Realistic Acrylic Portrait School

All posts by Matt Philleo

How to Do Shading and Skin Tones on Small Faces

How to Shading & Skin Tones on Small Faces

Having trouble shading and toning small faces?

Introduction

When painting small faces in acrylic portraits, achieving the right balance of shading and skin tones can be tricky. The key lies in understanding light values and applying the glazing technique to create realistic tones and depth. In this post, I will guide you through a step-by-step process that will help you refine your acrylic portrait and improve your ability to paint smaller, more intricate details.

Step 1: Understanding Light Values

Before working with color, it’s essential to focus on values. Values refer to the lightness or darkness of an area, and they must be correctly identified and applied before considering color. For small faces, areas like the nose, chin, and cheeks are crucial for defining the facial structure. Often, light comes from above, casting subtle shadows and highlights that bring out the form.

  • Tip: Use reference photos to study where light falls and shadows form on the subject’s face.

Step 2: Selecting Colors for Skin Tones

To achieve realistic skin tones, choose a mix of burnt sienna and titanium white as your base. Adding raw sienna or pyrrole orange can help create warmth and chromatic variation. Start with these hues and adjust the mix depending on the tone you want to achieve. For example, titanium white will cool the skin tone, making it lighter, while raw sienna adds warmth.

  • Technique: Mix your colors with matte medium to create a transparent glaze that gives your painting more luminosity. Matte medium thins the paint while keeping it translucent, allowing for subtle layers of color that add depth without overwhelming the details.

Step 3: Applying Glazes for Smooth Shading

Glazing is crucial for achieving smooth transitions between light and shadow. When working on small faces, apply thin, semi-opaque glazes to slowly build up the skin tone. Make sure to adjust the transparency by adding more matte medium to control how much of the underlying paint shows through.

  1. Start with the lighter areas: Apply a semi-opaque layer to the nose and chin, which typically catch more light.
  2. Darken the cheeks: Using a slightly darker glaze, apply this color to the cheeks to create contrast with the highlighted areas.
  • Tip: Wipe off excess paint to avoid streaks and ensure the glaze goes on smoothly. This prevents any harsh lines from forming, which could make the face appear less realistic.

Step 4: Enhancing Shadows for Depth

Once the basic skin tones are in place, it’s time to enhance the shadows, particularly around the eyes, jawline, and nose. Shadows are often underpainted, leading to faces that lack depth. When shading small faces, it’s vital to ensure that areas such as the eye sockets are sufficiently darkened to enhance realism.

  • Tip: Don’t be afraid to go darker in these areas—shadows help ground the subject and bring the highlights into sharper focus.

Step 5: Adjusting Skin Tone with Chromatic Intensity

As you build up layers of glazes, add small amounts of pyrrole orange or Indian yellow to intensify the chroma. This helps achieve a more natural skin tone that has subtle color variations. Skin isn’t a flat color but rather a dynamic surface with slight shifts in hue.

  • Technique: Add a little matte medium to each glaze to increase translucency, making the layers more vibrant and realistic. Apply the glaze lightly to areas like the neck or cheeks to enhance warmth, blending softly into the surrounding tones.

Step 6: Adding Final Shading and Highlights

To finish the shading process, concentrate on the jawline and neck area, particularly where light reflects off the subject’s clothing. For example, red clothing can reflect onto the neck, casting a warm glow. In such cases, mix pyrrole orange with matte medium and apply it sparingly to mimic this effect.

Finally, add a final layer of highlights using a lighter glaze of titanium white. These highlights should be carefully placed on areas like the tip of the nose or chin to emphasize light reflections and bring the painting to life.

Tips for Success:

  • Keep your reference close: Position your reference photo close to your canvas or easel so you don’t lose focus on important details.
  • Layer gradually: Acrylic painting is best done in layers. Don’t rush the process by applying too much paint at once.
  • Use multiple glazes: Thin, multiple layers of glazes help achieve a smooth and realistic finish.
  • Mix paints properly: Ensuring the correct mix of color and matte medium is crucial for achieving the right transparency.
  • Adjust shadows properly: Eye sockets and other shadowed areas should be dark enough to provide contrast.

Shading and adjusting skin tones on small faces in an acrylic portrait can be accomplished through careful observation and the application of glazing techniques. Focus on values first, and build up skin tones through thin, transparent layers. By following these steps, you’ll improve the depth and realism in your portraits, making even the smallest details shine.

If you want to learn more about perfecting your acrylic portraits, download my free PDF guide, “Fix Muddy Skin Tones in Your Acrylic Portrait now.

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

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

 

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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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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!

 

 

 

Painting Dark Shadows on Acrylic Grisaille

How to Paint Dark Shadows on Acrylic Grisaille

Blocking in dark values: step-by-Step process

Introduction to Painting Dark Shadows in Acrylic Grisaille

Acrylic grisaille is a painting technique that involves creating a monochromatic underpainting, often using shades of gray, before adding layers of color. In this tutorial, we’ll focus on blocking in dark shadows to bring depth and contrast to your acrylic painting. Whether you’re aiming for a tenebristic style like Caravaggio or simply want to add drama to your artwork, understanding how to paint dark shadows is crucial for enhancing realism.

Tools and Materials You Will Need

Before diving into the painting process, ensure you have the following materials:

  • Raw umber dark, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, and alizarine crimson acrylic paints
  • Matte medium for thinning paint
  • Various flat brushes, including a 5/8 flat brush for detail work
  • A palette knife for mixing paints
  • A well-lit workspace and a stool to avoid glare
  • A reference photo or sketch to guide your shadow placement

Mixing the Perfect Dark Color for Shadows

Start by mixing a dark, rich color for the shadows. Combine raw umber dark and ultramarine blue to create a deep, cool tone. Adding a bit of burnt sienna helps warm the mixture, while a touch of alizarine crimson introduces a subtle richness. Adjust the ratio of colors based on the specific mood or temperature of the scene.

For instance, in this tutorial, a cooler shadow effect was achieved by increasing the ultramarine blue. The result is a dark yet balanced tone that complements the highlights added later.

Blocking in Dark Values: Step-by-Step Process

Begin blocking in the dark values with a larger flat brush. Load your brush generously with the mixed shadow color, and apply it in bold strokes. As demonstrated, this approach works especially well for areas requiring significant contrast, such as the space around Paul the Apostle in this painting.

When cutting around specific features, such as the clothing and hair, be mindful of leaving some negative space. This ensures you can refine the details later without having to repaint the base.

Additionally, remember that acrylics dry quickly, so work efficiently to smooth out the paint before it sets. If any areas dry prematurely, you can always add another layer to even out the tones.

Blending Techniques for Smooth Transitions

Acrylic paint often dries with hard edges, especially when applying darker shades. To prevent this, blend the shadows using diagonal brush strokes. As seen in the demonstration, transitioning between dark and light areas is smoother when using less brush pressure towards the lighter sections.

