It is my privilege every week to judge entries for the Realistic Acrylic Portrait School Facebook Contest.
The best 5-6 images get chosen to be included on the Header Image of our 6,000+ member group. But why do I choose the portraits that make it to the top?
In this brief video, I’ll go over the reasons why I awarded these portraits the prizes they received. I also discuss what could be done to improve them.
You can learn from these tips on what makes for a good portrait and how to improve your own.
Also, if you aren’t currently a member of the Realistic Acrylic Portrait School Facebook group (it’s free to join), you should be! Here’s why…
Get help on your portrait from myself and fellow artists when you feel stuck.
Share your artwork with others and get inspired to paint more, by seeing what your fellow artists are doing.
Enter a portrait into the weekly contest, get your work featured, and win a prize!
See you inside the group! Let me know how these tips help, and of course, if you have any questions.
Yours for better portraits,
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
A step-by-step guide to safely transporting your large portrait painting
Shipping large painting in a tube can often present unique challenges, especially when it comes to ensuring their safe arrival. Many artists find themselves questioning the best methods to transport their artwork without incurring high shipping costs. This guide will explore how to efficiently ship a large painting in a tube, offering tips and techniques for artists and art enthusiasts alike.
Logistics just isn’t my thing.
Nevertheless, when I finished this 48″ x 72″ portrait, for a client from Brunei (about as far as you can get from Wisconsin!) I knew the shipping could cost a pretty penny.
Acrylic portrait artist Matt Philleo posing in front of a 48″ x 72″ commission painting for a client in Brunei
After calling several shipping companies, the cost was going to be in the thousands! Finally, after a lot of back-and-forth, my client suggested that I remove the painting off the stretcher frame and ship it. I have to admit, I never did this before. I have stretched a rolled canvas for someone, so I figured it was basically the same thing, but in reverse!
Understanding the Challenges of Shipping Large Paintings
Shipping oversized artwork can be daunting. Many artists face exorbitant shipping fees when opting for traditional crating methods. In one instance, shipping quotes for a 48 by 72-inch painting reached the $2,000 to $3,000 range. However, there is a more cost-effective and efficient alternative shipping the painting rolled up in a tube.
Step-by-Step Guide to Shipping a Large Painting in a Tube
1. Prepare Your Canvas
The first step in this process involves carefully removing the canvas from the stretcher bars. The canvas is turned over and placed on a drafting table, ensuring ample workspace. Using a flat-head screwdriver, the screws holding the canvas in place are gently pried out. It is essential to avoid tearing the canvas during this step. This is done by scoring the edges of the canvas with an X-Acto blade, allowing for a careful separation.
Tip: Always start from the corners when removing the canvas. This method mimics the way you would stretch a canvas, ensuring the integrity of the artwork is maintained.
2. Roll the Canvas
Once the canvas is detached, a smaller tube with a diameter of around four inches is chosen to provide rigidity during transport. The canvas is rolled slowly and carefully, ensuring it remains straight throughout the process. A thin piece of plastic can be placed between the canvas and the tube to prevent paint from sticking to itself.
Tip: Rolling the canvas in a protective piece of fabric can add an extra layer of protection against dents or creases during shipping.
3. Secure the Canvas
After rolling, the canvas should be covered with craft paper and securely taped at both ends. The rolled canvas can then be placed inside the tube, which should fit snugly. Bubble wrap can be added for extra cushioning, preventing any movement within the tube during transport.
4. Cap the Ends
To ensure the canvas remains secure during shipping, homemade caps can be created for the ends of the tube. These caps can be fashioned from old paint containers, which can be cut and drilled for string ties. This design not only holds the canvas in place but also allows for easy removal upon arrival.
5. Protect Against Moisture
Applying a layer of varnish to the outside of the tube can provide additional protection against moisture during shipping. This added layer of protection can be crucial, especially when shipping to locations with varying climates.
