The Secrets on How to Paint Realistic Shadows

Transform your paintings with these 6 steps to perfectly capture shadows.

When it comes to acrylic portrait painting, achieving the right depth and contrast can make all the difference in bringing your artwork to life. One technique that can dramatically enhance the shadows in your painting involves using a color that’s even darker than black: Deoxazine Purple. In this guide, we’ll explore how to incorporate this secret color into your acrylic portraits to create rich, deep shadows that add drama and realism.

Why Deoxazine Purple?

Deoxazine Purple is a unique and intense color that can achieve a darker value than traditional black paints like ivory black or mars black. This color is perfect for creating shadows with a richness that pure black alone can’t provide. While black can sometimes make a painting look flat and lifeless, deoxazine purple adds a subtle complexity, making your shadows appear deeper and more vibrant.

Materials You’ll Need:

• Deoxazine purple acrylic paint
• Ivory Black or Mars black acrylic paint
• Ultramarine blue acrylic paint
• Indian yellow acrylic paint
• Matte medium
• A selection of brushes

Step 1: Preparing Your Palette

Start by preparing your palette with deoxazine purple, ivory black, ultramarine blue, and indian yellow. While you might not use all of these colors immediately, having them on hand will allow you to make adjustments as needed.

Step 2: Mixing the Perfect Shadow Color

Begin by applying deoxazine purple to your palette. Notice how it appears almost black until it’s mixed with a medium or other colors. To create a shadow color that’s darker than black, mix deoxazine purple with a touch of ivory black and ultramarine blue. This combination will produce a rich, dark hue that can be applied in areas where you want the deepest shadows.

For added warmth, incorporate a small amount of Indian Yellow. This step might seem counterintuitive, as yellow is a lighter color, but when mixed with purple, it creates a deep brown that enriches the shadow without lightening the value significantly.

Step 3: Applying the Shadow

Once you’ve mixed your shadow color, it’s time to apply it to your painting. In this example, we’ll be working on a portrait of Paul the apostle in a caravaggio-esque style, emphasizing dramatic contrasts and deep shadows.

Using a soft brush, apply the deoxazine purple mixture to areas where you want the darkest shadows, such as behind the figure or in the folds of clothing. Be mindful of the consistency of the paint; you want it to be slightly thinned with matte medium to allow for smooth blending.

Step 4: Blending for Depth

Blending is key to creating realistic shadows. As you apply the shadow color, blend it outwards to create a gradient effect. This technique helps the shadow transition smoothly into lighter areas, adding depth and volume to the painting.

If the color appears too intense or too purple, you can tone it down by mixing in a bit of ultramarine blue or raw umber. These colors help neutralize the purple, making it blend more naturally with the surrounding areas.

Step 5: Enhancing with Additional Layers

For even more depth, consider adding additional layers of glaze. A glaze is a thin, transparent layer of paint that can be built up gradually to deepen the shadow. In this case, mix a small amount of deoxazine purple with matte medium and apply it over the shadowed areas. Each layer will intensify the shadow, creating a sense of richness and dimension.

Step 6: Final Touches

As you continue working, pay close attention to the balance of colors in your painting. You may need to adjust the warmth or coolness of the shadows by adding small amounts of indian yellow or ultramarine blue. Remember that deoxazine purple is a powerful color, so use it sparingly and with intention.

Once the shadows are in place, you can proceed with refining other areas of the painting, ensuring that the contrast between light and dark enhances the overall composition.

Tips for Success:

• Practice Blending: Blending is essential for achieving smooth transitions between light and shadow. Practice this technique on a separate canvas before applying it to your final piece.
• Use Matte Medium: Matte medium helps to thin the paint without losing its intensity, making it easier to apply and blend multiple layers.
• Experiment with Colors: Don’t be afraid to mix in other colors like Raw Umber or Burnt Sienna to adjust the tone of your shadows. Each painting is unique, and experimentation can lead to discovering the perfect color balance.

Deoxazine purple is a game-changer for artists looking to create shadows that are richer and deeper than traditional black. By mastering this technique, you can add a new level of depth and realism to your acrylic portraits, making them stand out with dramatic contrast and lifelike vibrancy. Whether you’re aiming for a caravaggio-inspired masterpiece or simply want to enhance the shadows in your work, this powerful color will help you achieve your artistic vision.

Yes, you can use my “secret” color to increase the contrast in your acrylic portrait. 

One of the best ways to make your portrait “POP” is to give it more contrast. In other words, to make the dark values darker, which in turn, makes the light values look lighter. 

And if you can get your darkest values as dark as they can go, that will really help your portrait to look it’s best. 

But what do you use? Black is the color most of us artists would reach for. But let me show you another color that works even better…

Watch the video below to learn more how I increase the contrast in your portrait with my secret color.

LEARN MORE

•  Sketching Your Painting Accurately
• Beginning a Pet Portrait in Acrylic
• The Mystery of Realism in Painting
• Apply A Burnt Sienna Glaze to a Portrait
• Learn How to Sketch a Portrait Freehand in 45 Minutes
• 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!

 

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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!