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!
Learn the art of skin tones: A step-by-step guide for realistic acrylic portraits
What do you MOST want to learn?
This is a question I asked the artists in my Facebook group. The #1 answer was skin tones.
So I decided to put together a 5-week live video class, showing the whole process of painting an acrylic portrait, step-by-step, concentrating on flesh tones.
Most people know me as the guy that does slow, methodical glazes. But in this series, I wanted to meet artists where they’re at and do the portrait in more of an opaque technique. We had a great response to the class, with about eighty students on board right away during the first lesson!
I decided to create a printable guide that shows what we covered during the classes, although obviously not in as much depth as you’d get out of watching 5 hours of video! I think you’ll find this guide helpful. This online tutorial is an adaptation of the guide, showing a portrait from a photo I painted of my wife. If you take the video course (now open for enrollment) it will complement it well, and give you something to keep next to your easel as you paint. It can stand on its own, too. If you put the techniques to practice, you’ll see improvement in your portrait painting, for sure.
Either way, enjoy this tutorial, and I look forward to teaching you more!
Step 1: Create a Basic Sketch
To begin your portrait, just fill in the outlines of the face. Don’t draw in the features. All you need is enough information to know where to block in the color. You can sketch it freehand if you’re comfortable with the process, or grid if necessary.
Step 2: Block in the Hair Color and Value
Although we are concentrating on skin tones, quickly blocking in the hair color and value frames the face. It will help us determine what colors to use for the skin tone, and make sure it is accurate. When you paint on top of plain white, you will think your skin tone is too dark, when in reality it’s not. We look for the predominant color in the hair. In this example, I’m using raw umber dark, and applying with a 3/4” -1” flat brush.
Step 3: Fill in the Skin Tone Base
In this step, I’m using a mixture of titanium white, burnt sienna, and organic red orange for the first, foundational skin tone layer. Make the paint as fluid as you can, by adding a little matte medium (10%) and brush quickly, just filling the whole area in.
Print off Your Own Guide to Paint Realistic Skin Tones in Acrylic
I created a handy reference guide that covers all the steps in this article in a 7 page PDF. You can download it right now, print it, and set it next to your easel, so you know exactly what colors, what techniques and what steps to take when you paint skin tones on your portrait. Download it below…
Now it’s time to get the fun part: actually painting in the facial features–the eyes, nose and mouth. But we don’t want to paint them too dark right away. Lightly “suggest” them in using a mixture of the skin tone base from the previous layer and burnt sienna. Painting the features this way at first will allow you to adjust them if necessary.
Step 5: Darken and Refine the Features
After the facial features dry, you can go over them with a darker color. Just add a little more burnt sienna for the eyebrows and nose. For the eyes, a bit of raw umber will cool down the color enough so that if the eyes are a different color than brown, you can easily adjust it. We’re not trying to dial in the exact eye color; rather, we’re just trying to ger the main shape and value established. For the lips, in this case, I’m using napthol red and burnt sienna, diluted a bit by the main flesh tone color.
Step 6: Block in the Mid-tone Shadows
Unless we add in shadows on the face, it will look flat. That is obvious. The trick is to use the right color and value. And then to place that tone in the right places to give the illusion of three dimensionality, In my example, I use a similar color to what I used for the previous step, and lightened it up just a bit with the main skin tone color, so it’s easy to control and doesn’t get too dark.
Step 7: Refine the Eyebrows
The eyebows up to this point look too thin. So what I’m doing here is creating a mixture of raw umber dark, alizarine crimson, raw sienna, and a touch of burnt sienna. Then, I carefully go over the eyebrow areas, and also thicken them up a bit too. You have to think of the eyebrows not just as hairs but also the shadow under the eye socket. What we’re doing is actually painting the base tone for the eyebrows. Then we go over with a darker color to suggest the hairs.
Tired of Muddy Colors?
Get my complete guide on painting skin tones, for free, and start mixing and blending realistic skin tones right away…
The eyes also need to get darker. So I take some raw umber dark, alizarine crimson and mix it into some of the skin tone base. Next, I paint that slowly with a small round brush, suggesting her eyelashes, eyeliner, and even the thickness of her eyelids.
Step 9: Turn the Form
“Turning the form” means we bring out the three-dimensionality of the facial structure by placing shading and gradation in just the right spots. In this step, I use a color just slightly darker than the main skin tone and add more depth to her chin. In addition, I deepen some of the shadows alongside her nose, and under her eyes, to make the cheeks appear as if they are projecting forward in space a little bit.
Step 10: Refine the Teeth Details
Establishing the shadows on the sides of the teeth gives the jaw three-dimensionality. That’s what we want. I use raw umber, titanium white, and a bit of alizarine crimson. For the highlights, I use titanium white and a bit of raw sienna. You can use a size 10 round brush if you twist the end to a point with paint that is fluid enough. Spray your paint with a mist of water, if necessary, to achieve that.