6. Tape Everything Securely
Once the caps are in place, a cardboard cap can be added to the tube. This cap can be made from corrugated cardboard and attached with packaging tape. It is important to ensure that everything is anchored down securely. Several layers of tape can be wrapped around the tube, providing a solid structure for the shipping process.
Tip: It is often better to use more tape than necessary when securing the package, as it will minimize the risk of any damage during transport.
7. Final Checks
Before heading to the shipping facility, hold up the tube to ensure that nothing is rattling inside. A tight fit will help guarantee that the artwork arrives safely at its destination.
Conclusion
The process of shipping a large painting does not need to be an overwhelming task. By following these steps, artists can save on shipping costs while ensuring their artwork arrives in pristine condition. The experience of successfully shipping a large painting in a tube offers peace of mind, knowing that careful preparation can lead to a successful delivery.
Tips for Successful Shipping:
Use Quality Materials: Always choose sturdy tubes and protective materials to ensure safety.
Choose the Right Shipping Service: Research and select a reliable shipping service with experience in handling artwork.
Label Clearly: Include clear labeling on your package to avoid confusion during trans
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
Unlocking the secrets to depth and color in acrylic painting
Acrylic painting offers artists a versatile medium, allowing for various techniques to create depth, shading, and vibrant colors. Among these techniques, the glazing method stands out for its ability to build up layers of color, enhancing the painting’s visual complexity. In this blog post, we will delve into how to do layers with the glazing technique, exploring color selection, layering strategies, and tips to achieve a professional finish.
I have a student named Holly, who has just started painting portraits in acrylic. She is currently working on one of her brother, and she was unsure of how to continue after beginning the glazing process. With her permission, I’m going to share her portrait with you. We all know what it feels like to get stuck during painting, especially when starting out…
Here’s her questions…
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your advice and the progress photos you sent of your artwork. That really helped. I’ve watched a lot of the student videos and I’m trying to apply everything to my painting. I feel like it looks kind of terrible so far so maybe I’m not doing it right. I’m worried about painting any more shadow in on his face because it looks bad – especially his eyes. I definitely feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Haha. I don’t know what to do about his hair or face. And the white shirt with the dark creases. And the brass jacket buttons. I’m following your list of paint colors to use for the skin tones off of your skin tone video and that is very helpful. But I just feel kind of lost as to the layering process. For instance, for the face, I don’t know how many layers of shadows I’m supposed to do before I move onto layers of midtones. And how many layers of midtones do I do before I move onto highlights? And when I’m painting the midtones, do I paint over the shadow areas as well? Or only paint on the midtone areas?
Thank you so much for your help!
Holly
Here is my answer to her questions, in a video format. I used Photoshop to show her digitally, how she would paint with an actual paintbrush. My goal was to create a roadmap she could follow to ease the confusion in the painting process and gain confidence for what to do next.
What is Glazing?
Glazing is a technique where a thin, transparent layer of paint is applied over a dried layer of paint. This process can be repeated multiple times, gradually building up the desired color and intensity. The final appearance of the artwork results from the interplay of colors beneath the glaze, creating a sense of depth and luminosity that cannot be achieved with opaque paint alone.
Choosing Colors for Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights
One of the most critical aspects of mastering the glazing technique is selecting the right colors for different areas of your painting. This can be particularly challenging when working with shadows, midtones, and highlights.
1. Shadows
When creating shadows, it is essential to choose colors that will blend well with the underlying layers. The shadows should be darker but also retain a sense of warmth or coolness depending on the lighting in your scene. For instance, using a mixture of raw umber dark and a hint of blue can create realistic shadows, providing depth without overpowering the other colors.
2. Midtones
Midtones serve as the bridge between the shadows and highlights. It is essential to mix colors that complement both extremes. For instance, when painting skin tones, a blend of yellow ochre and a touch of red can create a balanced midtone that will seamlessly transition between the shadows and highlights.
