(SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TO WATCH THE MASTERCLASS LESSONS!)
Here's what to do next:
1. Download and print the Welcome Kit
here or below. (This kit is a work in progress. I will be sending more later.)
Be sure to open the folder up, and click the download text or icon in the upper right.
In the Welcome Kit folder, you will find the Supplies List (with the Palette Guide), printable/downloadable reference images (coming soon), with and without the grid, and now, the Masterclass Lesson Schedule. Choose either 4" x 5" or 8" x 10." Either option will work for a standard 16" x 20" canvas, if you grid 2" squares, 8 wide by 10 high.
Download the Welcome Kit below:
- Google DRIVE: Acrylic Portrait Painting Challenge Welcome Kit
Be sure to click the "Download" button in the upper right corner, as shown, to save the entire PDF file to your computer. (Select the correct year.)
2. Join my Facebook Group, "Realistic Acrylic Portraits", and post your painting in progress, to get feedback from other artists, and to encourage them in their portraits as well!
3. "Whitelist" my emails so you don't miss any of my videos and tips: Add my name to your contact list or mark as important. I will be keeping in touch with you about the challenge and sending cool and helpful things your way! 🙂
4. Watch the video below where I share more about this challenge and share it with your artist friends!
Take the Fall Acrylic Portrait Painting Challenge!
5. Watch the Masterclass Lessons so you know how to paint your portrait, step-by-step and you can make it your very best! They will be coming soon, and I will let you know via email, once they are out.
I look forward to seeing YOUR portrait in the challenge!
—Matt
2021 Fall Portrait Challenge MASTERCLASS LESSONS (Keep coming back for more lessons as they post)
Lessons 1-3 will be posted here. Lessons 4-8 will be posted in the Realistic Acrylic All-Access Membership, so that I can concentrate on teaching my students within the school. (You'll be invited to join the school at that time.)
Lesson 1: Preparing the Painting Surface
Lesson 2: Sketching
Part 1: Sketching the Outlines
Part 2: Sketching in the Details
Lesson 3: Sealing in the Sketch
2020 Fall Portrait Challenge MASTERCLASS LESSONS (Keep coming back for more lessons as they post)
Masterclass Lesson #1: Sketching Your Portrait Accurately (After working with hundreds of artists to help them improve the realism of their portraits, I've found one thing that almost always makes an immediate improvement: the sketch. In this lesson, I'll teach you how to observe what you see and render that correctly on your canvas in pencil. Then you can dive into the painting process with confidence! WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #2: Sealing in Your Sketch and Beginning the Painting Confidently After creating a solid sketch as a good foundation to paint upon, the next step is to seal in the sketch and tone the canvas. Let me show you how to do it smoothly. This will get your portrait ready for the blocking in process with the first few glazes. WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #3: Beginning the Glazing Process In our last lesson, I showed you how to "white-out" the grid lines, seal in the sketch, and tone it in. Now, the next step is to begin the glazing process, using just a few colors, diluted with generous portions of matte medium. This method of layering translucently is the heart and soul of the acrylic glazing technique. It gives your painting more depth, allows you to shade smoothly, allows you to create a fantastically detailed sketch, and then slowly transition it into a realistic fine art portrait! WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #4: Building Your Painting, Layer Upon Layer In this stage, we are adding glazes to tone in the background, three-dimensional structure to the face and body, and creating contrast throughout the image. WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #5: Creating Realistic Shading and Tonal Value I will teach you how to make your portrait more realistic by adding complexity to the specific shadow shapes in the hair. You will also learn how to apply another glaze to the woman's face, shading in from the shadows to the mid-tones. And we will add more depth to her clothing and background as well. WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #6: Building Richness and Depth in Your Acrylic Portrait In this lesson, I will show you how to increase the contrast between the subject and the background with strategically placed glazes. We'll "enrich" entire areas of the painting with large glazes and we'll begin to add pinpoint details in others. I'll also help you with developing skin tones.WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #7: Painting Smooth Skin Tones and Nuances I'll show you how to create more realism and texture for the hair, apply semi-opaque glazes to add more three dimensionality to the face, dial in the color for the skin tones, smooth out the texture as well add shading, detail, and texture for the clothing and more! WATCH NOW
Masterclass Lesson #8: Bringing Your Portrait to CompletionThis is where we "bring the painting home!" I'll demonstrate how to add a reflected light nuance on Maka's jawline, add three-dimensionality to her nose with a slight, glaze, refine the edges of her dress for maximum contrast and more. It's those little things that make a difference. Let me help you finish your painting with confidence! WATCH NOW