Use matte medium to thin the paint slightly, allowing more time to blend before it dries. Work in sections and be prepared to layer additional coats if necessary to avoid choppy areas. For the ultimate smoothness, blend back and forth in different directions.

Adding Detail to Create Depth and Contrast

Once the primary shadows are in place, focus on adding smaller details to build depth. Switch to a smaller brush, such as a 5/8 flat, to refine wrinkles in fabric or the curvature of objects in the scene. For example, the shadows in Paul’s clothing and the background elements, like the table and scroll, help emphasize the contrast between light and dark.

Ensure the shadows align with the light source in your painting. In this case, the light enters from a window, so shadows naturally fall on the opposite side of the figure.

Final Touches and Highlights for a Dramatic Effect

With the dark shadows blocked in, the next step is refining the overall composition by adding subtle highlights. This adds dimension and makes the painting come to life. For a tenebristic effect, keep the contrast stark, allowing the dark shadows to enhance the illuminated areas dramatically.

Don’t be afraid to go back and adjust any areas that may need more shadow or blending. Continue to smooth the paint with diagonal strokes to maintain a natural look.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Painting Shadows

  • Using too much water: While thinning paint is essential for blending, avoid over-diluting the paint, as this can lead to unwanted transparency.
  • Hard edges everywhere: Without blending properly, hard edges can make the painting look flat. Be strategic about where to leave hard edges for contrast and where to soften them for realism.
  • Rushing the drying process: Allow the paint to dry in stages. This is especially important when adding multiple layers of shadows. If the paint is not fully dry, it may smudge or create uneven textures.
  • Ignoring the light source: Shadows must fall consistently with the light source in your scene. Always keep this in mind to avoid unrealistic shadow placement.

Painting dark shadows on an acrylic grisaille can elevate your artwork by creating depth, contrast, and drama. Through careful color mixing, strategic blending, and attention to detail, you can achieve a sophisticated look that mimics the style of the Old Masters. Practice these techniques, and soon, your paintings will have a professional, realistic feel that captures the eye of every viewer.

LEARN MORE

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

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

 

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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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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!

 

 

 

How to Paint Hands in Your Acrylic Portrait

How to Paint Hands in Your Acrylic Portrait

Achieving the realism in painting hands with acrylic glazing techniques

Painting hands in acrylic portraits can be a challenging but rewarding process. Hands convey emotions, tell stories, and often present unique features such as wrinkles, tendons, and veins. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to approach painting hands using acrylics, focusing on shading, blending, and capturing lifelike details. We will use the glazing technique, where layers of translucent paint are applied to gradually build depth and form.

Step 1: Preparing Your Colors

Before diving into the painting process, it’s crucial to have a well-prepared palette. The artist in this demonstration uses a combination of matte medium with colors like burnt sienna, raw umber dark, and raw sienna. These muted earth tones provide an excellent base for the shadows and overall structure of the hand.

By starting with a medium tint, you will lay down the foundation of the shadows. This is important because it allows the translucent layers to blend seamlessly and enhances the overall realism of the hand.

Step 2: Building Shadows and Wrinkles

Wrinkles, tendons, and veins on hands often give character and realism to a portrait. In the video, the painter carefully studies the reference photo, noting details like transverse tendons and blood vessels. By slowly applying layers of glaze, these elements are gradually brought to life.

  • Tip: Use a small round brush and carefully strengthen the shadows on the hand. This method helps create depth and subtle distinctions, ensuring the hand doesn’t look flat.

As you work, focus on not overdoing the wrinkles. It’s important to capture them delicately, as overemphasizing them can detract from the natural appearance of the hand. Some softening will allow you to keep the realism while maintaining a pleasing aesthetic.

Step 3: Defining Form with Subtle Shading

In painting hands, value plays a significant role in distinguishing between areas like the fingers, knuckles, and palm. The artist emphasizes that value—rather than simply lines—creates realistic separations. For example, shading the knuckles can give them a more prominent appearance, while softer shadows can define the fingers’ thickness.

  • Technique: Gently darken areas where shadows naturally fall, such as beneath the fingers and between the knuckles. This will provide dimension and realism to the hands.

Additionally, when painting hands in a portrait, it’s important to pay attention to the interaction between objects. For instance, in this artwork, the man’s hand is holding his wife’s. The shading of his fingers gives weight and solidity to the interaction between the two subjects.

Step 4: Capturing Skin Tones

Getting the right skin tone is essential for making your hand painting realistic. In this portrait, the artist uses a variety of colors, including raw sienna and titanium white, to lighten areas and add more lifelike tones. While painting, observe your reference photo closely. Hands, especially aged hands, may feature more reddish tones around the knuckles and fingertips due to visible blood vessels.

  • Tip: Mixing Pyrrole orange and alizarine crimson adds warmth and redness to areas of the hand, which helps balance the cooler, more neutral colors used in the rest of the portrait.

Another key consideration is the variation of tones within the hand itself. For instance, the artist explains that the fingers might appear more pink due to the underlying capillaries, while the arm closer to the hand can have a tanned or yellowish hue. These subtle changes in color help create a more believable and engaging portrait.

Step 5: Layering Glazes for Nuanced Details

The glazing technique allows you to build layers of paint without overwhelming the surface. It’s a process that takes time but offers excellent control over the final result.

  • Technique: Dilute your chosen color with matte medium to create a glaze, then apply it gradually over the surface of the hand. This technique enables you to deepen shadows, highlight wrinkles, and blend transitions between different parts of the hand.

I added a subtle reddish tint to the fingertips using a diluted glaze. This not only adds color but also sculpts the fingers’ shape by creating depth. The fingers are distinct from the palm and arm due to their warmth, helping convey realism.

Step 6: Refining Wrinkles and Adding Final Details

As you near the end of the painting, focus on refining the small details, such as individual wrinkles and knuckle highlights. The artist mentions not overloading the portrait with too many wrinkles, as it could overwhelm the subject and make the hand appear unnatural. A balance of soft and strong lines is key to realism.

  • Tip: Use a small amount of raw sienna and titanium White to lighten certain areas where skin stretches, such as on the knuckles or palm. This highlights the hand’s structure and adds dimension to the portrait.

If there are specific features like rings or fingernails, take the time to suggest their form subtly without overworking them. Remember, the goal is to add just enough detail to convey the subject’s hands realistically without creating an overly defined or stiff appearance.

Final Thoughts: Patience and Observation

Painting hands can be a meticulous process, but the key is patience. As the video demonstrates, frequent observation of your reference photo is essential. In fact, aiming to look at your reference for 50% of the time while painting can dramatically improve your results.

As you work, remember to use glazes to create soft transitions, deepen shadows, and build up details gradually. The end result will be a set of hands that not only look realistic but also convey the unique characteristics of the person being painted.

By focusing on glazing techniques, careful shading, and attention to skin tones, you can master the art of painting hands in acrylic. Whether you’re painting wrinkled hands full of character or smooth, youthful hands, these techniques will help you create lifelike, detailed portraits.

