First Steps of Painting Trees and Grass in Your Acrylic Portrait

How to Paint Realistic Trees & Grass in Your Acrylic

It’s important to know how to paint greenery in your acrylic portrait.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to paint realistic trees and grass using the acrylic glazing technique. This approach allows for gradual layering of colors, which adds depth and vibrancy to your landscape. Acrylic glazing helps build up the scene, much like how an oil painting develops, while maintaining the versatility and quick-drying benefits of acrylics.

Whether you’re working on a portrait background or a full landscape, these methods will enhance your painting’s realism. So, grab your brushes and let’s dive in!

Materials You’ll Need

Before starting, make sure you have these essential tools:

Acrylic paints (Raw umber, ultramarine blue, indian yellow, phthalo blue)
Matte medium
Flat brushes
Palette
Reference photo (optional)

Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Trees and Grass

1. Prepare Your Palette and Materials

Begin by setting up your palette with the necessary colors. In this painting, raw umber and ultramarine blue will serve as the foundation for shadows, while indian yellow and phthalo blue will add vibrancy to the lighter areas. Make sure to have a matte medium to thin out your paints for glazing.

Transitioning between vibrant and muted colors is key. As you work in darker areas, shift away from highly saturated colors like Indian Yellow to cooler tones like ultramarine blue.

2. Start with a Sketch

Begin with a light sketch on your canvas, which will act as a guide for placing trees and grass. Use thin layers of paint to avoid covering up your sketch too early. In the initial stages, the painting may resemble a watercolor, but as you apply more glazes, it will begin to take on the characteristics of a full-bodied acrylic painting.

3. Apply the First Layer of Glazes for the Grass

When painting grass, start by applying a base layer using vibrant colors like Indian yellow and phthalo blue. This combination gives the grass a rich, glowing appearance. As you move further away into the background or shadows, use cooler and less intense tones like raw umber.

For glazing, thin out your paint with matte medium to make it translucent. This will allow previous layers to show through, creating depth. Layering slowly is crucial—don’t rush the process.

4. Develop Shadows Within the Shadows

Once the initial glaze dries, begin adding darker tones to create depth. In this case, mix raw umber dark with ultramarine blue. The deeper shades of color should be applied sparingly to the areas that are farthest from the light source. This technique, known as adding “shadows within the shadows,” adds dimension and makes your painting more realistic.

In places where light barely reaches, such as underneath trees or in between clumps of grass, carefully brush in darker glazes. Thin these glazes with matte medium to ensure the darkness isn’t overpowering.

5. Blending Techniques for a Smooth Transition

To achieve a seamless blend between light and dark areas, use a dry brush technique. As the paint on your brush begins to run out, use the remaining paint to blend areas softly. Gently sweep the brush back and forth in different directions, blending the layers into each other.

Switching between horizontal and vertical brush strokes can smooth the transitions between glazes, ensuring a more natural look for both trees and grass.

Tips & Techniques for Realistic Trees and Grass

Use Cooler Colors for Depth: Darker areas should have cooler, less intense colors. Avoid overly vibrant shades in the shadows to maintain realism.
Layer Gradually: Build your painting slowly, one thin layer at a time. This helps the colors blend well and creates a smooth transition from light to dark.
Reference Photos: Keep a reference photo nearby to help guide your light and shadow placement. Analyze where the darkest areas should be in relation to the light source.
Be Patient: The glazing technique takes time. Allow each layer to dry completely before moving on to the next. This prevents muddying your colors and ensures each layer adds value to the final piece.

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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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,

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!

Blocking In Skin Tone Values Using the Glazing Technique

How to Block In Skin Tone Values Using Glazing Technique

A step-by-step guide to glazing technique in acrylic portraits

Achieving realistic skin tones in acrylic portraits requires a nuanced approach, combining color theory with technique. The glazing technique, a method involving the layering of transparent color, can be highly effective for this purpose. In this post, we will explore how to block in skin tone values using the glazing technique, drawing from a practical demonstration by artist Matt Philleo. Whether you’re aiming for lifelike detail or a more stylized finish, this guide will help you understand and implement the essential steps in your acrylic painting.