3. Highlights
Highlights add life to your painting, drawing the viewer’s eye. To achieve this, consider using lighter versions of your base colors mixed with titanium white or a light yellow. However, ensure that these highlights are still somewhat transparent to maintain the glazing effect.
Layering Process in the Glazing Technique
Once you have selected your colors, it’s time to start layering them using the glazing technique. Here’s a step-by-step approach to help you navigate the process effectively:
Step 1: Prepare Your Canvas
Begin by preparing your canvas with a base layer of acrylic paint. This initial layer should be dry before you start glazing. It can be beneficial to work on a toned canvas, which can help unify the painting’s overall tone.
Step 2: Apply the First Glaze
Using a soft brush, apply your first glaze. This layer should be thin and transparent. A mixture of matte medium with your chosen paint can help achieve the desired transparency. Start with your shadow color, working it into the areas where you want to establish depth.
Step 3: Let It Dry
Allow your glaze to dry completely before adding additional layers. This is crucial, as working on a wet layer can disturb your previous work and muddy your colors.
Step 4: Build Up Midtones
Once the first layer is dry, repeat the glazing process with your midtone color. Apply it over the areas where you want to create form and dimension, using a clean brush to blend the edges.
Step 5: Add Highlights
After your midtones have dried, apply your highlight color using the same glazing technique. This layer should be more transparent than your midtones and should enhance the overall brightness of your painting without losing depth.
Step 6: Repeat as Necessary
The glazing process can take several layers to achieve the desired effect. Don’t be afraid to go back and forth between shadows, midtones, and highlights, building up layers until you reach your goal. Each application should add depth and richness to the final piece.
Tips and Techniques for Effective Glazing
Use High-Quality Paints: The quality of your paint can significantly affect your glazing results. Invest in artist-grade acrylics to ensure better transparency and mixing capabilities.
Maintain a Light Touch: When applying glazes, use a gentle hand. It’s easier to add more layers than to remove excess paint.
Test on a Palette: Before applying any glaze to your painting, test your colors on a palette or scrap canvas. This will give you a better idea of how they will interact.
Layer Order Matters: Always start with the darkest colors and work towards the lightest. This approach helps maintain control over the overall value and temperature of your painting.
Keep Brushes Clean: Regularly clean your brushes to avoid muddying your colors. Using separate brushes for each color can also be beneficial.
Be Patient: Glazing is a slow process that requires patience. Allow each layer to dry fully before proceeding to the next to achieve the best results.
Practice: The more you practice glazing, the more comfortable you will become with the technique. Experiment with different colors and layering styles to find what works best for you.
Conclusion
The glazing technique is an invaluable method for any acrylic painter looking to enhance the depth and vibrancy of their work. By understanding how to effectively layer colors, choose the right tones for shadows, midtones, and highlights, and employing the right techniques, artists can achieve stunning results that will captivate viewers.
As you embark on your glazing journey, remember to take your time and enjoy the process. Each layer contributes to the overall beauty of your painting, revealing the complexity of color and depth that acrylics can offer. Happy painting!
Let me know how this video helps! Does it clear up the process at all for beginning a portrait using the glazing technique? Let me know.
In the meantime, many blessings to you and your portrait painting.
All the best,
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
Protect and enhance your artwork: A step-by-step guide to varnishing your painting for a lasting finish.
It was a large portrait on hardboard, about 48″ tall. Having just done some mural work with a well known muralist, I attempted to copy his method of using a household paint roller and a clear coat.
It was a disaster.
The medium looked so milky white while it was drying, that I started to panic like Rowan Atkinson did in the movie “Bean” when he sneezed on Whistler’s Mother. I tried to clean off the half dried medium with a damp towel. To my dismay, the medium started globbing up and totally distorted the fine detail work on the surface. Some areas had no varnish. Other areas were covered with a streaky, bumpy film. My painting was a hideous mess.
I said I would never varnish a painting again.
