouth, the nose ...It is all related.

I study my model and again I draw everything. This time using several qualities of pastel pencil colors... I am very careful with the expression. it is the most important thing! I look for a balance between my own feelings and the model ones.

I return to the light and verify the values. Then I mark the hat with a nice scale of three gray shades... It feels more like drawing. The painting instantaneously requests some bases of color in the background, which I mark with large strokes (And somehow rustic) using several Ochers. Now the hat stands out with its true contrast. I play a little more with its texture ...

It's time to connect the face with the hair, that will give him these beautiful golden reflections and will move the painting into a very dynamic direction. As always, I mark the clearest and brightest points with pure white. (Since I have it at the hand, I mark with an energetic trace the light behind. The one that forms part of the background).
Then I look for medium and dark tones to paint the hair, (A nice golden ocher, burned sienna, burned Umber) ... I place them with energetic strokes keeping the direction of the tufts. I soften the stroke with a single energetic gesture without exceeding, mixing these tones together. This way I am trying to obtain the vitality of the hair.

I still work on the background. Now I need it´s darker tones, which I search among my old Pastel boxes. I'm looking for very estimate chocolate brown bar. Hence my favorite dark blue aubergine, which will be the basis of the child's sweater. I deepen the shadows with black. These dark tones play with each other and highlight the bright blonde hair. I leave everything almost unfinished. I walk away to see it globally from distance.

At this stage, the portrait is finished ... the essentials are transmitted ... I do not want to be driven by inertia and overwork the portrait. The pastel needs to breathe ... It was a beautiful experience!

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Step by step Pastel portrait painting of a young boy with his favourite hat. - Pastel Portraits

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This is a step by step Pastel portrait painting of a young boy with his favorite hat. I took several pictures of him inside doors, playing with the lights and the shadows, inspired by his strong personality. I choose an image where his pure and innocent look observed me intensively.

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A large amount of creative ideas and examples for oil pastel portraits!

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130 Oil Pastel Portraits ideas | pastel portraits, art inspiration, oil pastel

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Mar 22, 2017 - Explore Lory Chaplin’s board “Oil Pastel Portraits”, followed by 236 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about pastel portraits, art inspiration, oil pastel.

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A walk through guide of how to shade skin with colored pencils. Can be applied to other areas of the portrait also!

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Color Pencil Portraits - How to Shade the Skin

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This step by step lesson teaches you how to shade the skin with layers of color pencil to form the glowing complexion of the face.

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Example of colored pencil portraits.

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How to Create a Colorful Portrait! EASY Step-by-Step Color Pencil Process!

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A large amount of charcoal portrait examples.

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An example video of drawing portraits with charcoal.

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A guide to oil painting!

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Painting a portrait in oils can seem daunting but if you follow a thorough method you will avoid many pitfalls. Below I set out my process of painting a portrait in oils, from meeting your model, to the first sketches and the final marks.

Positioning Your Model

First things first; you need a model and you need to position your model in a way that you both like. So I would play around a little bit and experiment with various setups. I would put my model in lots of different positions, ask him/her to smile, look serious, look away, look straight at me. Try to sketch or photograph him full figure, or just head and shoulders. Try a moody look and try and friendly expression.

I would ask her to sit next to a window, a spot light, try some shots outside, some indoors. If you don't have a lighting setup I always find it best to work with natural light. A nice large window (no sunshine!) will provide enough light to sketch or photograph. Position your model next to it so that one half of the face catches the light and the other half is a little bit more in the shade. Light and shade will enhance the 3-dimensionality of your image. So windows are usually my first port of call. Of course also try out electric lights and see how that looks. I would constantly make photos and sketches so I can review all the ideas later on. The more you try out, the easier it will be to figure out what you like and what you don't.

Choosing Backgrounds and Clothing

If you opted for a moody expression and lighting then perhaps you can find a background and clothing that complement this atmosphere. Try out your model with various backgrounds, in different rooms. Perhaps set up a background with the help of big pieces of fabric and see how it looks. Backgrounds can make a huge difference in a portrait, so try things out, make sketches, photograph and see what works and what doesn't.

Play around with different backgrounds by moving to different rooms, walls, or locations, or try to use fabric to change colour and mood. These photos are stills taken from the online course Portrait in Oils

Clothing too can help push the atmosphere. Whether you are going for a open and cheerful portrait, or an atmospheric moody one - try out various clothing and see what works and what does't. Ask you model to bring various pieces of clothing, or provide some yourself.