Watch my free tutorial to learn more about how to paint hands in your acrylic portrait.

LEARN MORE

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

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

 

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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,

Signature_200dpi_sm.jpg

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!

 

 

 

 

How to Add Highlights to Background Trees in Your Acrylic Portrait

How To Add Highlights To Background Trees In Acrylic Painting

Creating a depth with layered highlights in background trees

Adding highlights to background trees can transform the overall look of your acrylic painting, bringing depth and realism to your artwork. In this tutorial, we will explore how to effectively apply highlights using a semi-opaque glaze to suggest the texture and lighting of background foliage. You’ll learn the nuances of mixing colors, selecting the right brushes, and how to use these techniques to add beautiful details to your painting.

Step 1: Prepare Your Colors and Materials

Before you begin, ensure you have your colors mixed and materials ready. For this tutorial, we will primarily use the following colors:

  • Titanium White
  • Indian Yellow
  • Phthalo Blue

These colors will help create a vibrant greenish-yellow tone for your highlights. Begin by mixing a small amount of titanium white, Indian yellow, and a touch of phthalo blue. The result will be a soft, yellow-green that works well for depicting leaves hit by sunlight.

Tip: Balance the Chromatic Intensity

When mixing colors for the highlights, aim for a hue that’s slightly lighter and warmer than the mid-tones of your background trees. This will ensure your highlights blend smoothly without appearing too stark.

Step 2: Apply the Initial Highlights

Using a round brush, begin applying the semi-opaque glaze in areas where light naturally hits the leaves. A delicate touch is essential to achieve a soft, realistic effect. Allow your brush to dance lightly across the surface, adding small, irregular dabs of color. These represent leaves catching light through the foliage.

Technique: Layer the Highlights Gradually

  • Start with a lighter glaze and build the highlights gradually.
  • Avoid heavy strokes—let the leaves appear naturally.
  • Apply the glaze sparingly, focusing on areas where the sun would naturally illuminate the leaves, such as the tops of trees or branches.

Step 3: Adjust the Color Mix for Shadows

As you move to darker areas of the background, adjust your color mix by adding more phthalo blue and Indian yellow. This will deepen the tone and create a more chromatic variation, essential for achieving a balanced look across the painting.

Tip: Keep the Highlights Balanced

If the glaze starts to appear too light or chalky over the darker areas, adjust by darkening the mixture. You can add a small amount of ultramarine blue and raw sienna to muddy the glaze slightly, helping it blend with the darker sections of your background.

Step 4: Use Different Brushes for Varying Effects

Switching brushes during the painting process can help create different textures and effects. For instance:

  • The round brush is great for detailed highlights and small leaf shapes.
  • A filbert brush can be used to create more painterly, out-of-focus leaves, giving the background a softer, blurred effect.

This transition between brush types will create a contrast between the crispness of the highlighted leaves and the soft appearance of the background trees.

Technique: Blending the Highlights

  • Use the filbert brush to blend the edges of your highlights into the mid-tones and shadows.
  • Focus on adding smaller leaf shapes at different angles to suggest movement and depth.

Step 5: Fine-Tune the Details

Once you’ve applied your initial highlights, it’s time to refine the details. You don’t want to over-detail every section—just a few carefully placed dabs of light color can enhance the effect. Aim for balance by leaving some areas less detailed while others are slightly more refined.

Tip: Create Variation in Highlight Intensity

Vary the intensity of your highlights by alternating between slightly lighter and slightly darker hues. This will make your background trees appear more dynamic and realistic.

Step 6: Blend and Add Warmth

As you work on the upper areas of the trees, ensure that the highlights are slightly warmer in tone compared to the surrounding colors. Mixing titanium white with Indian yellow can create a warmer highlight that mimics the effect of sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Technique: Use Warm and Cool Tones

When adding highlights to the trees, consider the lighting conditions in your painting. For areas where direct sunlight hits, opt for a warmer yellowish tint. In contrast, cooler highlights with more blue are suitable for areas in shadow or indirect light.

Step 7: Final Touches and Adding Depth

In the final stages, focus on fine-tuning the leaves and highlights. You can add depth by placing a few outliers—small spots of light—away from the main group of leaves. This will create a natural, unstructured look that enhances realism.

Tip: Avoid Overworking the Highlights

Overworking the highlights can make your painting look artificial. Instead, apply your brushstrokes with intention, leaving areas of contrast between light and dark to maintain a balanced composition.

Bring Your Background to Life with Highlights

By adding highlights to your background trees, you can bring an entirely new dimension to your acrylic painting. The glazing technique allows you to control the transparency of the paint, creating subtle yet impactful lighting effects that mimic real-life foliage. With practice and attention to detail, you’ll master this technique and enhance the overall realism of your landscape paintings.

Read more about my additional resources, tutorials, to learn more and check out my free courses here. . Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, there’s always something new to learn and apply to your paintings. Happy painting!

LEARN MORE

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

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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,

Signature_200dpi_sm.jpg

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!

 

Highlights in Acrylic: Titanium White

How To Paint Grisaille Highlights in Acrylic: Titanium White

I’ll show you the techniques for blending highlights in acrylic portrait

Grisaille, a classical painting technique known for its monochromatic style, allows artists to focus on value and form without the distraction of color. In this tutorial, we explore how to paint grisaille highlights in acrylic, particularly with titanium white. This technique, inspired by Caravaggio’s dramatic chiaroscuro, emphasizes light and dark contrasts, bringing your paintings to life with depth and realism.

By using titanium white, mixed with a bit of raw sienna, you’ll learn how to achieve a warm, yet stark effect that highlights key areas of your artwork. Whether you’re new to acrylic painting or looking to refine your skills, this guide will walk you through every step, from glazing techniques to perfecting highlights.

Step 1: Preparing Your Canvas with a Dark Glaze

To begin the process, it’s essential to prepare your canvas with a dark glaze, which serves as the foundation for your highlights. In this video tutorial, the artist uses a glaze made from raw umber and acrylic matte medium. This dark base creates a mid-tone that will allow the titanium white highlights to stand out dramatically.

By layering the dark glaze over your existing painting, you can tone down distracting elements, such as sketch lines or uneven color applications, giving you a cleaner surface to work on.

Tip: Mix acrylic matte medium with raw umber to create a thin, even glaze. Apply it over the entire painting, focusing on areas where you want to enhance the depth.

Step 2: Mixing Titanium White with Raw Sienna

Pure titanium white can appear too stark when applied directly to a dark canvas. To soften this effect and add warmth, mix titanium white with a small amount of raw sienna. This combination creates a creamier, more natural highlight.

The translucency of the paint can be controlled by mixing in more acrylic matte medium. This allows for a range of opacity, helping you create subtle transitions between light and shadow.

Technique: Start with a mix of titanium white and raw sienna on your palette. Adjust the opacity by adding matte medium, which allows you to build up highlights gradually.