Except that I did.
I knew I needed to learn how to do it correctly in order to protect my paintings from dust and debris, saturate the colors and dark values more, and give it a uniform finish.
What I’m going to teach you is the process I learned basically from trial and error over the years.
I’m not scared to varnish any more. But I like to say a quick prayer before I put brush to canvas, because if you don’t varnish correctly, you can mess up a good painting very quickly!
Here’s a video that will show you the correct way to do it…
Here are the steps, simplified.
Use acrylic matte varnish. Not matte medium. (unless you want a flat finish) Matte varnish dries to a satin sheen and looks fantastic. If you want a little more saturation on your dark values and colors, you can add some gloss medium to your matte varnish and mix them together very thoroughly.
Put your painting on a flat table, or slightly angled. Don’t varnish the painting on a vertical easel or you could get drips and it will look terrible.
Use a 1″ or larger flat brush that’s in good condition. Put your varnish in a cup or container than is wide enough to accommodate the brush.
Dip the brush into the varnish and apply from top down, left to right, overlapping slightly. Do not overbrush!
Continue the process all the way down and when you’re done, leave it alone for a couple hours. It should dry completely clear.
That’s all there is to it!
What do you think? What are YOUR experiences with varnishing? Do you have any stories–or tips–to share? Do you avoid varnishing completely?
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
One of the most important aspects of acrylic portrait painting is setting up your palette.
It’s often overlooked, but having a palette setup that works well for you can minimize frustration, increase productivity, reduce paint costs, and even enhance accuracy in your portrait.
Recently, an artist asked me how I set up my palette. Of course, there’s many ways to do it.
I’m not going to say the way I do it is the right way, but it works for me. And it may work for you as well.
I use a traditional wood palette–about 14″ wide and 18″ long. I customized it a bit by adding a lip to the edge. That keeps my matte medium from dripping off the side. The lip is thick chipboard about 2″ in width that I bent and glued onto the wood. Then I sealed it with gloss medium to keep the moisture from warping it.
Let me help you get started on your new portrait today…
Before I start a new painting, I put aluminum foil over the entire surface, and attach it securely to back of the palette with clear packaging tape. It holds very well.
Then I lay out my paints.
I keep them wet as I can with a spray bottle of water while I work, spraying them about every 15 minutes or so.
When my mixing area gets too full of paint, I add a fresh piece of aluminum foil over the area, folding it over slightly to conform to the rounded shape of the palette. The previous layer of wet paint holds it down. This way I am not wasting paint. All my main colors on the palette remain until my painting is done or they dry up.
I throw the discarded, soiled pieces of aluminum foil away in a bag and then I get paid for them when I recycle them with my aluminum cans. And it doesn’t pollute the environment either!
Here is a video where I explain further how to set this palette up…
Question: What do you use for your palette…and why?
Enjoy your portrait painting and let me know if I can help you in any way.
All the best,
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
Transform your studio with the essential lighting tips for every artist
For acrylic portrait painters and all artists, there is a truth we can’t hide from: we can only paint as well as we can see
So, how well are we seeing in our art studios?
Here’s a question I got from one of my art students:
“I would like to paint in the evening but find out the next day my skin tones are off. I have the room overhead a one lamp with the daylight bulb but doesn’t seem to be enough. I do have cataracts which may be part of the problem but can’t have that fixed until next year. You said you currently have no windows in your studio so what do you use for good lighting? I’m sorry to bother you with a question like this but I was quite upset this morning to see what I did last night!”
Thanks so much and God Bless.
Sharon
Here’s my answer:
Hi Sharon,
It’s annoying to not have enough light. I remember when I first started painting, I would work with those old yellowish incandescent bulbs. When I took my painting outside to photograph it I said, “That’s NOT how it looked in my studio!” The colors were off, and it looked grainy.