Understanding the Glazing Technique

The glazing technique in acrylic painting involves applying thin, transparent layers of paint over a dry underpainting. This method enhances depth and richness in colors without overwhelming the underlying details. When blocking in skin tones, glazing allows for subtle gradations and realistic shading, critical for achieving lifelike results.

Step-by-Step Guide to Blocking In Skin Tone Values

Prepare Your Palette: Start by setting up your palette with essential colors. For skin tones, commonly used colors include raw umber dark, raw sienna, alizarine crimson, and occasionally ultramarine blue. But these colors will form the base of your glazes, which are mixed with a matte medium to achieve transparency.
Block In Basic Shapes and Values: Begin by analyzing your reference photo to identify the key shapes and values on the subject’s face. Because, blocking in these shapes with a darker tone, such as raw umber dark mixed with matte medium, helps establish the foundational values. But, this step is crucial for building the structure of the portrait.
- Technique Tip: Use a round brush for precision. This allows you to carefully place glazes in specific areas, such as the darker regions of the face, while preserving the light areas.
Layering Glazes: Apply your first glaze layer over the basic shapes. For example, mix raw umber dark with raw sienna and alizarine crimson to create a flesh tone, and apply it to the areas where shadows naturally occur. This layer should be thin and transparent, gradually building up the color intensity.
- Technique Tip: Patience is key. When glazing requires multiple layers to achieve depth. Because it allow each layer to dry before applying the next to avoid mixing colors unintentionally.
Adjusting Skin Tones: As can be seen your progress, you may need to adjust skin tones to match different areas of your reference photo. For cooler skin tones, incorporate a touch of ultramarine blue into your glaze mix. For warmer tones, consider adding pyrrole orange or indian yellow. Adjusting these colors will help you match the diverse skin tones present in your portrait.
- Technique Tip: Monitor the transparency of your glazes. Adding more matte medium will help maintain the transparency necessary for effective glazing.
Refining Details: Once the basic values are in place, focus on refining details. Use a smaller brush to add more precise glazes to areas such as shadows around the eyes or lips. This step helps in achieving a more nuanced and realistic appearance.
- Technique Tip: Apply glazes in thin, smooth layers to avoid creating harsh lines. Gradually build up the color to achieve the desired effect.
Final Adjustments: After blocking in and refining your skin tones, assess the overall portrait. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure consistency and harmony in skin tones across the portrait. This may involve adding additional layers of glaze or adjusting existing ones.
- Technique Tip: Stepping back from your work periodically can help you see it from a different perspective and make more informed adjustments.

Blocking in skin tone values using the glazing technique is a powerful method for creating depth and realism in acrylic portraits. By layering transparent colors and carefully adjusting tones, you can achieve lifelike results that capture the essence of your subject. But remember, patience and practice are essential in mastering this technique. With time, you’ll find that glazing becomes an invaluable tool in your acrylic painting repertoire.

Tips and Techniques Recap:

Use a round brush for precision in blocking in values.
Mix colors with matte medium to create transparent glazes.
Apply glazes in thin, smooth layers and allow each to dry before adding more.
Adjust colors based on skin tone variations and monitor glaze transparency.
Refine details with smaller brushes and assess the overall portrait for consistency.

By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of blocking in skin tone values using the glazing technique.

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

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,

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!

5 Steps on How to Paint a Vibrant Acrylic Portrait

Learn the classical glazing technique for depth and luminosity

Acrylic painting is an exciting medium known for its versatility, but achieving the depth and vibrancy often associated with oil paintings can seem challenging. However, by employing the classical glazing technique, a method favored by old masters like Rembrandt, Titian, and Vermeer then you can produce rich, luminous results with acrylics. This blog post will guide you through 5 essential steps to create a vibrant acrylic portrait using this time-tested method.

This tutorial shows the entire process of painting a portrait. Here are the steps I show in this tutorial:

Start with a Detailed Sketch.
Apply the Initial Glaze Layers
Layer and Build Gradation
Introduce Vibrant Colors
Focus on Nuances and Details

1. Start with a Detailed Sketch

Every masterpiece begins with a solid foundation, and in portrait painting, that foundation is the sketch. Before you start adding color to your canvas, take time to create a detailed and accurate sketch of your subject. For this project, an 11×14 portrait of three girls in a park serves as an example.

