How to Paint Realistic Acrylic Better by Correcting Values

Learn the key steps to correcting values in your acrylic to make your portraits pop with depth and realism.

Painting realistic acrylic portraits involves more than just getting the anatomy right—it’s about mastering values. The difference between a flat, unconvincing portrait and a lifelike masterpiece often comes down to how well you can control light and dark values in your painting. When understanding value shifts and ensuring you apply them accurately is key to creating the depth and realism every artist strives for. So let’s walk through how you can paint realistic acrylic better by correcting values based on a critique of an artist’s work.

Outline:

• The Importance of Initial Value Decisions
• Correcting Contrast Between Background and Subject
• Deepening Shadows and Highlights
• Tips for Blending and Glazing
• Using Reference Photos Effectively

Creating a realistic acrylic portrait is not just about replicating the physical features of your subject—it’s about controlling the light and dark areas, known as values, to build depth and dimension. Values are the foundation that allows a two-dimensional image to appear three-dimensional. Many artists struggle with values, but with the right approach, you can learn how to improve your acrylic painting by correcting your value scales, leading to more believable and engaging artwork.

The Importance of Initial Value Decisions

One of the first things to consider before even starting your portrait is deciding where your lightest lights and darkest darks will be. At the beginning of your painting process, focus on defining these values. For example, if your subject is a toddler, as in the critique we’re discussing, you’ll want to establish whether the child’s clothing is lighter or darker than the background. Without setting this contrast early on, your portrait may lack the pop that comes from a well-planned value structure.

To achieve this, squint at your reference photo. When you do this, the details blur, leaving only the light and dark areas visible. This allows you to better see the major value relationships, which should guide your first layers of paint.

Correcting Contrast Between Background and Subject

In the painting critiqued, one of the main issues was that the background and the child’s clothing were too similar in value, causing the subject to blend into the background. To fix this, you should always aim for clear contrast between the subject and background, especially in portraits.

The key here is glazing. Glazing allows you to build layers of translucent color over your existing work, subtly darkening areas without losing the detail underneath. To enhance the separation between your subject and background, you can apply a series of darker glazes around the edges of the clothing and hair, creating more visual contrast.

Deepening Shadows and Highlights

One common mistake in value management is failing to adequately darken shadowed areas. In the critique, the baby’s face needed darker values to enhance the contrast with the clothing. When painting realistic portraits, it’s crucial to use darker shades in areas like the eye sockets, under the chin, and along the contours of the face to establish form.

Start by identifying the darkest areas in your reference photo, and focus on deepening these with thin layers of a dark glaze, such as raw umber mixed with a matte medium. If you are worried about over-darkening, remember that acrylic paint can be layered gradually. You can always lighten areas again with more transparent glazes.

Tips for Blending and Glazing

Blending is an essential skill when correcting values. It allows you to transition smoothly between light and dark areas, creating a more three-dimensional effect. When adjusting values, you want to avoid harsh lines unless they are intentionally part of your style. Instead, blend gently with glazes to maintain the integrity of your forms.

A great method is to mix your shadow color with a medium, like matte medium or glazing liquid, thinning it out so that you can apply it in very controlled layers. This method helps you avoid any abrupt value shifts and maintains the realism of the portrait.

Using Reference Photos Effectively

Often, artists struggle when they deviate from their reference photos. In the video critique, there were issues because the artist may have been improvising some of the value shifts, leading to a lack of contrast. As the instructor suggested, it’s better to stick closely to your reference photo, particularly when it comes to values. The dynamics of light and shadow are complex, and trying to invent them without a strong understanding of value relationships can lead to mistakes.

By carefully observing your reference and mimicking the value relationships you see, you will increase the realism of your portrait. Look for small differences in light, such as the subtle transition from the forehead to the temple, and work to replicate those.

Common Mistakes in Value Adjustment

Here are a few common pitfalls when adjusting values in acrylic portraits:

1. Fear of going too dark: Many artists shy away from deepening shadows, but without rich darks, your painting will appear flat. Don’t be afraid to add more shadow, especially in areas where the light source is absent.
2. Over-blending: While blending is crucial, over-blending can flatten your values. Preserve some sharp transitions to maintain form and dimension.
3. Neglecting mid-tones: Values aren’t just about the extremes of light and dark. Be sure to observe the mid-tone transitions carefully and work on blending those accurately.

As you wrap up your painting, focus on refining the transitions between values. One way to add realism to your painting is by using opaque white or a very light mix of white and raw umber for final highlights. Apply these sparingly to areas that catch the most light, such as the forehead, tip of the nose, and the upper lip.

Lastly, double-check your values. Step back from your painting and assess whether the contrast between light and dark areas is working to guide the viewer’s eye to the subject. Often, subtle tweaks in value can significantly enhance the realism of your work.

While correcting values is an essential skill for every acrylic portrait artist. Then you need to focus on contrast, deepening shadows, and ensuring smooth transitions between light and dark, you can dramatically improve the realism of your artwork. Use reference photos to your advantage, practice glazing, and don’t be afraid to push your values to new extremes. Because with these techniques, your acrylic portraits will stand out with greater depth and authenticity.

As a result of mastering values, you’ll unlock new levels of realism in your acrylic paintings, allowing your subjects to truly come to life on the canvas.

LEARN MORE

• How to Paint Foliage Using the Acrylic Glazing Technique
• How to Trace for an Accurate Portrait Sketch
• How to Paint Realistic Eyes in Your Acrylic Portrait
• How to Add Raw Umber Dark & Ultramarine Blue to Your Portrait
• How to Make Your Own Raw Umber Dark
• How to Paint Realistic Trees & Grass in Your Acrylic
• How to Block In Skin Tone Values Using Glazing Technique
• How to Paint Vibrant Reds in Your Acrylic Portrait
• How to Glaze Background Colors & More Acrylic Portrait
• How to Paint White Clothing in Your Acrylic Portrait
• How to Easily Transition from a Sketch to a Painting
• How to Block In Shading & Skin Tones in Your Acrylic
• How to Build Up Color on Acrylic Pet Portrait
• How to Build Up Form on Clothing with Acrylic
• How to Paint Dark Clothing Using Acrylic Glazing Technique
• How to Paint a 24 x 30 Acrylic With 30 People
• How to Do Smooth Shading with Acrylic
• How to Sketch an Acrylic Portrait with a Grid

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,

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