Now with LED bulbs being so inexpensive (to buy and to run) I have 10 lights in my studio with 100 watt-equivalent daylight spectrum bulbs. Best part is they only use 14 watts a piece, so it’s pretty energy efficient!
They are simple clamp-style lamps with metal reflectors that you can buy at your home improvement store for about $5-10 a piece. You don’t even have to buy them all at once. You can do it like I did. Every time I ran to Menards, I would buy another lamp. I spaced it out over the course of a couple years!
Here is a shot of my messy, well-used studio with the lights aimed at the ceiling. The reflected light works great to illuminate even a large painting. While I’m working there are virtually no shadows from my hands and arms to interfere with my painting.
I do have a window in my studio now, but it doesn’t do a lot. It’s mostly the light bubs that illuminate everything for me.
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
If you’re like me, printing off reference photos for painting a portrait is a major inconvenience.
You have to run to the photo developer and get them printed off, hoping they turn out ok, then tape them up next to your canvas, and struggle with them falling off. Or you try to print your own from your own computer and it costs you an arm and a leg in ink.
I got tired of it.
I asked for a Kindle Fire for Christmas and got one. Photos look outstanding in it.
I knew I wanted to set it up next to my canvas, but how would I get it to stay there? I thought of attaching a wire to the ceiling but that sounded sketchy.
So I made my own contraption to hold it up out of cardboard. If said this before, but if wasn’t an artist, I’d be a “mad scientist” inventor like Doc Brown from Back to the Future! The thing I made to hold my Kindle worked great.
One of my students saw it in a video and said she was having “technology envy.” 🙂 She thought the idea was cool. So I figured, why not share this with my students?
I explain more about it and how it can help you in my video below…
Hope this helps in your painting endeavors. Would you like step by step instructions on how to build one for yourself? Here is a free video course that will show you how!
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
You have some time to paint over the weekend. You set up your reference photo, knock out a nice looking sketch, and then excitedly start to paint…
But something happens.
After a few layers, things start to unravel. Suddenly, it just doesn’t look like the person you’re trying to do a portrait of anymore. You paint some more in an attempt to restore what you lost in the sketch, and now you’ve only made it worse!
Frustration sets in.
Can I fix this painting? Or do I have to start over? How much time did I spend on this already?
I had exactly this question asked of me by a student…
I can get a good likeness with the sketch but I seem to lose lots of the likeness after a few layers of paint. What do you think happens? –Ron
My answer back to him will be the basis for this article today. I think it will benefit you as well, if you have lost your likeness after sketching. I know I have!
Here’s some tips to prevent the likeness in your sketch from being lost in your painting and also, how to get it back on track if you do.
1. Seal in Your Sketch
I know this sounds simple, but if you just start painting over pencil the thick paint on your brush will lift off some of the pigment on your canvas and it will smear. The end result is a muddy mix of paint and pigment and lost detail.
First of all, use colored pencil instead of graphite pencil to do your sketch. Burnt ochre or a similar color works best. Then carefully seal in the sketch with a wide synthetic bristle brush and matte medium.
Once it’s dry you will have a barrier between your sketch and your paint.
2. Paint Lightly at First
When you start your actual painting process, I recommend to use thin glazes of paint (tiny bits of paint mixed with generous portions of matte medium) and gently block in the color and value. You want to just barely see the change between the white canvas and the color you’re putting down at first.
Then, as you add more layers and depth, you can get aggressive with your paint. (At least compared to how you start out!) In the beginning, you’ll use a ratio of 90% medium to 10% paint and then later, closer to 50-50.
By going light, you will preserve the detail of your sketch beneath. Only toward the middle to the end of the painting process will the sketch get completely covered up.
3. Convert Pencil Lines to Paint
Paint over the details of your sketch intermittently with round brushes as you paint the large areas with your flat brush. It will be a constant push-and pull between blocking in large areas of value and color, and fussy detail work. Toward the end of the painting you will be favoring more of the detail aspect of your painting.