Step 3: Applying Highlights to the Face and Hands

When painting highlights in grisaille, the most important areas to focus on are the face and hands. These are often the focal points of portraits, and by carefully applying highlights, you can bring a sense of realism and depth.

Begin by using a small, precise brush to apply the titanium white mixture to the brightest parts of the face, such as the nose, cheeks, and forehead. Dab the paint lightly, allowing some of the dark glaze beneath to show through. This will give a natural gradation of light to dark, creating a smooth transition between the highlights and the mid-tones.

Tip: Work in thin layers, building up the highlights slowly. This method prevents the highlights from appearing too harsh and ensures a seamless blend with the surrounding areas.

Step 4: Enhancing Textures and Details

In addition to broad highlights, it’s important to emphasize finer details such as hair, facial features, and textures like clothing. For instance, when highlighting the beard, use small brushstrokes to imply the texture of the hair. This technique brings a realistic feel to your portrait without overworking the details.

For areas like the lips and teeth, use titanium white sparingly, focusing on the parts that catch the most light. You can also enhance the texture of clothing by gently dabbing the highlights onto folds and creases.

Technique: Use a thinner brush for detail work. For areas like the beard or hair, short, quick strokes can mimic the natural texture, while smooth, long strokes work better for areas like the lips or hands.

Step 5: Final Touches with Titanium White

The final step is to refine the highlights and ensure that all areas of the painting are balanced. Evaluate the contrast between the light and dark areas, adjusting the highlights as necessary. This is where you can add more layers of titanium white to really make the focal points pop.

Before completing the painting, take a step back and assess the overall effect. The goal of grisaille painting is to create a sense of depth and volume through value contrasts. Your highlights should look natural and blend smoothly with the mid-tones and shadows.

Tip: Photograph your painting throughout the process to track your progress. This will help you see how the highlights evolve and ensure that you don’t overdo the light areas.

Painting grisaille highlights in acrylic using titanium white can give your artwork a striking, classical look. By following this tutorial and experimenting with Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro style, you’ll be able to create powerful contrasts between light and dark, giving your portraits depth and drama.

We’re continuing on painting a grisaille with titanium white highlights on top of my portrait of Paul the Apostle praying. My goal is to use a similar (though not identical) approach to what Caravaggio does in his tenebrism chiaroscuro works.

In the last video, I did a raw umber dark glaze over the entire painting to give it a ground or a tone to work out of. In this video. I’ll show you how to add white highlights to the clothing—we’ll do a lot of work on folds and creases—and then the hands. Naturally, the hands are important, because they convey the emotion, the intensity of his prayer. So we want to make sure we give them the proper attention.

Understanding the Basics of Tenebristic Chiaroscuro in Acrylic

In traditional tenebristic painting, artists would also start by applying a dark ground or base coat to the entire canvas. But, this method allows shadows to act as the foundation of the piece. The lighter areas are gradually added to create form and depth, using the contrast between light and dark to highlight key elements of the portrait.

I begin with the Apostle Paul with a rich raw umber glaze, applying it over a pre-sketched drawing in colored pencil. Three layers of glaze are added, each building up the depth and darkening the overall canvas. Ultramarine blue and raw umber were mixed for shadows, while titanium white and raw sienna created the highlights.

Key Materials for Acrylic Chiaroscuro

  1. Raw Umber and Ultramarine Blue: These colors are essential for achieving deep shadows in your portrait.
  2. Titanium White and Raw Sienna: Use this mixture to bring out your highlights in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the mid-tones.
  3. Acrylic Matte Medium: This medium helps thin the paint without losing its opacity. It also aids in creating smoother transitions between light and shadow.

By using acrylic matte medium, you can mimic the look of traditional oil paints while working with the quicker-drying properties of acrylics. This medium helps with blending and glazing, allowing artists to work in layers while keeping the colors vibrant.

Steps to Creating a Chiaroscuro Effect

  1. Start with a Dark Ground: Begin your painting with a base layer of raw umber. This helps establish a neutral ground to work on and immediately sets the tone for the shadows in the piece.
  2. Building Shadows: Use ultramarine blue and raw umber to deepen the darker areas of your painting. In this project, I’ll focus on shading areas like the folds of the Apostle Paul’s clothing and the space behind his praying hands.
  3. Applying Highlights: Mix titanium white with raw sienna for a natural, warm highlight. In this example, I use to accentuate the Apostle’s face and hands, making these features pop against the darker backdrop. Use a small round brush (size 4) for precision when applying highlights to detailed areas like the face and hands.
  4. Nuances in Clothing and Skin: Observe how light interacts with the surface of the skin and clothing. Subtle wrinkles in fabric and slight variations in skin tone add realism. Refine these details by constantly checking your reference photo and replicating the shapes and values as accurately as possible.

Glazing for Vibrance and Depth

Finally, one of the most critical parts of this process is glazing. Whereas, thin layers of color are applied over the top of previous layers, allowing the underpainting to show through and adding luminosity. In this tutorial, I also, use matte medium with his acrylics to create smooth, transparent glazes that allow light to pass through and interact with the darker base layer.

For example, after laying down the highlights, I return on a glaze to deepen the shadows and smooth the transitions between light and dark. This creates the rich, vibrant tones seen in the final portrait.

Tips for Success with Acrylic Chiaroscuro

  • Study Your Reference Photo: When painting from reference, spend at least 50% of your time looking at the photo. The more you observe, the more accurate your rendering of light and shadow will be.
  • Use a Light Hand with Highlights: It’s tempting to overdo the highlights, but the key to a successful chiaroscuro painting is restraint. Your highlights should be reserved for the most prominent areas to maintain contrast.
  • Build in Layers: Don’t rush the process. Acrylic dries quickly, allowing you to build up multiple layers to achieve depth and nuance. Thin glazes add complexity and realism to your portrait.
  • Don’t Overwork Shadows: Once your dark values are established, resist the urge to lighten them too much. In chiaroscuro, the balance between deep shadows and striking highlights creates the drama and mood you’re looking for.

Then, tenebristic chiaroscuro technique is a timeless method for adding depth, drama, and realism to your portraits. In carefully observing your reference and using layered glazes, you can bring an Old Masters’ look to your modern acrylic paintings. Whether you’re depicting a subject like the Apostle Paul or another figure, this technique offers a powerful way to create compelling and expressive works of art.

Feel free to download my free guide on Fixing Muddy Skin Tones to refine your skills further and elevate your portrait painting techniques!

 

Watch my tutorial to learn more about painting a grisaille highlights in acrylic.

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

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

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Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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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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!

 

How to Block-in Dark Values on Chiaroscuro Acrylic

How to Block-in Dark Values on Chiaroscuro Acrylic

How to layer and blend acrylic paint for depth

When creating a chiaroscuro painting, one of the most critical steps is blocking in the dark values. This technique emphasizes the contrast between light and dark, producing dramatic lighting and depth. In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to apply dark tones strategically using acrylics, helping you to achieve a balanced and realistic portrayal. By following along, you’ll understand the key methods for effectively handling dark values to improve your paintings.