By using a sepia-tone prismacolor colored pencil, you can establish proportions and likeness. Accuracy in this stage helps set the stage for a calm and confident painting process. Once your sketch is ready, seal it with a clear matte medium. This acts as a protective layer, ensuring that the pencil lines remain intact as you begin adding paint.

Tip: Use a flat brush (¾ inch to 1 inch wide) to apply the matte medium. Make sure the application is smooth and even, allowing it to dry thoroughly before proceeding to the next step.

2. Apply the Initial Glaze Layers

The heart of this painting method lies in glazing, where thin, transparent layers of paint are applied over one another to build depth and richness. Unlike traditional opaque acrylic painting, the classical glazing technique requires a mixture of 95% matte medium to 5% paint. This creates a very light wash that enables you to gradually build colors without overwhelming the canvas.

Begin by mixing raw umber dark with ultramarine blue to create lifelike skin tones and shadow areas. These first layers will be almost imperceptible, but they provide a strong base for the layers that follow.

Tip: The first layers of glaze should be incredibly light. This allows for adjustments in color or value without the need to paint over mistakes. The glazing method helps avoid the common frustration of muddy colors often encountered in acrylic painting.

3. Layer and Build Gradation

Once the initial glaze is applied, it’s time to focus on layering. As you build up more layers, you’ll notice how the painting starts to take on a more vibrant and realistic appearance. The goal here is to create a seamless transition between light and dark values, blending tones smoothly to replicate the natural shading found in your reference photo.

In this step, more raw umber dark and ultramarine blue are used to deepen the shadows on the forehead and hair. This layering process helps achieve the subtle gradation required for realistic portraits.

Technique: As you layer, ensure that each glaze is thin and transparent. Too much paint in a single layer can cause the painting to look heavy and lose the delicate transparency that glazing provides.

4. Introduce Vibrant Colors

To make your portrait truly vibrant, it’s essential to introduce bold colors into the glazing process. In this example, a dash of Liquitex hot pink was added to the dress to intensify the color and give it a glowing effect. The key is to use these bright colors sparingly, applying them in thin layers so that they blend harmoniously with the existing hues.

When applying glazes to areas like the clothing, make sure to leave the white areas exposed. This technique, known as “preserving the luminosity,” ensures that highlights remain bright and eye-catching, adding to the overall vibrancy of the portrait.

Tip: When adding vibrant glazes, thin the paint with medium and apply it cautiously. This helps prevent overpowering the existing layers while enhancing the color saturation.

5. Focus on Nuances and Details

The final step in this process involves refining the smaller details and nuances that bring a portrait to life. For example, the highlights in the hair, shadows in the creases of clothing, and the subtle changes in skin tone around the eyes require careful attention.

In the final layers, you can also experiment with a semi-opaque mixture, using titanium white, raw umber dark, and organic red-orange to add warmth and depth to the skin tones. With each new layer, the portrait takes on more life, depth, and realism. At this stage, it’s important to use more opaque layers sparingly, as glazing is best suited for large areas, while more detailed parts, such as fingernails or eyes, may benefit from a slightly thicker application of paint.

Technique: If you notice that certain areas appear too flat or lack depth, consider adding a dark glaze to emphasize the shadows. Because mixing ultramarine blue with raw umber dark creates a rich, deep tone perfect for refining these darker areas without relying on black paint.

Conclusion: Patience Is Key

As you add each layer of glaze, then always remember that patience is vital. Because acrylic glazing requires multiple layers, sometimes ten or more to achieve the desired depth and luminosity. Each layer builds upon the last, contributing to the portrait’s final vibrancy. While it may take time, the results are well worth the effort.

By following these five steps, you can create a stunning acrylic portrait with vibrant colors and lifelike depth, all while employing the classical glazing technique favored by the old masters.

