Preliminary drawing for an oil portrait. The figure shows how the features of a human face are located within an imaginary square. The width of the face at the level of the cheekbones is equal to the distance from the hairline to the interlabial line. The line of the eyes runs in the middle of the square, and the tip of the nose is located halfway between the eyes and lips. (Fig. 1)

At this stage, color and tone are added to the hair and a more saturated color is applied to the face and background of the drawing. Now the sketch becomes less linear and (fig.3)

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This is a finished drawing... You can leave it as it is or use it as a sketch for an oil painting.

This kind of sketch makes it easier to work on a real painting. (fig.4)

Modeling is the preparatory work to determine the large light and dark areas for a drawing or painting, a very important process in terms of composition.

Distribute light and dark places so that you get interesting composition. Consider large planes and outlines that will create a pleasing overall effect. Details can be added later.

To model a portrait, when zones of dark and light tones of different saturation are outlined, it is very important to find the ratio of sizes and shapes. Saturation - means the degree of brightness of a color. Tone - determines the ratio of light and dark in a drawing or picture, regardless of whether they are made in black and white or in color.

You should not make a drawing as an island in a sea of ​​white paper, it should fill the entire sheet with itself.

Partially covered face is interesting from the point of view of the composition and design of the painting. Here, accessories such as a veil, a scarf or a high collar give many opportunities.

Tips When drawing the head in profile, leave a little more background in front of the model rather than behind it. In this drawing, the head is placed exactly in the center of the canvas, which narrows the space in front too much.

Here the head is slightly shifted to the right, which gives a more favorable effect.

If the head is placed too low, it may give the impression that it "falls" behind the plane of the canvas; if it is too high, it will seem to “float”. When you consider a drawing or painting of a human head, find the right position from the very beginning. In this drawing, the head itself is well placed in the center of the image. But when the neck and shoulders are added to it, it is clear that the whole composition becomes heavy at the bottom. (fig.1)

In this drawing, the head seems to be placed too high, but there is enough room for the neck and shoulders. And you can see that the head is in its place and the image is balanced. (fig.2)

Oil A limited palette of paints was used for this work. Burnt umber, burnt sienna, natural umber, natural sienna and titanium white.


First, a light gray tone was applied to the canvas, which was then outlined with burnt sienna using a sharp-tipped #5 kolinsky brush. After the drawing was completely dry, a transparent layer of burnt umber, diluted with a mixture of linseed oil and copal, was applied to it with a flat brush "20". In the next stage, the face was covered with a flesh tone, which is a mixture of burnt and natural umber and white. The dark mass of hair is written with pure and burnt umber.


At the end pink lips and cheeks are added with burnt sienna and titanium white. The gray background around the hair is made from a mixture of natural umber and white. Thus, the finished painting is almost full of color, although it was painted with a rather limited monochrome palette. First outline the facial features and determine the position of the eyebrows. Next, apply a skin tone base, unpainted areas will serve you for shadows.


Outline the lips and add details to the nose and eyes. Outline the ear with the earring. Apply shadow near the front of the face to create depth and soften shadows on the face. Add color to the details: lips, cheeks, nose and eyes.


An important part of the picture is its background. However, it can conflict with the subject of the image if the color or model is too conspicuous, if the background is too gray and even, the feeling of space and air between the background and the image disappears. To give more volume and roundness to the head, lighten the background where it touches the shaded side of the head and, accordingly, darken the background where it touches the light side. This will also create a sense of space between the head and the surrounding background.

On a transparent tone of pale green cadmium, diluted with turpentine with a few drops of a desiccant for quick drying, applied with a flat kolinsky brush No. 20 over the pattern. After drying (within 24 hours), a second transparent and thin layer of burnt umber is applied over the first tinting layer, which must also dry. This process is shown separately in the illustration to show the color and saturation of the tinted layers.

We build the composition of the model. In nature, shadows appear transparent, so here diluted paint is applied to the shadowy places. When working on lighter areas, the paint should be applied more densely.

This pattern includes predominantly dark and light tones. Some parts of the tinted canvas on the left were left unpainted, becoming part of the image. This is the finished picture. The shaded side of the face, as it were, merges with the general background, which gives the image of the head a roundness.

Here I used kolinsky brushes (flat #20 and pointed #5) and a palette of paints consisting of: Burnt umber, pale cadmium green, Venetian red, yellow ocher and titanium white. This limited palette nevertheless produces a wide range of skin tones.

Tip A 40x50 canvas gives you good room for proportionate head placement, but you don't have to limit yourself to a particular size or configuration. For example, the above composition is tall and narrow.