Materials and Paint Mixtures for Blocking-In

Before diving into the process, it’s important to prepare the correct materials. In this tutorial, we’ll be using a mix of raw umber dark, ultramarine blue, and burnt sienna. The combination of these colors allows for the creation of rich, dark tones. When mixed together, these shades form the ideal hues for blocking in the shadows that define the chiaroscuro technique.

Make sure to have these materials ready:

  • Raw Umber Dark
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Alizarine Crimson (optional for richness)
  • Flat Brushes in Various Sizes
  • Matte Medium

Step 1: Preparing the Dark Values

To begin with, mix raw umber dark and ultramarine blue on your palette, aiming for a deep and cool-toned black. Add a touch of burnt sienna to warm up the mixture slightly. This blend serves as the base for your dark values.

Tip:

For added richness, you can include a hint of alizarine crimson. This will introduce subtle depth to your shadows, making them more visually dynamic.

Once your color is mixed, load your brush and ensure you have enough paint to cover large sections of the painting.

Step 2: Blocking in the Shadows

Start by using a larger flat brush to block in the darkest areas of your subject. These shadows define the structure of your composition and help establish the dramatic lighting that is key to chiaroscuro. Use a bold, confident stroke to apply the dark paint, particularly in the background areas or where the deepest shadows fall.

Technique Tip:

Apply the paint in diagonal strokes for a smoother finish. As acrylic dries quickly, you’ll need to blend while the paint is still wet. Thin the paint with matte medium if needed to increase translucency, ensuring smoother transitions between values.

Step 3: Cutting Around the Edges

When working around detailed parts of the painting, such as the subject’s clothing or hair, switch to a smaller brush for precision. Carefully “cut” around these areas, making sure the dark values don’t intrude on the lighter portions of the painting.

This step is crucial for maintaining the balance between hard and soft edges, which enhances the realism of your artwork.

Technique Tip:

Leave a slight gap where highlights will go later. This will help prevent overlapping, which can muddy the dark tones. If you make a mistake, don’t worry—you can fix it with additional layers later.

Step 4: Balancing Opacity and Transparency

As you apply the dark paint, consider how opaque or translucent you want the layer to be. More opaque paint will create stronger contrasts, while translucent layers help smooth out transitions. Then, gradually build up to a fully opaque black background or shadow as you work.

Technique Tip:

If your paint dries unevenly or too quickly, but you use a perpendicular brush stroke to avoid digging into the surface. When you hold the brush lightly and ease the pressure as you near the top of the stroke, creating a smooth, seamless gradient.

Step 5: Smoothing Out the Dark Layers

Once you’ve blocked in the major dark areas, take time to smooth out any rough patches. Use a soft, diagonal stroke to blend between different tones. Work from dark to light, gradually using less paint as you move into the lighter areas of the painting. This smooth transition is essential for maintaining the realistic feel of chiaroscuro.

Technique Tip:

If areas become choppy or uneven, apply another layer of paint. To avoid this, maintain consistent brush pressure and direction.

Step 6: Enhancing the Richness of Shadows

To add more depth to your painting, apply additional layers of dark values where needed. For example, you might deepen the shadows on fabric folds or darken areas behind your subject. A careful balance of hard edges and soft transitions will bring out the three-dimensionality of your work.

Incorporating subtle shifts between cooler and warmer dark tones—achieved by adjusting your mix with ultramarine blue or burnt sienna—further enhances the richness of the shadows.

Achieving Contrast in Chiaroscuro Painting

Blocking in dark values is a vital component of creating a successful chiaroscuro painting. Then, by using a balanced mixture of raw umber dark, ultramarine blue, and burnt sienna, and applying it with precision and confidence, you can build the dramatic contrast needed for a striking and realistic result. Also, always, remember to carefully blend your strokes, maintain a balance between soft and hard edges, and layer your paint for added depth.

With practice, these techniques will help you master chiaroscuro acrylic painting, giving your portraits a sense of realism and intensity that captivates viewers.

Read more about my additional resources, tutorials, to learn more and check out my free courses here. . Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, there’s always something new to learn and apply to your paintings. Happy painting!

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

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

 

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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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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!

 

 

How To Paint Caravaggio-Style Tenebrism Glaze In Acrylic

How To Paint Caravaggio-Style Tenebrism Glaze In Acrylic

Add lighter values on top of the dark instead of carving around them.

In the art world, few styles evoke as much drama and intensity as Caravaggio’s tenebrism. This technique, a more extreme version of chiaroscuro, involves intense contrasts between light and dark to create depth, mystery, and emotion in a painting. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to replicate Caravaggio’s tenebrism glaze using acrylics, beginning with a glazing technique and moving into a brown ground to create a powerful effect of light emerging from darkness.

What is Tenebrism?

Tenebrism is a style used in painting where deep shadows dominate the scene, while illuminated figures stand out starkly against the dark background. Caravaggio was a master of this technique, creating artwork where light dramatically reveals key elements while the rest of the canvas is engulfed in darkness. The approach captures emotion and creates tension, making the illuminated parts appear almost three-dimensional.

The Transition from Glazing to Tenebrism

At the beginning of this project, I employed a traditional glazing technique, which involves building layers of transparent paint to achieve depth and subtle shifts in tone. While glazing offers control and smooth transitions, it doesn’t always produce the dramatic impact that Caravaggio’s tenebrism achieves. This is where switching to a brown ground, a foundational step of Renaissance artists, comes into play.

Preparing the Brown Ground

Step 1: Select Your Pigment

To create the brown ground, you’ll want to mix raw umber, a pigment often used during the Renaissance. For this project, I mixed raw umber dark with a clear acrylic matte medium. You can also add a touch of ultramarine blue for cooler shadows, but raw umber should be the dominant color.

Step 2: Apply the First Layer

Using a large flat brush, begin by applying the raw umber glaze over your entire canvas. Keep your strokes smooth, using vertical strokes to cover the area, then go over it with diagonal crisscross strokes to blend the glaze evenly. The goal is to create an even brown tone across the entire canvas, which will serve as the foundation for adding highlights and shadows later.

Layering to Create Depth

Step 3: Build Multiple Glazes

One layer of glaze might not be enough to achieve the rich, dark tone you’re looking for. Apply additional layers of raw umber, allowing each to dry in between. By layering, you’ll deepen the shadows and create a background that enhances the contrast of your highlights.

Adding Light and Highlights

Step 4: Introduce White Highlights

Once your brown ground is set, you can begin adding titanium white highlights. This is where Caravaggio’s tenebrism really comes to life. Gently build up areas of light by applying small strokes of white paint where you want the focus to be—the face, hands, or drapery, for instance. Start with faint highlights and gradually intensify them.