Step 11: Add Highlights and Final Touches
We also added highlights in some of the previous steps too, but toward the end of the painting is where you can really make it shine with great use of high- lights. The colors will vary depending on what part of the face they are applied to. The forehead high- lights have some titanium white and alizarine crimson mixed in, to suggest the cool color of window light shining, in addition to incandescent lamps.
Step 12: Finished–Enjoy Your Painting!
Now, it’s your turn! Paint with this guide and let me know how it’s helped you!
I enjoyed creating this helpful reference on painting realistic skin tones in acrylic. I know that if you put the steps into practice, you will see a dramatic improvement on your portrait painting, especially if you’re just starting out. If you found this helpful, would you send me an email and let me know? I can be reached at [email protected].
Make you print off the skin tones guide so you can paint a lifelike portrait you can be proud to show. Click the button below to download it.
I have a video course available which shows each step I covered in this guide in greater detail. The course is about 5 hours long, and it’s a total package of five workshops that you can watch, step-by-step, at your own convenience. To learn more visit: Courses.realisticacrylic.com Even if you aren’t able take the course, be sure to get the free printable reference guide on painting skin tones in acrylic. Email me if you have a question or need a quick tip. I’ll be happy to help.
Acrylic portrait artist Matt Philleo posing next to a painting of his wife, painted for the Paint Realistic Skin Tones in Acrylic online class, teaching you how to paint with step-by-step lessons.
Let your fellow artists know about Realistic Acrylic Portrait School. My desire is to help artists learn how to paint an acrylic portrait they can be proud of. As I do for all my students, I pray that God would bless you with His peace in your painting process, direct your brush-strokes, that your paintings would encourage those who seem them, and that you would have all the provision you need, as your heart is drawn to Him, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blessings to you!
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!
Sometimes as portrait artists, we are called to capture the memory of a lost loved one. It’s a very special thing, a privilege that we given, to be able to do that for someone.
I don’t take it lightly.
Recently, I just finished up a commissioned portrait for a friend, whose pastor has recently passed away. This is an 11″ x 14″ acrylic on canvas. I want to show you the entire process, but I’m going to start in this post with just the sketch and first couple layers. Then, we’ll just add on with more steps to this same post.
Many of my blog readers prefer more video content rather than written, so that’s how I’m going to do it here.
Hope you enjoyed this acrylic portrait painting tutorial. As always, let me know how I can help you with your portraits or if you have a question. Leave me a comment below!
Be blessed in 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!
What is the best way to get better as an acrylic portrait artist?
Is it by learning a new skin tone recipe? Is it by getting a new glazing medium? Or is it by watching a bunch of time-lapse videos?
All of these things can help, but what will get you the fastest results is to go to the foundation: accurate drawing. Most painters spent months or even years doing drawings before ever picking up a paintbrush. There’s just something about drawing that works wonders for your painting skills.
I think part of it is that it bypasses the other concerns of handling paint: mixing colors, brush technique, drying times, etc. You only have a few simple tools: your pencils, paper, and an eraser. And you work in monochromatic so it forces you to think only about your form and shading.
Portrait artist Matt Philleo sketching from a photo
So, why do I have a drawing tutorial here in Realistic Acrylic Portrait School? Because drawing is a fundamental skill, and it will drastically improve your painting. It won’t help to learn advanced skin tone and shading skills unless you know how to see three-dimensional forms and translate them to a two-dimensional surface. You want to be able to see the likeness of the person you’re trying to paint and accurately capture that. Drawing will do this for you faster than anything.
One of my neighbor’s friends’ sister died recently, and she asked me if I could draw a sketch of her to commemorate her. I agreed, and when I had some time in my crazy studio schedule, I got out my paper, and pencils and started sketching.
I set up the photo on my Kindle Fire, right next to my paper and started working. Now this drawing is definitely not fancy since it’s just a sketch done in under an hour, but I try to draw freehand often, to keep my skills sharp. I’m still learning, and trying to improve my skills.
Here is a a free training session showing how I drew the 11″ x 14″ pencil portrait, from start to finish, in about 45-50 minutes. In this video, you will learn:
How to decide how big to make the face and get the initial proportions
How to accurately position draw the shape of the features by working loosely at first and getting specific later
Techniques for shading in the face to give it dimension
Why it’s important not to blend too much
And more!
If you regularly do freehand drawings like this, you will find your painting skills will improve too.
Have a blessed day,
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!
Transitioning from your sketch in an acrylic portrait can be difficult.
In this video tutorial, I want to show you how to set the stage for a painting with luminosity, by using light glazes.
Glazes are simply mixtures of paint and clear medium (matte medium) and usually at least 50% medium to paint ratio. By building them up slowly, you can steer the portrait in the right direction, incrementally.
You will see how color is applied to the entire painting, and it starts coming alive, even if slowly.
It’s a different way to look at painting. I’ll show you how I do it in this video, using this recent 8″ x 10″ commissioned portrait as an example…
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have a blessed day,
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