For further resources and guides, visit realisticacrylic.com and check out my free courses to enhance your acrylic painting journey.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts about 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,

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 Two Bubble Frame Oval Acrylic Portraits

Unlock the secrets to creating captivating two bubble frame oval acrylic portraits

Painting two bubble frame oval acrylic portraits offers a unique opportunity to explore creativity and technique while crafting eye-catching artwork. In this guide, you’ll discover the essential steps to create stunning portraits that showcase not only your artistic skills but also the charming oval frames that elevate your paintings. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, you’ll learn how to blend colors effectively, capture realistic features, and compose your portraits for maximum impact. Let’s dive into the world of acrylic painting and bring your two bubble frame oval acrylic portraits to life!

How is my portrait project coming along?

“Um, I haven’t even started it yet.”

“Oh. Could you do another one and get it done for me by Christmas?”

“Let me check. Sure.”

This is kind of how the conversation went when a client called me on a portrait project that I had scheduled out for a few months. I was backed up with commissions, and it was already well into December.

Do another portrait when I was already behind? Why not? I thrive on a little deadline pressure. I’ve got an extra reserve of midnight oil 🙂

So here are the portraits I created, two convex-oval 14″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas paintings. I decided to work on both at once. And I got them both done in time, too, by God’s grace!

And now I want to show you how I painted them. I’ll take you through the process from the colors I select for the palette, the first few layers, all the way to the completed painting.

How I Painted These Oval Vintage Acrylic Portraits

This tutorial is a work in progress, so I’ll be adding more videos in the future!

Keep in touch and I’ll let you know when I post the next one!

Learn How to Paint Acrylic Portraits With My Best Fine Art Tips!

Let me know how this tutorial helps!

Have you ever painted on an oval canvas or unusual surface before? If so, leave a comment and tell me about it. Have a blessed day!

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How to Build Depth in Your Acrylic Portrait Backgrounds

/ Backgrounds Glazing How to Paint Children and Babies Video Tutorial
/ By Matt Philleo
/ 21 COMMENTS

Learn the art of layering to create stunning backgrounds

Creating depth in your acrylic portrait backgrounds can transform your artwork from flat and uninviting to vibrant and lifelike. This comprehensive guide will explore techniques and tips that can be utilized to effectively build depth in your acrylic paintings. Through careful layering, color mixing, and thoughtful brushwork, your backgrounds will not only enhance your portraits but also engage viewers and add emotional resonance.

learn acrylic portrait painting children — Acrylic portrait painting of three children, by artist Matt Philleo, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas

Understanding Depth in Art

Depth in art refers to the illusion of three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface. It involves creating a sense of space, distance, and perspective. In acrylic portrait painting, the background plays a crucial role in establishing depth and can significantly influence the viewer’s perception of the subject.

Techniques for Building Depth

1. Layering with Glazes

Layering is one of the most effective techniques for creating depth. It involves applying transparent layers of paint over one another, allowing underlying colors and textures to show through.

Start with a Base Layer: Begin with a solid background color that will serve as your foundation. A mid-tone color can be effective for this purpose.
Apply Transparent Glazes: Use a mix of acrylic paint and a glazing medium to create transparent layers. Ultramarine blue and raw umber dark can be mixed to achieve subtle variations.

By layering these glazes, different values can be developed. The key is to allow each layer to dry before applying the next, which helps to create a sense of depth through the transparency and complexity of the colors.

2. Creating Gradation

Gradation can be used to suggest distance and atmosphere in your backgrounds. This can be achieved through both blending and glazing techniques.

Segmented Areas: Instead of blending wet colors, use segmented areas of glazing to create smooth transitions. By touching certain areas while leaving others untouched, a subtle blend can be achieved. This method provides a more natural appearance and enhances the depth of the painting.
Use of Color Temperature: Varying color temperature can add to the perception of depth. Cool colors, such as blues and greens, can recede in the background, while warmer tones tend to come forward. For instance, using a cooler ultramarine blue in the background while maintaining warmer tones in the foreground can create a compelling contrast.

3. Employing Contrast

Contrast is essential in making your subject stand out against the background. By darkening background areas, the foreground subjects will naturally become more pronounced.

