One of the challenges portrait artists face is creating a balanced contrast between the subject and the background. Acrylic glazing is an excellent technique for solving this problem, offering the ability to subtly darken elements like the background and clothing while maintaining depth and luminosity. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to use acrylic glazing to darken the background and clothing in your portraits. Then the key to success in this technique lies in building up light layers of color, allowing the paint to create a rich, oil-like effect that transforms your artwork.
Because at the end of this guide, you’ll be able to create striking contrasts, enhance the mood of your painting, and master acrylic glazing for darker tones.
To achieve the best results with the acrylic glazing technique, you’ll need the following materials:
Acrylic glazing is a technique where you mix a small amount of pigment with a large amount of matte medium to create thin, transparent layers of color. Each layer allows light to pass through, giving the painting added depth and richness. This technique mimics the effects of oil painting but with the faster drying time of acrylics, making it a versatile choice for many artists.
In this video, we follow the steps to darken the background and clothing of a 16×20 acrylic portrait of a couple and their cat. The key to achieving a smooth glaze is to ensure your base sketch is solid, allowing the layers to enhance rather than correct the painting.
Before applying glazes, it’s essential to have a strong and accurate sketch. As I have mention, that if you want to make sure that the proportions and likeness are perfect before you begin glazing. Because the foundation is key to a successful final product.
When creating your sketch:
In this painting, the client requested a bluish tone for the background. To create a blue glaze, follow these steps:
One of the advantages of glazing is its flexibility. If the glaze looks too intense, you can always add more matte medium or water to lighten it.
After applying the initial glaze, focus on enhancing the contrast between the subject (in this case, the couple and their cat) and the background. This step is crucial to making the subject stand out. You want to:
To darken the background even more, add layers of raw umber or burnt sienna mixed with matte medium on top of the blue glaze. This will give the background a more muted, shadowy effect while still allowing the initial blue tone to shine through.
Next, shift focus to darkening the clothing using a similar glazing technique. The subject in this portrait is wearing darker-toned clothes, and I use the combination of raw umber and ultramarine blue to darken the clothing in a natural, gradual way.
Remember, glazing allows you to make adjustments easily. If the color feels too cool or too warm, add a thin glaze of raw sienna or alizarin crimson to adjust the warmth or coolness.
Once the base glazes are in place, use smaller detail brushes to enhance the finer areas, such as the edges of the clothing or folds in the fabric. For example, I use raw sienna to highlight certain areas of the shirt’s wrinkles. Then this subtle addition of color adds a lifelike quality to the painting.
At this stage, pay attention to:
The acrylic glazing technique offers artists a powerful tool for adding depth and richness to their paintings. When layering transparent color, you can gradually darken backgrounds and clothing without losing the vibrancy of the initial layers. This method also allows for flexibility, as adjustments can be made throughout the process without the pressure of getting it right on the first try.
In this painting of a couple and their cat, the careful use of glazing brings out the contrast between the subjects and their background, creating a compelling portrait. With practice, you’ll be able to master this technique and apply it to your own projects, transforming your portraits into luminous works of art.
If you’re looking for more instructional videos on how to improve your acrylic painting, visit www.realisticacrylic.com for more tutorials and check out my free courses here. .
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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,
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