For a change of pace, we did the Acrylic Portrait Challenge Masterclass Lesson #4 as a LIVE class, and I’m excited to share it with you! 

In our last lesson, I showed you how to prepare your canvas for painting by whiting out the grid lines, sealing in and muting the sketch, and preparing your palette.

Finally, we began the actual painting process with a glaze of ultramarine blue (a glaze is a small amount of acrylic paint mixed into a large amount of clear acrylic medium, usually matte medium).

Now, in this lesson (recorded LIVE), I will show you how to add the next two glazes, which will nearly cover the entire canvas with one layer.

Whereas the sketch is the actual foundation for the painting, this first layer is very important. It is like the floor joists when a house is built. The rest of the structure attaches to that, and so housebuilders take extra time to make sure they do it correctly. If they don’t they’ll end up with a structure that will end up sagging years, or even worse, collapsing!

In the same way, we want to make sure we have this first layer done correctly. Don’t feel nervous about it. You can still fix a painting that hasn’t been started correctly, and end up with a truly realistic acrylic portrait. It just will take you more time and effort to correct, and so it’s best to avoid that hassle if possible.

What we want to do at this stage:

Our main goal right now is to establish the main value and color scheme of the portrait, simultaneously. We want to “lock-in” the contrast between the lights and dark values, paying attention to their specific edges, boundaries, and shapes. If you did the sketch according to Lesson #2,  then you will know almost exactly where to place your initial glazes, because your sketch tells you where to put it.

We also want to observe the major differences in color within the reference photo, simplify it to “warm and cool” tones and use our inital glazes to plot that out. Then, future layers will be added on top of them, getting more and more complex as we go along.

But the initial glaze will serve us well.

It’s like how a major highway was often once a foot trail, then a cowpath, then a dirt road, then a paved road, and finally a highway. It’s a lot easier to upgrade a road, than to try to build a new one. You’d have to bulldoze trees, cut through rocks, level the land, and even remove homes if necessary.

In the same way, with the glazing technique, we are getting the compounded effect of each previous layer adding richness and depth to the ones that come after them. That’s why you want to start off right.

Again, as I’ve said in the last lesson: begin the painting lightly. Much lighter than you think. And certainly more than you’re used to painting, if you’ve painted for a while. If you just barely see a difference in this first layer, you’re doing it exactly right!

Let’s dive into the process…

Here’s how to do it:

1. Mix your Glaze for the Skin Tone Foundation Layer: Use a small amount of burnt sienna and raw umber dark, and mix with a large amount of matte medium (5% paint to 95% medium) as shown in the video lesson. “Scoop” a large amount of glaze onto your 3/4″or 1″ flat brush.
2. Apply the Glaze: Start on the left-hand side of the man’s face, and apply the glaze with firm pressure to cut along the edge of the ear, neck, and along the collar. Spread the paint out toward the right, keeping a wet edge. Flip the brush over to make use of the paint that is on both sides.
3. Smooth Out the Glaze: Use diagonal criss-cross strokes to blend the glaze out rapidly. Use very light pressure at the end, just barely grazing your brush across the top. Don’t overwork the glaze. TIP: It dries quickly. If it starts to get blotchy or tacky, just leave it alone, or you’ll make it worse. You will be able to smooth it out later with more layers on top.
4. Mix the Glaze for the Background Foundation Layer: Now, if you followed my steps from Lesson #3, you should have an ultramarine blue glaze already on the background’s darkest values. This glaze will go on top of that, and will start the basic color for the mid-tone area in the right direction. Take a small amount of raw sienna as the base, smaller amount of raw umber (or raw umber dark) and and even smaller amount of ultramarine blue, and mix them slowly into the matte medium as I show in the video.
5. Add the Glaze and Smooth it Out. Apply this similarly as the skin tone glaze, but this time, you only need to cut up along the edge of objects with very light tonal value, such as the shirt or the illuminated portion of the man’s face. The glaze can go on top of the hat, because the final tonal value of that area will be so dark, so there’s no need to worry about trying to “keep within the lines” there.

Ready to paint?

Now, before you begin (yes, I have to ask you again, just in case 🙂 )…

Are you registered for the challenge?

If not, register below for FREE and I’ll send you:

• a downloadable/ printable”Welcome Kit” with a Supplies List and a Palette Color Layout Guide.
• high-resolution images of the photo we’ll be painting from for this challenge.
• each new lesson that comes out in this Masterclass series.
• a link to my private Facebook group, where you can do this challenge with other artists, get feedback and help on your portrait, and not feel alone.

REGISTER TODAY. The challenge is ongoing, something you can do at your own pace. It’s not too late to enter!

Watch my in-depth Masterclass acrylic online tutorial below to see these steps in action.

After learning from this video, you’ll know exactly how to do it.

Make sure to watch the ENTIRE video first before diving into the painting. It will be worth it to do that. Then, I’d like you to go back and refer to whatever steps you need to as you paint. That way, you won’t miss any of the instruction and tips that will help you make this portrait your very best.

Here’s the video…

[PORTRAIT CHALLENGE] Masterclass Lesson #4, LIVE: Establishing Your Color and Values

Moving Forward…

If you made it this far, congratulations! It’s not easy to start a painting so light, when your natural instinct is paint thick and dark right away. So, if you’ve followed my steps as best you can, high fives and hat’s off to you! Stick with this process, and you will be able to paint more confidently and realistically than you ever have before.

Now, since we have the complete glaze foundation work done on the painting—the hat, the face, the shirt, the background all has paint on it, we can move on and add more and more glazes—building up richness, depth, and detail. The painting will look more and more amazing each time we add another layer. There may be a few times where you’ll hit a few rough spots, but by God’s grace, I’ll show you how to navigate those challenges and finish your portrait well.

I’ll see you in our next class! Until then be blessed in your painting and may God guide your every brushstroke!

Yours for Better Portraits,

If you found this post helpful or encouraging, would you send it on ahead? Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much! 

Let me know if you have any questions about the challenge that I didn’t answer. Leave your question in the comments below and I’ll get back to you!