Darkening Techniques: When applying darker glazes, consider how the light interacts with your subject. By ensuring that the background is darker than the portrait, the subjects will appear more luminous.

This can be particularly effective when using glazes, as they dry quickly, allowing for rapid layering without mudding colors. As highlighted in the video, the layering properties of acrylics can be leveraged to achieve a depth that feels rich and engaging.

4. Incorporating Patterns and Textures

Adding textures or patterns can create interest in the background and contribute to the overall depth of the painting.

Marble-like Backgrounds: A painterly, marble-like appearance can be achieved by varying brush strokes and layering colors. Short, diagonal strokes can create a textured effect that draws the viewer’s eye without overwhelming the portrait.

This not only enhances depth but also gives the background a dynamic quality that complements the portrait.

Tips for Effective Backgrounds

Use a Limited Palette: A limited color palette can help maintain harmony in your painting. This also makes it easier to create depth, as the colors will blend and layer more cohesively.
Experiment with Brush Techniques: Different brush types and strokes can create varying effects. Experimenting with short strokes, glazing, and layering will allow for discovering unique methods of adding depth.
Balance Between Foreground and Background: Always consider the balance of colors and values between your foreground and background. This ensures that your subject remains the focal point while the background supports its presence.
Stay Patient: Building depth takes time. Allow layers to dry completely between applications to achieve the best results.

Conclusion

Building depth in your acrylic portrait backgrounds is a rewarding endeavor that can significantly enhance your artwork. By employing layering techniques, creating gradation, utilizing contrast, and incorporating textures, your backgrounds will not only support your subjects but also engage viewers on a deeper level.

As you continue to practice and refine these techniques, your portraits will come to life, showcasing the beauty of depth in acrylic painting. The journey of learning and experimenting is essential for any artist, and through consistent practice, remarkable improvements will be evident in your work.

With these insights, you are now equipped to enhance your acrylic portrait backgrounds and bring your artistic vision to life. For further resources and guides, visit realisticacrylic.com and check out my free courses to enhance your acrylic painting journey. Happy painting!

The Video Lesson…

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Let me know how this helps! If you have questions on your portrait painting, feel free to contact me ([email protected])

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!

Would you like to learn portrait painting from me in person?

I’d like to let you know that I’ll be teaching at the Chippewa Valley Cultural Association (Heyde Center for the Arts, Chippewa Falls, WI) on March 12-13, 10:30am-3:30pm, a two-day intensive acrylic portrait painting workshop. The class size is limited to 10 people to make sure I can give each student feedback and individual instruction. For more details, visit my events page here…https://realisticacrylic.com/paint-an-acrylic-portrait-with-me-in-2019/

How to Draw a Lifelike Sketch for an Acrylic Portrait

Lifelike Sketch + Accurate Acrylic Layers + Patience= Realistic Acrylic Portrait. The equation works every time.

Even when you make mistakes. 🙂

Don’t worry, this won’t be a math lesson. That was not one of my better subjects in school!

But there is something to be said laying down a good foundation for your acrylic portrait with a lifelike sketch. When I mean lifelike, I don’t mean that it looks photographic, but rather that you capture the likeness of the subject–the person (or pet) you’re going to paint.

When you do that, you exponentially increase your chances for success in painting a realistic acrylic portrait.

Notice I didn’t say perfect. You don’t have to have a perfect sketch, just one that is as accurate as you can make it.

Today, I’m going to show you how I drew the sketch for a commissioned 16″ x 20″ acrylic portrait I’m working on of three children…

…based off a candid photo of them just hanging out on a bed. I tilted the image because I thought it was at an awkward angle. You can obviously see the original angle in shown in the edges.

Tools Needed:

You’ll want to use a sepia-toned colored pencil, like burnt ochre, dark brown, or terra cotta.
And then a white eraser.

I started with a canvas that I drew a grid on–with 1″ squares, using a light colored pencil (light grey, tan or peach is fine). It is important to seal the grid in with a mixture of matte medium and gesso. This provides a barrier on the canvas so that when you need to erase anything on your sketch, you will not disturb the grid lines beneath. Also, it makes it amazingly easy to erase a sketch on your canvas–much easier than graphite pencil. This is a technique I discovered just by being frustrated with pencil and experimenting.