The top lashes are thicker and thicker than the bottom lashes, so they should look darker. The lower eyelashes become longer and more voluminous closer to the outer corner of the eyes. The placement of the highlights in the eyes should be carefully considered, and the highlights should not be too large (large highlights make an inherently wet eye look like it's flattened). The upper eyelid casts a slight (but noticeable) shadow on the eyeball. To achieve the desired "wet" look, place a small highlight where the inner edge of the lower lid meets the white eyeball. Do not make the protein too white - in fact, it should be very suitable in tone to the skin tone. The iris of the eye has a softened edge - it is not just a colored disk on the surface of the eyeball, but a color zone within it. At the pupil, the edge gently passes into the iris. Head sketch size 20x25 cm (canvas on cardboard). The sketch was covered with several light coats of matte fixative.

At this stage, the facial features were outlined with a #5 kolinsky brush, and then the hair and color background were worked on with a palette knife.

It is not necessary to paint the entire canvas. In this painting, for example, open unpainted areas on the canvas are part of the overall composition. The skin tone is made up of a mixture of cadmium orange, yellow ocher and titanium white. The hair is made with natural sienna and burnt umber; the background in the upper part on the left is earthen green; background, top right, pale cadmium green; the dark places behind the face are pure burnt umber.

The image shows the different color saturation of the painting.

In the section: Lessons of drawing with oil paints

Materials Blue paint Paint Mountain mix white titanium paint Cadmium yellow paint White 1" Landscape brush Painting knife, *5 Fan brush, *3...

watercolor master class

« The only expression allowed in portrait painting- this is an expression that conveys character and moral qualities and no temporary, fleeting, random grimace"(E. Burne-Jones).

Workshop PORTRET-ART offers you a master class on drawing a portrait with watercolors.

To create a portrait we need:

paper or cardboard

The watercolor portrait is made on special watercolor paper, previously stretched on a stretcher. Such paper can be of different types (details about this can be found in any art store). Let's just say that the Portret-Art workshop advises working on Torchon watercolor paper.

Brushes - brushes should be made from natural materials (squirrel, marten, badger or ferret)

Sponge

· Pure water

And, of course, watercolor.

construction and technique

Before starting work, carefully study the photo. Always start building with the shape of the head, the oval of the face. First, determine the height (distance from the chin to the top of the head) and the width of the head. Then you need to find the middle line, as a rule, this is the approximate line of the eyes (but not in my case, since a complex angle was chosen and the reduction is in progress). Keep the lines light, do not put pressure on the pencil (we recommend using a soft pencil), do not forget that the main work will be done with watercolor paint, obvious "black" lines can affect the accuracy and quality of your work.

After the eye line is defined, we outline the lines of the nose, lips, eyebrows. We outline the shadows and highlights. At this stage, it is already possible to schematically show the shape of the nose, lips, eyebrows and eyes. Never start drawing a portrait with an eye, eyelashes and other small details - in case of a mistake (and everyone makes a mistake), it will be difficult to correct anything. With thin lines we are looking for a form.

The work is being carried out by the general masses, it is impossible to get ahead of ourselves. We work with the proportions of the entire spot.

watercolor painting detail

We draw the details. This stage is the most difficult, since right now you need to achieve maximum similarity. It is important to convey the character of a person. The main thing is not to forget to take measurements that allow you to determine the ratio of certain parts to each other (see).

Now, just, it's time to draw all the small elements. In order not to overdo it with detail, you can squint while looking at the original image (photo, nature). Thus, you will see those important points that you should definitely take into account - the main large spots, facial features and lines. This way you can make your job easier. Do not forget to compare the details all the time - we achieve accuracy.

We outline the shadows and highlights.

Before proceeding to this stage, you need to get at least basic knowledge of pencil drawing and human face anatomy.

for beginners

When all the constructions are completed, you can begin to prepare the watercolor paint for work. Using a brush and clean water, wet each color (this will help you blend colors faster as you work). However, this is only for convenience.

We remove the auxiliary lines of nags or a grater.

We take a palette (paper, plastic or glass). Sometimes you need to use several types of palettes (for example, both plastic and paper) - such details come directly during work.

We advise you to start working with paint by laying out the shadows and dark areas of the portrait. Thus, the figure will immediately acquire volume. Take a thick brush (how much depends on the size of your sheet), make large strokes, use more water (something like a fill). Keep in mind that when the watercolor dries, it brightens. As for the color and its receipt, there are no specific rules. In general, watercolor painting loves individuality.