As you darken in some of these pencil lines, you’ll ensure you don’t lose that valuable detail that you laid out in the sketching stage while applying large layers.
If you’d like to learn more, sign up to receive my portrait painting tips via email. I’ll send you video lessons to show you how to paint a realistic portrait in acrylic step-by-step!
Remember that it is shading and value–those differences between light and dark with all the subtle variations–that describe a three dimensional illusion on a two-dimensional surface.
Lines can’t do that.
Only shading can.
The lines in our sketch are there to tell us where to put the shading in during the painting process. And if you do some shading during the sketching process, even better. Then you’ll be able to just enhance those areas with paint.
It is the shading (the use of value) that tells us how large someone’s chin is, or the roundness of their nose, or fullness of their cheek, or boniness of their forehead.
So, my point is this: do some shading on your sketch, and that will help your painting process along.
5. You Will Lose the Likeness to Some Degree
That’s normal. Happens to me all the time when I paint. Knowing this ahead of time will clear your mind of unrealistic expectations so that your frustration level can go down…and you can paint to the best of your ability.
The reason that the likeness inevitably does get lost is that as you’re adding these various values in different places, there will be some spots on your painting that are just less finished than others. You may have painted the eyes about as dark as they are in the reference photo, but the eyebrows haven’t “caught up” yet.
Or maybe you added some deep shadows under the chin, but you haven’t quite dialed in the shading for the cheeks. If the person’s chubby cheeks are a main part of their features, then missing this aspect can really throw off the likeness.
And this can go for parts all over the face.
I am working on a painting right now of three children as I write this blog post, and the likenesses aren’t quite there yet. In fact, they look “off” to me. But I know that if I stick with it, it will work out. I prayed that God would help me to do it well, and I believe He will.
However, as in all of life, there’s a struggle we have to go through to get to the other side. You can’t have the mountains without the valleys. So, I’ll stick with this, keep looking at my reference photo, keep praying and putting paint on the canvas.
And the end result, by God’s grace, will be a fantastic painting that the client will love.
So for you, this means that as you bring all the unfinished areas of your portrait to completion, eventually, the likeness will not only get restored to how it was during your sketch, but it will be even better.
6. Get Critiques of Your Work
When you’ve tried the other tips and you feel like your painting is way off track you may want to consider getting a critique. If you have an artist group where you meet in person, that may be a good way to go. I have a Facebook group as well if you need some quick feedback. If you haven’t already, I invite you to join the group. The folks there are very helpful.
Also, I do personal, one-to-one video critiques that you will show you precisely what you need to do to fix problem areas of your painting. Learn more here.
7. Start Over…If You Must
I don’t recommend starting over a painting, except as a last resort. I think it’s much better to stick with a painting and resolve problem areas to build confidence in your skills as an artist and to save time and money.
But if you find yourself sinking way too much time into the painting, reworking the same area over and over, and the texture is built up so much that you want to sand it off, it may be time to start over.
If the painting is in the beginning stages, and the composition or likeness was wrong from the start, then re-doing it may be the best choice. It may take less time to just start over than try to rectify your mistakes. You’ll have to look at your painting and ask yourself “how far off is it?” Sometimes we get hard on ourselves as artists (we’re perfectionists by nature) and it might be just a tiny thing that can make all the difference.
I had a painting like that. It just didn’t look like the guy. Then I added a reflection on his eye that took all of one minute to paint–and that did it. It was him!
So, get a second opinion with a good critique, and then you’ll know if it’s worth it to start over. The person critiquing your may be able to give you an idea of how far off the rails you are. You may be closer that you think!
And there you have it: 7 tips to help you how to not lose your likeness, or if you do, how to get it back. Let me know how this helps!
Blessings to you and your painting,
P.S. Did you find this post helpful or encouraging? If so, send it on ahead! Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! Also, do you have a question on acrylic portrait painting you’d like answered? Let me know, and I’d be happy to help!