If you are painting a commissioned portrait, you will need to discuss all these options with your client. If they want a happy cheerful portrait of their child, then there's probably no point in trying your Gothic ideas. If they want an outside scene then you will have already narrowed down lots of options. For a portrait commission I usually ask my model to wear something they would wear if they went to visit a friend. So something nice but not over the top. For more formal portraits, more formal clothing is required of course. See how easy it is to try things out with your model, but in the end you might need to work with what you are provided with.

Photographing your model

If you are going to work from photographs then make sure you are creating sharp photos. Do not play around with a shallow depth of field. This might make beautiful photos but if you are going to paint from your photos you need to make sure everything, including the background, is sharp and clear. This will give you the freedom to choose later. If you want to include the background in your painting (and you do!) and the photo shows this nice and sharp, then you still can. If you want to able to paint your model's ears and the photo shows it all sharp and clear, you can. Shallow depth of field will create beautiful photos with lots of fuzzy areas that are impossible to paint from. Your reference photo is there to give you the information you need, so make sure all information is actually there. You can then pick and choose later where you will create 'lost edges' and focal points. Don't let the camera choose, you choose.

How to Choose a Pose

If you are working from photos and you have shot lots of them, how do you choose? Make sure you choose a photo that works. Don't think 'I'll leave this out, I'll fix this in my painting' but work from a photo that gives you what you need. Imagine how a shot would look as a painting and be aware that a good photo does not always make a good painting. That glowing smiley bride might well come across best in a photograph, while the thoughtful play of a child might be perfect for a painting. Try to choose photos that have a good range of light and shade, as this will make things easier for you when you are painting. Creating a sense of 3-dimensionality is much easier when you have lots of light and shade to play with.

Try editing your photos in a photo editing program. You can play around with the brightness, contrast and the warmth of the photo. Of course you can crop your photos. Try cropping in a landscape format, a portrait format, square or a more unusual format. Put your model in the centre, a bit to the side, get really close up, or crop with lots of background. Try things out and see what you like.

Making Sketches

The more you paint or draw your model the easier it will get. You will get your model's face 'in your fingers'. Practice makes perfect after all. So if you spend some time making sketches of your model you will begin your oil portrait with a head-start. The more time you spend exploring your model's face (in pencil, charcoal or paint) the more familiar you will be with it and the easier it will be to paint. If you have already figured out how the mouth goes, where the nostrils start and what the angle of the eye lid is, you will have saved yourself a lot of frustration later on. So sketching and drawing pays off.

Find Your Vision

Before you start painting your portrait I always find it helpful to have a picture of it in my mind's eye. I'd like to visualise what the final portrait will look like. I might not always get there ( as I might have set my goals too high or things change during the painting process) but I find it useful to know where I am heading. I often browse ( old master) art to get ideas for mood, atmosphere, colour combinations etc. I might find a painting by a great artist and think to myself that that is the mood I'd like to put into my portrait. I steal and borrow ideas, such as a large background area, or a certain colour combination, a type of lighting or a way to use your brush.

Choose Your Canvas

When I know where I want to go, and I have my reference photos and/or sketches ready I am ready to get started. So now is the time to get my materials together. I try to visualise my finished painting on the wall and hold up various sized canvas to see what would look good. Do I want to paint my vision in miniature or at a huge scale, or (probably) something in between? Choose the size of your artwork and work on your favourite surface.

How to Position your Reference Material

Make sure you can see your model, if you paint from life, or your reference photos, if you paint from photos, from where you are at the easel. Decide whether you are working standing or sitting as your viewing angle will differ. Make sure you can work at your easel without having to step away in order to see your model. Ideally only a flick of the eye is required to go back and forth between your painting and your model or reference photo.

Brushes and Paint

Choose your favourite brushes and colours. I usually create a value underpainting first (with Burnt Umber and white) with some sturdy bristle brushes. I do not thin my paint with solvents so sturdy bristle brushes are a must. I scrub the paint onto the canvas. Over the time more and more paint will be layered onto the canvas so the surface will get smoother. In later stages I use synthetic brushes for a softer brush mark and for finer detail. So I usually have a selection of filbert bristle and synthetic brushes ranging in size from around size 6 to a smaller 4.