We pay attention to the darkest areas of the face, we try to get volumetric image already at this stage.

finding color. work with planes

Now it's important to find the right color. Remember, watercolor is watery paint. This is what makes watercolor paintings light and airy, but at the same time saturated and bright. Therefore, when applying the first layers, add more water - this will help to avoid the effect of "dirty work".

It should be borne in mind that white paint, the so-called whitewash, is not used in watercolor painting, although it exists in some palettes. The highlights and highlights are the white paper that you leave untouched. In art stores, you can purchase a certain composition with which you can cover the highlights in the portrait and the paint simply will not fall on these places.

Over time, try to limit the number of colors in your palette - so your work will be more natural and light.

It is important to determine the light spots on paper, they help us to perceive plannedness and volume.

work with color

Of course, it is impossible to achieve realism by covering the skin of the face with one color. The more different shades, the better.

Don't move on to the next coat without completely drying the previous one - this can lead to mixing of paints right on your work (although there is a similar "wet" technique, but this is not about it now). The artists in our workshop use a hair dryer. In this case, do not turn on the hair dryer at full power and bring it too close.

Remember - watercolor is friends with water. And if you made a mistake, went over the tone, darkened - a sponge and running water will always come to your aid. Wash off boldly (but, of course, do not overdo it).

As far as technology is concerned, it is different for everyone. Even trying to copy, individual notes will eventually be visible. This is a matter of experience.

You can correct your mistakes, but it is even more important to follow the sequence, do not dwell on the details of the face. Now we need to find the color.

preparation for detailing

At this stage, it is necessary to carefully monitor the maintenance of similarities with the original. Do not forget to be distracted from the portrait from time to time (depart, turn away), because, sitting for a long time at work, after a lot of time, you simply stop noticing your mistakes.

We begin to give tone to the eyes, lips, hair - we prepare the portrait for detailing. At this stage, as a rule, errors that were not visible before become noticeable. Eliminate if possible.

We determine the lightest and darkest places - we work them out. Your portrait will look like not only the copied facial features, but also the shape of the shadows.

Klyachey remove unnecessary pencil lines.

We look more closely at the darkest and lightest parts of the portrait, adjust, draw the details.

DETAILED drawing. shutdown

And, finally, the most pleasant part of the work is the detailed drawing. Now we can see: where the shadow should be darker, where the reflection is more pronounced, where there is not enough color, and so on. We finalize these points and pick up a thin (as far as - at your discretion) brush and begin to draw small elements of the portrait, paying special attention to the eyes, eyelashes, hair. We control glare - without them, the picture will not be voluminous.

Do not forget that what is good in a photo is not always good in a watercolor painting. The same applies to nasolabial folds, facial and age wrinkles, and so on. Such nuances need to be looked at according to the situation. We focus on the eyes.

Adding a background. You can also darken the lower part of the portrait, and then all the focus will go to the face (but in our case, this is how the background works).

Now is the time to draw the smallest details of the portrait and achieve the final similarity. The background of the picture is underestimated, often it plays a decisive role in its perception.

The portrait will be the most original gift for your loved one.
Leave a request and the artist will contact you within an hour to discuss the details of the order.

With love and awe, Workshop

The portrait depicts a girl in an autumn coat and a beret with a scarf tied around her neck. Head in frontal position, shoulders in 3/4 foreshortening. The background is dark. The color palette is based on the ratio of cold and warm tones. The light is soft and diffused.

We determine the proportions of the height and width of the neck, placing the main masses of the portrait in the sheet format. We linearly sketch the front part, beret, scarf, shoulders. We draw the middle axis and determine the ratio of the parts of the face along the vertical. We outline the incision of the mouth, the base of the nose, the lines of the eyes and the armor.

We continue to work with a graphite pencil on the constructive construction of the details of the face, reveal the volume of the scarf, and form the hairstyle.

Refine the pencil drawing. We are working on similarity with the model. We work out the facial features in detail, take the folds of the scarf, outline the strands of hair.

Let's move on to painting. We lay the front part and coat with a transparent fill. We make a warm lining on a scarf, take your hair.

With a rich tone, paint the background with a large flat brush. And then, when it barely starts to dry out, with a clean wet brush we create a texture on it.

Taking into account the nature of the lighting, we begin to reveal the shape on the front part with light halftones layer by layer of glazing.

We are actively working with color and tone. We write the beret, hair, coat and scarf, revealing their texture. We put the emphasis on the collar of the sweater. Let each coat of paint dry.