The photo reference is also gridded correspondingly to match the squares on the canvas. I used a grid drawing tool at ArtTutor.com and then printed out the image.

Alright, now let’s begin…

Step 1: Get Started in the Right Place

When using the grid technique, it’s so important to make sure you start sketching in the right place. Otherwise, you may end up sketching for a while, only to realize your composition will be off.

Yes, I made this mistake.

So, count off your squares, and double-check that you’re matching up on your canvas, what is on your reference photo.

Watch this video to see the beginning portion of the sketching process…

Step 2: Start Your Outlining the Forms of the Subjects

Here, we only want to get just the outside edges of the subjects and then fill them in. I start usually in the lower left corner and then work my way up and across. You don’t need to achieve perfection in this. But it is good to see where the major lines representing the shapes are intersecting the squares. Break it up into fractions.

(Uggh, math again. It’s OK. If I can do it, so can you, believe me!)

You note, “Okay, this line crosses through the vertical line of this square at about 1/2 of the way up.”

Or, “this line intersects the horizontal line of the other square about 2/3 of the way to the edge.”

You may see fractions like 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/5, etc. You’ll begin to see them naturally and not even think about it with some practice. When you learn to do this, your gridded sketching will become very accurate.

Here is the sketch, with all the outlines filled in.

You’ll notice that I made a pretty large mistake, but thank God for erasers! I considered editing it out of the video, but then I figured, “Why not keep it in there, to show an accurate recording of my process?” We all make mistakes, but it’s what we do after we notice them that counts.

Step 3: Fill in the Features

After getting the proportions of the subjects in correctly–the outside edges of the hair, the shoulders, the faces, etc., then you’re ready to move on to drawing the features. The reason we get the main forms defined first, is because we want to make sure we have an accurate foundation to drop the features on. In addition, you’ll be able to tell if you like the overall composition.

Now, when I start drawing in the facial features, I work from left to right, and then top, down. (Of course, if you’re left handed, you may naturally work in the other direction.)

I start by noting the angle of the eyebrows and sketch them first. Doing this will really establish the alignment of the face and your other features will need to be in conformity with it.

Then I draw the eyes loosely, and not too dark, so I can refine them later. The eyes are the most important feature on the face, so I really pay attention to them.

What is the overall shape? Are they skinny, angled, rounded? Are there prominent eyelids or are they barely perceptible? How far away are they from the eyebrows? How close are they together? Ask yourself these questions as you draw.

If you can get the eyes about 85% or more accurate, you’ll have a good portrait.

If you can get them 95% or more accurate, you’ll have an outstanding portrait, provided the other features are drawn fairly well.

Next, draw in the nose. Observe your reference photo to see how far down the bottom of the nose is from an imaginary line that intersects the eyes. What is the shape of the nose and nostrils? Is it wide, narrow, rounded, sharp? Observe carefully and draw what you see.

After you get the proportions and shape of the nose accurately defined, it’s time to move on to the mouth.

I start with the top of the mouth, drawing in the bottom edge of the top lip and then the top edge of the bottom lip. I sometimes will draw the top edge of the top lip, if it’s very prominent–like, for example, when a woman is wearing lipstick. Of course, that is not the case for this drawing of three children.

I finish with the bottom edge of the bottom lip. Of course, I also draw in the teeth, but only lightly suggesting their form by showing the gumline, and the shadows on the sides where the teeth are foreshortened in perspective, and the lips cast shadows on them. The space between the visible teeth and the edges of the mouth is very important, and you’ll want to indicate it as a dark value, because it is in shadow.

One of the main mistakes I see artists making in their sketch is when they over-define the teeth. It makes the person you’re drawing look like they have braces. Pencil lines are just too dark of a value for the teeth, and it’s hard to overcome in the painting. Draw them lightly, and you’ll get better results.

Watch Part 2 of my video lesson below to see exactly how to do it…

After I get the features sketched in loosely and lightly, then I go back over everything. I darken and refine.