Category Archives for New Art
How to Paint Short Silver Hair in Your Acrylic Portrait
I’ll show you how I painted the acrylic portrait with short silver hair.
How do you paint short hair in your acrylic portrait? And how do you paint hair that is silver in color? In this video I’ll show you how. We start with ultramarine blue and raw umber dark, mixed into matte medium to make translucent glazes. Then, we apply that gently on top of the foundation we already have built. I’ll show you more in this video..
Watch my free tutorial to learn more how to paint short silver hair in your acrylic portrait.
- Adding highlights to your acrylic painting
- 5 Excellent Reasons to Use Aluminum Foil
- Paint Realistic Wrinkles in Acrylic
- Painting Clothing in an Acrylic Portrait
- Paint a Cloudy Sky Acrylic
- How to add Semi-Opaque Highlights
- How to Enhance the Contrast in Your Acrylic
- How to Add Glaze to Your Acrylic Painting
- Paint Realistic Reflections on Eyeglasses in an Acrylic Portrait
- Build Up Depth on Your Acrylic Portrait Backgrounds
- How Do You Do Layers With the Glazing Technique?
- Learn How to Paint Wrinkles in Acrylic
Read more about how to paint a portrait that you can surely be proud of!
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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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 Varnish an Acrylic Painting in One Step
A question I get asked a lot is: how do you varnish an acrylic painting?
There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this topic, or at least, many different opinions on how to do it right.
Some say you need an isolation coat. Others say you should spray apply the varnish. And then there are some who pour it on or use a sponge!
I’m not here to dismiss any of those methods. If they work for that particular artist, more power to them.
Rather, I’d like to share with you the method I’ve been using for over 20 years as a portrait painter. It’s easy, and you can do it one step.
Let me break down this one-step acrylic varnishing method into how to actually do it…
- Lay your canvas flat on a table, oriented horizontally, but at an angle.
- Raise your canvas up, on four scraps of wood placed under each corner (make sure it’s level. 1″ x 2″s work well )
- Get your 4″ varnishing brush (Liquitex Freestyle works well)
- Pour matte varnish (Novacolor or Liquitex) into a clean yogurt container or any plastic container large enough to accommodate the width of the brush. Be sure to stir the varnish if it’s been sitting for a while! Over time the polymer resin can separate from the water in the mixture. If you don’t mix it, you may have streaks.
- “Sweep” any dust or debris off of the canvas surface with a large brush before you begin.
- Dip your brush into the varnish container, so the bristles are coated with varnish 1/3-1/2 of the way up from the tip.
- Begin brushing the varnish on the surface, starting with the end farthest from you. Brush in the longest direction of the canvas.
- Let your brush hit 1/3″ of the way from the left edge of the canvas. Apply even pressure and bring the brush all the way to the left edge.
- Bring the brush all the way to the right edge.
- Wipe any excess varnish that remains on your brush inside the top lip of your container.
- Flip the brush over and smooth out the entire first application, overlapping the edge slightly with 1-2 strokes. Do not overbrush!
- Dip your brush into the varnish container and repeat the process. Let your stroke slightly overlap the first (about 1/4″)
- You will be working your way toward your body. This will keep you from accidentally dripping onto the finished varnished surface.
- If you have any extra varnish that drips onto the side of the canvas, use a 3/4 flat brush to wipe it off. If the canvas will be framed, the side-drips are usually not a problem and can be left alone.
- Let your canvas dry flat on a table. It might look milky white in areas. Resist the temptation to brush it! If you followed my method, the varnish should dry crystal clear. It should dry completely within 3-5 hours, depending on humidity.
Disclaimer: I have used this method with great results in over 20 years of portrait painting. Your results are up to you, how you apply this method, and the humidity levels of your studio space. I cannot be held responsible for any painting that gets damaged during the varnishing process. It would be a good idea to varnish a test piece first. You can add another layer (after 3-5 hours of dry time) if you feel the first one didn’t cover as well as you’d like, but most of the time, you won’t need to.
Watch this video below to see the process in action…
Let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to teaching you more!
—Matt
Questions? Suggestions? Thoughts? Let me know, below in the comments. Please share this post with your friends!
3 Tips to Drawing Better Pencil Portraits
Better drawing=better painting. So today, I’m going to show you some tips on how to improve your drawing.