Tip: Remember, the light in tenebrism isn’t evenly distributed. Focus the brightest highlights on a single point of interest and allow the light to fade as it moves away from this area, leaving the majority of the canvas in shadow.

Techniques for Effective Light and Shadow

  • Blending for Soft Transitions: Use a dry brush technique to gently blend the edges of your highlights into the surrounding dark areas. This will soften the transition between light and dark, giving a realistic sense of form and depth.
  • Wet-on-Wet Blending: To create a smooth gradient between light and shadow, work while the paint is still wet. This allows you to merge the colors seamlessly, achieving a lifelike glow.

The Importance of Contrast

In tenebrism, contrast is everything. Caravaggio’s works often feature harsh, abrupt shifts between light and dark. To achieve this, ensure that your dark values are sufficiently deep and that your highlights are bright enough to stand out. As the painting progresses, continuously compare your lights and darks, adjusting them as needed to maintain the dramatic effect.

Adjusting the Composition

Step 5: Revisit the Dark Areas

Once you’ve established your highlights, you may need to go back into the dark areas to further emphasize the contrast. A few light touches of raw umber or a darker mix of ultramarine blue and burnt umber can help reinforce the shadows.

This step is crucial because it prevents the painting from feeling too evenly lit, which would reduce the dramatic tension characteristic of tenebrism.

Tips for Success

  1. Keep Your Glazes Thin: For a smooth, luminous finish, always dilute your paint with acrylic matte medium. This allows you to build up color gradually without losing transparency.
  2. Use a Large Brush for Base Layers: A large, flat brush works best when applying the initial glazes. It helps ensure an even coat and speeds up the process.
  3. Work in Layers: Don’t rush to add your highlights. Allow each layer to dry fully before moving on to the next. Patience is key for achieving the depth tenebrism requires.
  4. Focus on Lighting: Tenebrism is all about the interplay of light and shadow. Consider how the light source affects your subject and exaggerate those effects for dramatic impact.

Caravaggio’s tenebrism offers a striking, dramatic approach to painting, one that captures the eye and draws the viewer into the story being told on canvas. By combining traditional glazing techniques with a brown ground and stark white highlights, you can create an acrylic painting that captures the power and mystery of light emerging from the darkness.

Read more about my additional resources, tutorials, to learn more and check out my free courses here. . Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, there’s always something new to learn and apply to your paintings. Happy painting!

Painting a Caravaggio-Style Tenebrism Glaze in Acrylic

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

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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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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!

 

How to Paint Dark, Wavy Hair in Your Acrylic Portrait

How to Paint Dark Wavy Hair in Your Acrylic Portrait

Learn to paint dark wavy hair with glazing and layering techniques

Painting dark wavy hair in an acrylic portrait can be challenging, but with the right techniques, you can create realistic, lifelike textures. In this tutorial, we will explore how to use the acrylic glazing technique and layering to develop depth, luminosity, and smooth blending. Whether you’re working on commissioned portraits or your own personal projects, these tips will help you paint hair that looks natural and full of dimension.

Understanding the Acrylic Glazing Technique

To achieve realism in painting hair, the acrylic glazing technique is essential. Glazing involves applying thin, translucent layers of paint, mixed with a clear matte medium, on top of each other. This method allows light to pass through the layers, creating a luminous and natural effect.

  1. Mixing the Colors: Start by mixing raw umber dark and ultramarine blue for a rich, dark base. Adding a little burnt sienna or titanium white will adjust the tone based on the light and shadows in the hair.
  2. Building Layers: The key to depth is in layering. Begin with lighter layers, gradually building darker values as you progress. Then, each successive glaze adds more realism and dimension to the hair. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next.

Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Dark Wavy Hair

  1. Start with a Base Layer: Begin by blocking in the base layer of hair using your mixed dark tones. Use broad strokes to cover the hair areas, focusing on the general flow and shape of the waves. Don’t worry about getting every detail perfect in the first layer; you’re simply laying the foundation.
  2. Observe the Hair Shape: Hair is not just a mass of lines—think of it as a series of shapes. Look for specific shapes like triangles, rectangles, or curves in your reference photo. This step will guide your brushstrokes as you begin adding depth and texture to the hair.
  3. Refine the Dark Areas: Once the base layer is dry, mix a slightly darker glaze and apply it to the areas where the hair is in shadow. But these darker values are crucial for making the hair look three-dimensional. Focus on areas where light doesn’t hit, like the underside of waves or the sections of hair near the scalp.
  4. Highlight and Contrast: Even though the hair is dark, it’s important to create highlights to define the shape and texture. Use lighter glazes in areas where light hits, such as the top of waves. Be sure to blend smoothly into the surrounding darker tones to avoid harsh lines.

Tips for Painting Realistic Hair

  1. Use Small Brushes for Details: To paint small areas of detail, use a round brush. It’s important to note that it’s not about having an expensive or special brush, but rather how you apply the strokes. A simple, affordable brush will work as long as you control the pressure and direction of your strokes.
  2. Build Up Gradually: Always start lighter and go darker with each layer. This allows you to make gradual changes and correct any mistakes before they become too noticeable. Patience is key when it comes to achieving realistic textures.
  3. Vary the Shapes: Instead of focusing on individual strands, look at the hair as a collection of shapes and sections. Replicate the shapes you see in your reference photo, and as you layer, these shapes will come together to form realistic hair.
  4. Let Layers Dry: Give each layer time to dry before adding the next. This is important when using the glazing technique, as it prevents the colors from blending into each other and losing the depth created by the layers.

Applying the Technique to Different Hair Types

This technique is not limited to dark wavy hair. You can adapt the same principles of layering and glazing to paint other hair types, such as straight or curly hair, as well as different colors. For example, even blonde hair will require some darker values in shadowed areas to achieve a realistic look.

Adding Final Details

Once the layers have built up enough depth, it’s time to add the final details. Use a fine brush to carefully define individual hairs or add small touches of highlight to areas that catch the light the most. This will give the hair a finished, polished look.

  1. Focus on Contrast: To make the hair stand out, add sharp contrasts between light and dark areas. This is especially important around the hairline, where the face meets the hair.
  2. Add Mid-Tones: Between your darkest shadows and lightest highlights, be sure to add mid-tones. This will help the hair look softer and more natural.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Rushing the Layers: Don’t rush the drying process between layers. Wet layers will blend and can create muddy colors, losing the defined shapes you’ve worked to build.
  2. Over-Detailing: Avoid trying to paint every individual strand of hair. Instead, focus on the overall shapes and movement of the hair.
  3. Lack of Contrast: Without enough contrast, the hair can appear flat. Be bold in your use of darks and lights to create depth.

Painting dark wavy hair in your acrylic portraits may seem daunting, but by using the acrylic glazing technique and focusing on layering, shapes, and contrast, you can create stunningly realistic hair. Also, remember, patience and attention to detail will pay off in the end. Then, keep practicing, and soon you’ll master the art of painting lifelike hair in all your portrait work.

