How to Paint Young Woman with Black Hair: 30- Minute Acrylic

Discover the power of the alla prima acrylic technique with a quick and efficient 30-minute portrait painting exercise.

Painting a portrait in just 30 minute acrylic might seem like a daunting task, but with the right technique and a little practice, you can create stunning results. So in this guide, we’ll walk through how to paint a young woman with black hair using acrylics, focusing on the alla prima technique, where you paint wet-on-wet in one session. Because this exercise will help you improve your speed and efficiency, making it easier to tackle more detailed and time-consuming works in the future. Let’s dive into the process!

Materials and Tools Needed:

Before you start, gather the following materials:

• Canvas: 8×10 inch toned canvas board (gray works best for portraits).
• Acrylic Paints: Ivory black, raw umber dark, burnt sienna, raw sienna, ultramarine blue, titanium white, alizarin crimson, and phthalo blue.
• Brushes: A variety of flats, filberts, and rounds (inexpensive brushes like “Fine Touch” work well for portraits).
• Palette: For mixing colors.
• Matte Medium: To adjust the fluidity of the paint.

Step 1: Preparing the Canvas and Plotting the Portrait

To begin, tone your canvas with a neutral gray to establish a balanced base. Then gray background allows for better contrast between your light and dark areas and helps guide your values throughout the painting process.

Using a mixture of raw umber dark, ivory black, and matte medium, start by loosely sketching the proportions of the young woman’s face. So it’s crucial to get the structure right at this stage. Focus on blocking out key elements like the position of the eyes, nose, mouth, and overall shape of the head.

Tip: Take your time to plot out the general anatomy and features. Once the structure is clear, the rest of the painting will flow smoothly.

Step 2: Blocking in the Hair

In this case the hair, start by mixing ivory black with a bit of raw sienna and ultramarine blue. Because ultramarine blue adds richness and depth to the black, making the hair appear more dynamic. While using a flat brush, block in the larger shapes of the hair, paying attention to where the light hits and where the shadows fall.

Leave room for highlights by using lighter brushstrokes in specific areas, such as the top of the head and the strands framing the face.

Tip: Then use firm pressure to make sure the paint penetrates the texture of the canvas and blending the darker areas with lighter values will give the hair more volume and realism.

Step 3: Adding Facial Features

Now that the hair is blocked in, it’s time to focus on the face. Then begin with the lighter skin tones. Mix titanium white with a bit of raw sienna and pyro red orange. Because this combination provides a warm, natural skin tone, apply the highlight colors to the areas where light hits the most, such as the forehead, cheeks, and chin.

For the shadows, mix raw umber dark with alizarin crimson to create a soft, reddish shadow. Apply this to the areas that fall into shadow, particularly on the right side of the face where light is less prominent.

Pay close attention to the subtle transitions between light and dark. This is key to achieving a realistic, three-dimensional effect.

Tip: Use smaller round brushes for the finer details like the eyes, nose, and mouth. Keep the brushstrokes loose, especially in the early stages, to avoid overworking the paint.

Step 4: Defining Light and Shadow

The success of a portrait depends heavily on how well you capture the play of light and shadow. In this painting, the light source is on the left, casting most of the face in a soft glow. The right side of the face falls into shadow, which adds depth and contrast.

To enhance this, add more ivory black and burnt sienna to the shadow areas on the face and neck. The interplay between light and dark will help define the features and make the portrait more striking.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to use more intense shadows. They can be adjusted later with highlights or softened through blending.

Step 5: Refining the Details

At this point, it’s time to go back and refine the smaller details. Use a fine brush to suggest the eyebrows, eyes, and mouth. For the eyes, a mix of raw umber dark and a tiny bit of alizarin crimson will give depth to the pupils, while white highlights can be added for reflection.

For the lips, mix pyro red orange with alizarin crimson to create a subtle pink tone. The lips should be softly blended into the surrounding skin, paying attention to where light and shadow fall on them.

Step 6: Final Touches and Adjustments

As the portrait nears completion, make any necessary adjustments to the values and colors. Add more contrast where needed, especially in the hair and facial features. Blend areas that appear too harsh and add highlights to areas that need more light.

Finally, step back from your painting and evaluate it from a distance. This will help you see the overall composition and balance.

Tips for Painting Efficiently:

1. Set a Timer: Limiting yourself to 30 minutes encourages you to work quickly and make decisive brushstrokes.
2. Practice Frequently: The more you paint quick portraits, the better you’ll get at gauging proportions and capturing likenesses in less time.
3. Use a Limited Palette: Restricting your color choices can speed up the mixing process and ensure consistency throughout the painting.
4. Focus on Large Shapes First: Start with the overall shapes and proportions before moving to the details. This prevents overworking smaller areas and maintains balance.
5. Take Breaks to Evaluate: Step away from the painting to view it with fresh eyes. This will help you identify areas that need improvement or adjustment.

Conclusion

Painting a young woman with black hair in 30 minute acrylics is an excellent way to hone your skills, improve your speed, and gain confidence. By focusing on the key elements of light and shadow, blocking in major shapes, and refining the details efficiently, you can create a striking portrait in a short amount of time. Try incorporating this exercise into your regular painting routine to see significant improvement in your portraits.

Remember, practice is key, and with each portrait, you’ll get closer to mastering the alla prima technique. Happy painting!

 If you struggle with muddy skin tones and blotchiness in your portraits, download my free pdf guide called fix muddy skin tones in your acrylic portrait download here . 

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• How Do You Do Layers With the Glazing Technique?
• Learn How to Paint Wrinkles in Acrylic

Read more about how to paint a portrait that you can surely be proud of!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this tutorial and watch the video. That means a lot to me.  I hope you find it very helpful in your portrait painting.  

Yours for Better Portraits,

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