Most artists will have a variety of the primary colours on their palette and so do I: a blue, red and yellow. Burnt umber and white are added and usually a warm yellow like Sienna or Ochre. If you like you can then expand this palette with a light and dark version of the primaries, or a warn and cool version. Some painters prefer to work with a ready made (white) skin tone which most brands have in their range, but of course these colours are easy to mix as well. With a palette of primaries, ochre, burnt umber and white you will get quite far. Add some personal favourites if you like. My personal palette usually has Vasari's Bluff and Bice for example. These colours are not required and I don't recommend them to beginners, but they happen to be my personal favourites.

Painting Thinly

My method of painting might not be the same as yours. But I work without solvents or mediums and use paint straight from the tube. I paint very thinly, which will dry quite quickly, which will allow me to layer paint over itself endlessly. The layers of very thin paint will slowly build up, creating depth and variety, covering the canvas and allowing for small detail. Painting thinly and in stages is ideal to be able to cover up mistakes, change your mind and mix colours.

You might prefer to paint alla prima, with much fatter and bolder brush marks. You might prefer to work with mediums; it is all up to you.

Painting the Skeleton

My first steps in painting a portrait (or any painting) is to try and get the subject onto the canvas. I have to make sure it fits. So I use a small sturdy brush and draw in very light and simple straight lines what goes where. I 'draw' the subject matter onto my canvas and make sure everything fits and is positioned well. I roughly follow the straight line method which I teach in my art school as well.

I then refine this skeleton sketch and start sub dividing the big oval I put down for the head: find the main line of the painting, find the level of the eyes, hair, mouth, nose. Subdivide the main shapes further into smaller shapes until a robotic schematic type of face starts to appear, with, hopefully, some resemblance to my model. I keep on working on this schematic face until it does resemble my model.

Value Underpainting

I start blocking in the darkest darks with burnt umber and the lightest light with white paint. I don't leave any of the canvas uncovered, even if I am painting it white. Everything will need a first layer of paint. I then start looking for the medium values. I try to keep everything very 'blocky' so as not to lose sight of shape and form. I try to stay away from detail.

Colour Block In

As I paint very thinly my value block in will be dry the next day. I paint a colour block in over my value underpainting. I am covering it completely. But the value underpainting has its uses because I now know how light or dark my colours need to be. I try to paint 'average' colours in and then step back and double check whether I like the overall colour harmony of the painting. Perhaps I tweak a colour here or there to make it 'work' better with the rest of the painting.

Refine Shapes into Form

After I am happy with the colour block in I can move into trying to refine all these blocks into form. So I look for the more subtle transitions within or in between shapes, I look for colour temperature, and I finally allow myself to start working on smaller detail. From the very first step I have included the background in my painting so this is now at the same stage as the subject matter.

Vision

I think back to what I initially had in mind for this painting. Am I still on the right track? Have I made changes and is that ok, or should I go back to my original idea? What can I do to push this painting closer towards my idea?

Refinement

In the final stages I work on detail and texture. I layer paint with a very small brush to create variety, depth of colour and texture. I look for small changes in colour and value to enhance form. I step back and find edges that I can loose and edges that need enhancing. I try and figure out where the saturation needs to be the highest and where colour is duller and muted.

Finish

I often leave my paintings on the easel for a quite a long time and work on it just now and then. As long as I can see mistakes I am not finished. As long as I can see areas that can be improved I am not finished. Only when I feel like I could do no more to improve it will I sign it and call it done.

Paint Along

This whole process is the subject of my online course Portrait in Oils, where you can see me take each step in easy to follow video lessons. I will show which colours I choose, how I go about the underpainting, and how I struggle with mistakes. You can watch me prepare and paint a portrait from start to finish, but, better still, I invite you to paint along and give you a task in each lesson. This way you can work alongside me and create you own portrait in oils. If you like the sound of it, then check out the course page here and consider joining my online art school.

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Painting a portrait in oils can seem daunting but if you follow a thorough method you will avoid many pitfalls. Below I set out my process of painting a portrait in oils, from meeting your model, to the first sketches and the final marks.

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A guide to oil painting portraits!

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Learn a new technique for painting a portrait in oils: see key shapes in your subject.