Be sure to download my free PDF guide on fixing muddy skin tones to improve your acrylic portraits. Visit realisticacrylic.com for more helpful tips and tutorials!

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

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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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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!

 

How to Convert a Tracing to Sketch: Painting Process

How to Convert a Tracing to Sketch: Painting Process

Transform your tracing into a detailed sketch: techniques for realistic portrait

When creating a detailed portrait painting, a tracing can provide a solid foundation, but the real artistry lies in refining that tracing into a fully realized sketch. Tracing outlines gives you the basic proportions, but they often miss critical details that are essential for realism. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of converting a traced outline into a well-refined sketch, using the example of a portrait of the apostle Paul praying.

Understanding the Role of Tracing in Art

A Solid Start:

Tracing can save time, especially for complex portraits or when accuracy is critical. By using tools such as a projector, you can quickly lay down the basic structure. However, tracing alone doesn’t provide all the necessary details, especially when aiming for realism. For example, simple outlines of hands or facial features will lack the subtleties of light, shadow, and wrinkles.

Step-by-Step Guide to Refining a Tracing

  1. Assess the Tracing
    After completing your tracing, take a moment to assess its accuracy. Then, look for areas where the proportions are correct but still lack detail. In our example of Paul praying, the tracing provided the basic layout of the figure but left out critical nuances in the facial features and folds in the fabric.
  2. Start with the Most Important Features
    Begin with, refining by focusing on the most significant elements of the portrait. In the case of this sketch of Paul, the face is where we started. When, using tracing as the base, it’s essential to add details such as wrinkles, shadows under the eyes, and the curvature of the facial features. But tracings often simplify features, which means you’ll need to carefully draw in the missing details. Also, pay attention to how the light hits the face and creates shadow, especially in areas like the nose and mouth.
  3. Correcting Proportions and Perspectives
    If your reference photo features a unique perspective, then like a worm’s eye view (looking up from below), the tracing may not capture all the nuances. In my sketch of Paul, refining the eye’s position and size was crucial, but given the upward angle of the face. While keeping the eyes proportional and always make sure they reflect the right shape is vital to ensuring the overall accuracy of the portrait.
  4. Utilize Tools for Precision
    A battery-operated eraser can be a game-changer when correcting small mistakes in a sketch. This tool allows you to erase specific areas without disturbing the rest of your drawing. Erasers also help lighten lines that are too dark, adding more subtlety to your shading.
  5. Refining Shadows and Values
    Tracing can often leave large areas of the sketch looking flat or featureless. After refining the major facial features, the next step is to work on the shadows and values. For instance, the shadow under Paul’s chin, the folds in his clothing, and the contours of his hands all required careful attention. By adding shading, you can indicate areas of light and dark, giving the sketch depth and volume. As you shade, remember to leave room for reflected light, which is the subtle illumination on areas that aren’t directly hit by light but still have a glow.
  6. Focusing on Fabric and Wrinkles
    The clothing, especially when it has folds and creases, is another area where tracings often fall short. In Paul’s prayer portrait, the tracing missed many of the intricate wrinkles that give the fabric its realistic texture. To add this realism, pay close attention to the way fabric bunches and folds in real life. Observe the direction of the creases, and emphasize key folds to give your sketch depth. Fabric in motion, like the bending of a sleeve, will show wrinkles in a more dynamic manner.

Tips and Techniques for Converting a Tracing to a Sketch

  • Don’t Rely Solely on the Tracing: Tracing is just the first step. Always refer back to your reference photo or real-life model to capture the subtleties.
  • Take Your Time with Key Features: Spend extra time refining the eyes, nose, and mouth—especially in a portrait. These areas are often simplified in tracings and need additional work to feel realistic.
  • Use Multiple Tools: Incorporate erasers, different grades of pencils, and even digital tools (if sketching digitally) to refine your work.
  • Pay Attention to Light: Always consider where your light source is coming from. Tracings don’t provide shadows, so it’s up to you to add this layer of realism.
  • Zoom in and Out: Step back and view your work from a distance occasionally. This helps you see the sketch as a whole and ensures that the proportions and shading are balanced.

Realism Through Sketch Refinement

One of the major issues with relying too much on tracing is that it simplifies the image. The forms can become too basic, losing the intricate shapes and contours that make a drawing feel realistic. As you continue refining your tracing, keep adding subtle details. In the case of Paul’s hand, for example, the tracing left out the finer details of the fingers clasped together. Adding these small details later can be done by freehand drawing, improving the overall realism.

The Final Sketch

By the end of this process, the sketch of Paul went from a simple traced outline to a fully developed, refined sketch, capturing all the essential details necessary for a realistic portrait. Then remember, tracing is just the foundation; the true artistry comes in the refinement. Through careful observation, adding shadows, correcting shapes, and focusing on details like fabric and facial features, you’ll create a sketch that serves as a strong base for a lifelike painting.

Sketching Fundamentals: From Tracing to Freehand Mastery

1. Starting with a Strong Foundation

When beginning a portrait sketch, the initial step often involves tracing. Although tracing can be a helpful tool, it should not be relied upon exclusively. As shown in the video, How to Convert a Tracing to a Sketch, Part #2 tracing an image with an overhead projector helps establish basic proportions but lacks the fine details and accuracy needed for a refined sketch. To improve the likeness and detail, learning freehand sketching or using a grid method is essential.

2. Choosing the Right Tools

A dark umber or dark brown colored pencil is highly recommended for initial sketching. These pencils provide a good contrast against the canvas, making it easier to refine details. Precision is crucial, and using a battery-operated eraser can greatly enhance accuracy. This tool allows for fine adjustments and corrections, particularly in areas requiring detailed work, such as the fingers in our example.

3. Refining the Sketch

Once the basic outline is established, focus on refining the sketch by adding detailed features. For instance, when sketching Paul the Apostle’s hands, attention must be given to the length and placement of each finger. Details such as fingernails and the interplay of light and shadow play a significant role in achieving realism.

4. Incorporating Reference Photos

Using reference photos is vital for accuracy. In this video, a photo shoot in a studio mimicking the lighting of a Caravaggio painting provided a valuable reference. This photo helps ensure that the contrast and structure of the hands are correctly depicted. When sketching, always use a reference photo to guide the placement of details and ensure a realistic portrayal.

Advanced Techniques for a Professional Finish

5. Shading and Blocking in Values

Shading is crucial for adding depth and dimension to your sketch. I uses shading to differentiate between light and dark areas, such as on the clothing and objects in the scene. This technique help me in creating a three-dimensional effect and enhancing the overall realism of the portrait.

6. Adding Textural Details

For a more lifelike result, add texture to elements like clothing and objects. In the example, I use triangular shapes to suggest folds and creases in the fabric, and shading to indicate the structure of a drinking vessel. Textural details contribute to the overall realism and visual interest of the portrait.

