Step-by-Step Tutorial – Page 2 – Realistic Acrylic Portrait School

How to Save Money on Your Acrylic Paint

Artists can save up to 50% or more on acrylic paint.

Save up to 50% or more on acrylic paint (vs name-brand acrylic purchased from your local art store) here

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 in 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 Cool and Dark Skin Tone Nuances

/ Step-by-Step Tutorial Video Tutorial
/ By Matt Philleo

Learn how to paint realistically cool and skin tones.

In this video, I show you how to paint skin tone nuances, cool and darker, blending into light. This is an important skill to learn. This is originally from a bonus video I did for the 2021 Acrylic Portrait Painting Challenge.

To learn more, watch my free video tutorial on how to paint cool and dark skin tone nuances.

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 in 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 Lips in Your Acrylic Portrait

Get ready to perfect your lip painting in acrylic portraits.

I’m snagging a bonus video from the 2020 Fall Acrylic Portrait challenge, showing you how to paint lips in your acrylic portrait. What color highlights do you use? What do you use for shadows? I’ll show you my color mixes, and how to apply them, to portray the lips fully and realistically! Let me know how this helps!

To learn more, watch my free video tutorial on how to paint lips in your acrylic.

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 in 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!

Bring Your Portrait Home with the Acrylic Glazing Technique

Create stunning portraits with the acrylic glazing technique.

If you’ve been following my teaching for a while, you know I use the expression quite a bit: “Let’s bring your portrait home.” 🙂 I don’t know why I use the expression. I’m not even good at baseball. But anyway, there is a lot to be said about HOW we finish a portrait. And finishing it well is the reward for the several hours of work you put into it to get it to that stage.

In this video, I’ll show you how to paint those final nuances on your portrait that make it look REAL and ALIVE. You’ll be amazed at how small of a brush we use to smooth out skin tones and subtle shifts in value. I’m demonstrating a large 48″ x 72″ portrait I did several years ago.

The acrylic glazing technique (and some prayer) make this all possible. We all know how difficult it can be to blend with acrylic.

Now, with my technique, you don’t have to use oils anymore to get a smooth, blended look on your portraits. Watch the video and learn my secrets on how to “bring your portrait home!”

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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 in 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 Adjust Skin Tones on a Hardboard Portrait

Achieve your ideal skin tone when creating portraits on a hardboard.

We’re going back in time to the portrait of “Jess” that I did for the 2021 Portrait Challenge. In this video lesson, I’ll show you how to adjust skin tones. Specifically, we’re looking at those difficult areas like the nose and skin around the eyes. It’s hard to get the right tint, especially in highlights. But I will break it down for you, step-by-step, showing you a portion of the finishing process.

To learn more watch my free video tutorial on how to adjust skin tones on a hardboard.

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!

How to Paint Beautiful Nuances on Red Hair

Discover the secrets to stunning red hair portraits!

Unlock the secrets of painting breathtaking nuances on red hair with this must-watch my free video tutorial!

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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!

How to Sketch a Portrait of a Couple FREEHAND (Entire Process)

How do you sketch freehand?

To learn more watch my free tutorial about how I sketch a portrait of a couple FREEHAND (Entire Process).

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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!

How to Add Shadows and sign your painting!

How do add shadow in your painting!

In this video, I show you how to paint shadows around the feet of people standing in a multi-generational portrait of 30 people! Then, I sign the painting.

Signing the painting is the fun part. You don’t need a really fancy small brush to sign a painting. Just a normal one will do. It’s really all in the technique. Let me show you how, in this brief video tutorial…

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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!

How to Paint Trees in the Distance in Your Acrylic Portrait

How do you paint trees?

To learn more watch my free tutorial about how to paint trees in the distance in your acrylic portrait.

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!

Weird Way to Apply Gesso to Your Canvas

Most store-bought canvases are not primed very well and can benefit from another layer or two of gesso.

I’ll show you a weird way to gesso a canvas, to smooth out the surface texture. It works much better than just a brush alone.

Often, the brush will leave a lot of unwanted vertical texture on your canvas. This technique overcomes that and, in turn, will make your painting process easier, and allow you to achieve smoother shading and increased detail.

SUPPLIES NEEDED”

Pre-primed canvas

Drywall taping knives (4″ or 6″, possibly 10″)

2″ or 3″ Household paintbrush

Gesso (high quality–Liquitex or Nova Color)

Matte Medium (high quality–Liquitex or Nova Color)

Container (1 qt. size yogurt container works well)

Easel to hold canvas securely.

Cotton Towel

HOW TO DO IT:

Step 1. Pour gesso into your container until about 1/4″ full. Add some matt medium (1/4 of the amount of gesso) Mix well.

Step 2. Brush gesso onto the canvas generously and vertically. Smooth out as best as you can.

Step 3. Use your largest taping knife to smooth out the gesso application.

Step 4. Switch to your smallest taping knife, keeping it at a 45° to 33° angle, using less pressure to feather out any vertical ridges. Wipe your knife on a towel to keep it clean and avoid buildup that could get on your canvas. When done, immediately clean your knives with soap, water, and rubbing alcohol to prevent rust. Careful, as taping knives have a very sharp edge!

Step 5. Let it dry for several hours and then sand it with 250 or higher grit sandpaper on a sanding block. (Use a dust mask!)

Wipe off any excess dust and you’re ready to paint, or add another layer if you’d like for extra smoothness.

(I cannot be held responsible for any damage to you or your canvas by using this technique. But I can say it works well. )

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!

Category Archives for Step-by-Step Tutorial

Artists can save up to 50% or more on acrylic paint.

Learn how to paint realistically cool and skin tones.

Get ready to perfect your lip painting in acrylic portraits.

Create stunning portraits with the acrylic glazing technique.

Achieve your ideal skin tone when creating portraits on a hardboard.

Discover the secrets to stunning red hair portraits!

How do you sketch freehand?

How to Enhance the Contrast in Your 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.

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

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 do add shadow in your painting!

How do you paint trees?

Most store-bought canvases are not primed very well and can benefit from another layer or two of gesso.