I’ll be basing today’s demo on an 8″ x 24″ commissioned pet portrait I’m working on. I’ll talk about and demonstrate shading, texture and how to smooth things out.
Watch the video below and find out how to do it!
Let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to teaching you more!
—Matt
Questions? Suggestions? Thoughts? Let me know, below in the comments. Please share this post with your friends!
Adding Early Highlights to Your Acrylic Portrait
Sometimes an acrylic painting doesn’t always go the way you want it to go. Then you need to make adjustments. And that’s OK!
In this video, I take a slightly different approach and add highlights to my painting early on in the process. Because my toning layer got a bit dark, I wanted to go back and strengthen the highlights, using titanium white and Indian yellow, diluted with matte medium to make it the application fluid. This allows those areas ultimately to have more luminosity and vibrance.
Let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to teaching you more!
—Matt
Questions? Suggestions? Thoughts? Let me know, below in the comments. Please share this post with your friends!
Blocking-in on a 30″ x 40″ Acrylic Battle Scene Painting
The way we begin an acrylic painting is super important and determines, in many ways, how it will end up. In this lesson, I show you how to block in the value structure, using the classical glazing technique adapted for acrylics.
In this demonstration, I am using a 30″ x 40″ acrylic painting I was commissioned to create, a battle scene between ancient Israel and the Amalekites. I asked my friends to come over to my home early in the morning, at sunrise, and model for the painting.
Original reference photo for Moses, Aaron and Hur painting, ©2021 Matt Philleo
Yes, that’s me in the middle!
In this battle, when the Israelite leader Moses held up his staff, the power of God would flow. It caused the Israelite army to defeat their battlefield enemies. But, as the battle lasted for hours, Moses grew tired and couldn’t hold up his staff. Then the Amalekites got the advantage over the Israelites!
His assistants, Aaron and Hur came up with an idea. They had Moses sit on a rock. Then they held up his arms on either side, so once again, the Israelites could prevail.
This painting is meant to depict the struggle in praying, and how when others come alongside of us, they can ease the burden. Their faith strengthens ours, and we can get the victory!
Here is my layout for the painting that I edited on Photoshop…
Reference image for acrylic painting of Moses, Aaron and Hur, Battle with the Amalekites, ©2021 Matt Philleo
Now for the blocking-in video…
We start with an accurate sketch. Then, my goal is to quickly identify the major areas of contrast within the reference photo.
30 x 40 Acrylic on Canvas painting of Moses, Aaron and Hur in the Amalekite battle. Shown in the sketch stage. ©2021 Matt Philleo
Then we apply a layer of raw umber dark, ultramarine blue and matte medium to the shadow areas designated on the sketch…
Watch the video here to see how to do it…
Let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to teaching you more!
—Matt
Questions? Suggestions? Thoughts? Let me know, below in the comments. Please share this post with your friends!
My New Studio Set-up and Latest Art
It’s been a while since I’ve posted to this blog! As you may already be aware, my family purchased a home about a month ago (April 2019) and moved in a couple of weeks ago.
God has blessed us with a beautiful home in the country, and a separate building for a studio after renting and working out of a small apartment for 16 years. You can read more about that here…http://mattphilleo.com/2019/04/19/telling-the-easter-story-through-a-big-painting/
Fine Art by Matt Philleo studio, Town of Lafayette, Chippewa Falls, WI backyard
It was challenging to get internet access out in the country, but I found a solution through a wireless hotspot. I am finally connected!
This past week, I moved out my easel, art supplies, lighting, and computer and set it up in the new studio. I’m now at a place where I can paint and produce video tutorials again!
Acrylic portrait painter Matt Philleo in his new studio in Chippewa Falls WI, Eau Claire area by Autumn Harvest Winery and Orchard
Here is a mini-tour of the studio and a sneak peek at what I’m currently working on.
My new studio address is:
20109 30th Ave, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 (about 1/2 mile past Autumn Harvest Winery & Orchard on County Rd. J / 30th Ave)
View of Autumn Harvest Winery and Orchard from Fine Art by Matt Philleo studio during their May 4, 2019 Season Opening Event
Have a blessed day as always and I’ll be in touch with my latest art and tutorials!
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!