7. Creating a Believable Environment

When sketching elements like the background, it’s important to consider how they contribute to the overall scene. The video demonstrates adding elements such as prison bars and a scroll to place the subject in a believable context. Accurate depiction of the environment adds to the narrative and helps the viewer connect with the portrait.

Final Adjustments and Presentation

8. Reviewing and Making Final Adjustments

Before concluding the sketch, review all elements for accuracy and completeness. This step is essential for a polished and professional finish.

9. Presenting Your Work

Once the sketch is complete, it’s time to prepare for the painting process. Ensure that your sketch is well-detailed and ready to serve as a solid foundation for your acrylic portrait. Proper preparation at this stage will significantly influence the final outcome of your painting.

Tips and Techniques for Effective Portrait Sketching

  • Use Quality Materials: Invest in good quality pencils and erasers to achieve precise details.
  • Practice Freehand Sketching: Develop your freehand skills to avoid over-reliance on tracing methods.
  • Utilize Reference Photos: Use high-quality reference photos to guide details and proportions.
  • Focus on Shading: Effective shading adds depth and dimension to your sketches.
  • Pay Attention to Texture: Adding textural details enhances the realism of your portrait.

By incorporating these techniques and following a structured approach, you can improve your portrait sketching skills and create more compelling and realistic artwork. For additional tips and resources, visit www.realisticacrylic.com and check out the tutorial on fixing muddy skin tones, then download here.

Feel free to share your own sketching techniques or ask questions in the comments below. Happy sketching!

LEARN MORE

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

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video. Please share it with your friends and family. Let me know if you have any further questions. I’ll greatly help you.

If you’d like to learn more, sign up for my free email tips and video class today.

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Free Mini-Video Course!

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.  

Signature_200dpi_sm.jpg

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!

How to Paint Foliage Using the Acrylic Glazing Technique

How to Paint Foliage Using the Acrylic Glazing Technique

How do you paint people standing in front of trees and other foliage?

When it comes to painting foliage in your acrylic portraits or landscapes, one of the best ways to capture depth and realism is through the acrylic glazing technique. In this guide, we’ll explore how to layer colors, create realistic shadows, and bring your foliage to life with step-by-step instructions and tips.

Understanding the Importance of Color in Foliage

One of the critical aspects of painting foliage is choosing the right colors, especially in shadows. You don’t want to use overly intense chromatic greens that can make your painting look flat or artificial. Instead, opt for grayish-green tones for the shadow areas, which add a natural depth and realism to your work.

For example, the foliage in your painting’s shadowed areas can be made more effective by blending raw umber dark, ultramarine blue, and raw sienna. This combination creates a desaturated, natural green that mimics how shadows in nature would appear—subtle yet impactful. The right use of cool colors like ultramarine blue helps define the cooler, darker regions of the foliage.

Tip: Avoid Bright Greens in Shadows

It’s essential to steer away from vibrant, saturated greens in the shadow areas. These should be saved for the sunlit portions of the trees to achieve a dynamic contrast.

Building Layers with the Glazing Technique

Acrylic glazing allows you to work in thin layers, which can be built up over time to create depth in your foliage. For this, you’ll want to mix a small amount of your chosen paint color with a clear matte medium. This mixture creates a translucent glaze that will enable you to see through to the underlying layers, preserving the details of your initial sketch or previous layers.

In the early stages, you will be blocking in the shadow colors, leaving lighter areas open for subsequent layers. Glazing ensures that each layer of paint adds depth without covering the finer details of your painting.

Technique: Thin Your Paint for Glazing

To thin down your paint, mix a small amount of acrylic medium with the color on your palette. This allows you to gradually build up color, controlling its opacity and intensity while preserving the underlying forms.

Focusing on Shapes Rather Than Details

One common mistake when painting foliage is trying to paint each leaf individually. However, it’s more effective to focus on larger shapes and the overall form of the trees and foliage. By looking at your reference photo closely, identify the primary shapes formed by the clusters of leaves rather than individual leaves themselves.

In your first layers, block in the general shapes with darker colors. For example, using a mix of raw umber dark and ultramarine blue can help you establish the darkest shadow areas of the trees. Once these shapes are in place, you can add highlights or refine the edges as you move forward.

Tip: Simplify the Process by Identifying Shapes

Instead of getting caught up in the small details, focus on simplifying the foliage by working with larger shapes and forms. This will help you achieve a cohesive look while maintaining the overall flow and balance of the piece.

Adding Depth with Layers of Darker Colors

After you’ve laid down your initial shapes and shadows, the next step is to add depth by applying darker tones. Mix in ultramarine blue, raw sienna, and a touch of Indian yellow to your palette to create a deep, cool shadow color. As you apply these layers, ensure that your strokes follow the natural form of the foliage to enhance the illusion of volume and depth.

Using a size 14 angled flat brush will give you control over the direction and width of your strokes, helping you define the darkest parts of the trees. For areas where the shadows are most intense, you can use more pressure and apply a slightly thicker layer of the glaze. Remember, each layer adds another dimension to your foliage, so take your time with this process.

Technique: Chisel Your Brush for Precision

By using a flat brush, you can achieve a sharp edge that helps define the boundaries of your dark shapes. This technique is particularly useful for creating crisp shadows that enhance the realism of your foliage.

Layering Highlights and Mid-Tones

Once your shadow areas are well established, it’s time to add mid-tones and highlights. These layers will give your foliage the brightness and vibrancy it needs to stand out. For sunlit areas, a mix of Indian yellow, raw sienna, and a small amount of titanium white will create the perfect highlight color.

Apply these lighter tones sparingly to avoid overpowering the shadowed areas. Use a dry brush technique to add subtle highlights, mimicking how sunlight would naturally catch on the edges of leaves.

Tip: Build Gradual Highlights

Adding highlights should be done in thin, gradual layers to avoid a stark contrast between your light and dark areas. Glazing with lighter colors will help you build up the highlights over time without overwhelming the painting.

Final Touches: Adding Nuances and Details

Once your layers are complete, it’s time to refine the nuances of your foliage. Use a small brush to add any branches or finer details that may be peeking through the leaves. However, be careful not to overdo it—often, less is more when it comes to these final touches.

If you’ve accidentally painted over an area that you intended to leave lighter, don’t worry. Since you’re working with glazes, it’s easy to go back and adjust your values. Simply apply another glaze layer to adjust the tone of the area.

Technique: Use Glazing to Correct Mistakes

If your highlights or shadows are too intense, apply another layer of glaze to either darken or lighten the area subtly without starting over.

Mastering Foliage with Acrylic Glazing

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create realistic and dynamic foliage using the acrylic glazing technique. Remember to build your layers slowly, focus on large shapes instead of tiny details, and use the right colors for shadows and highlights. With practice, your foliage will enhance the depth and realism of your acrylic paintings, bringing your landscapes and portraits to life.

Check out more tutorials and lessons on acrylic glazing and other techniques to continue improving your painting skills!

Watch my tutorial to learn more about how to paint foliage using the acrylic glazing technique.

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