We work out the face in detail, focusing on the eyes.

Finishing up the portrait. With transparent halftones we generalize the face, with a wet brush we emphasize the structure of the beret and the fold of the scarf protruding to the fore, we finalize the hair, we glaze the background.

Learning to draw a portrait from a photo is better in black and white. Print the photo in black and white, it is advisable to print the photo in the size that you plan to make the drawing, but this is not necessary. After you have printed the photo, draw it into equal squares measuring 3x3 cm, try to draw with even parallel lines! Use a ruler.
Next, draw a sheet of paper or cardboard into squares of the same size, in case you want to draw a portrait of the same size as the original photo. If your format is larger (as in the photo), then draw the sheet into larger squares, for example 4x4 cm, but the number of squares must match. Next, number all the squares in the photo and on a blank sheet in the same order.

(to the first photo) We start to make a pencil sketch, here you will start using squares, do not try to redraw the whole picture in general. Look at each square as a separate picture and copy the main lines, the numbers will help you navigate the drawing.

It is best to work on a vertical inclined plane, for example, on an easel, but if this is not possible, then it is possible on a horizontal one, in which case try to move away from the drawing from time to time and look at it from afar, it is easier to see perspective errors.
At the sketch stage, you do not need to draw small details, pay attention to the main components of the drawing and copy them as accurately as possible. Work with an HB or 2HB medium hard pencil. Try not to stain the paper with numerous erasing of the pencil, then the paint will lie flat.
(to the second photo) Let's move on to working with paints. To work with acrylic, you do not need a lot of water, it is needed in the same amount as when working with gouache. Prepare brushes of different sizes, the wider the choice, the better, but even 2-3 brushes are enough. First, mark for yourself the darkest places and the lightest areas, paint over them, as shown in the figure. Next, start softening the transitions from white to black.

(to 3 photos) Carefully watch the change in hue in the photo and complement it, then work on the lips, eyes and nose with small brushes. Be patient, do not start drawing for more than an hour without a break. If you made a mistake and made the wrong stroke, then wait until the paint is completely dry and apply the desired layer on top, acrylic covers the previous tone well, even dark. When dry, acrylic remains the same color as when applied, it does not fade like gouache, keep this in mind when applying the tone. Do not overdo it with water otherwise the picture will “leak”. Acrylic washes off hands with water, but not very well, so try not to get too dirty.

Instruction

Make a sketch. If you are going to paint a portrait in watercolor, acrylic or gouache, you can draw a sketch with a simple pencil. Before working in color, the pencil lines will need to be made lighter with an eraser. If you prefer tempera or oil paints, you will have to start the painting with an underpainting. Make a sketch on a separate sheet, calculate the proportions of a person. Transfer these calculations to paper or canvas.

Make the underpainting for a tempera portrait with a shade of tempera, which is in all elements of the picture. The shade should be light, so that later it can be strengthened or covered. For underpainting it will be more convenient to do with acrylic paints. Mark the main shapes of the figure and apply a drop shadow.

The way you work in color depends on the paint you have chosen. If it is watercolor, diluted acrylic or gouache, you need to paint over the drawing with wide fills. Start with areas of the body that are not covered by clothing. Determine the lightest shade that is visible on the skin. Mix the same in the palette. Try to immediately mix in enough paint so that it is enough for the drawing and you do not have to re-select the combination of colors.

Then create a shade of shadows on the skin. With a wide brush, spread the first color over the pattern. When it dries a little, apply shadow patches. Pour the person's clothes in the same way. After that, paint the face using smaller brushes. Do not draw the face to the end, just apply the main shade and penumbra on the cheeks, temples, chin, next to the bridge of the nose.

Take thin brushes and draw all the penumbra and your own shadows on the torso and head of a person. At the same time, it is important not only to convey the shape of the body, but also to take into account the change in shades of both clothing and skin. They affect the coloring of each other, so on a red shirt, for example, the blue of the trousers will be noticeable in the shadows. And on the face there will be a warm reddish reflex from the shirt.

To make the drawing come alive, do not forget about the glare. They do not always appear on the skin, but on the hair and eyes it is imperative to leave an unpainted area of ​​white paper.

When working with tempera, you will not have to create large fills, but work “from a piece”. That is, with small strokes, completely draw one area and only after that move on to the next. If you are drawing a person oil paints, pay attention to the degree of transparency of the shades that you are going to mix. This information is on the packaging of the paint. This is especially important when choosing a skin color - if you mix a transparent paint with a opaque, the color will turn out to be heavy, unnatural.