I like to tell my students that we can mix any skin tone by using brown, yellow, red, and white. These applications naturally mix with the wet Prussian Blue, creating a more natural highlight. Highlights are worked in over the top with Titanium White. This mixture of black will appear more natural than a pre-mixed black from a tube. The pupil may appear black, but it is instead a mixture of these two colors. The iris and the pupil are developed with a mixture of Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber. Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber are added to adjust the shadows within the 'whites' of the eyes. As we work through the process, we can return to this area and make adjustments.Ī mixture of Titanium White and a touch of Yellow Ochre is applied first. By starting here, we'll instinctively spend a bit more time and develop this area a bit more than the others. We'll start by developing the eyes and then work outward from there. However, the subject and the painting must be completed over the contour line drawing and many of these lines will be covered up during the process. Some people may consider this step to be a form of cheating. You could also draw the subject free hand or use a griding technique. To save time and to ensure accuracy, the contours of the subject are transferred using a graphite transfer. With the panel prepared, we can draw or transfer the subject to the surface. A mixture of Prussian Blue and Titanium white is used to cover the entire surface of the gessoed panel. The blue base is applied with acrylic paint since it dries very quickly. Since we associate the color blue with sadness, we can use it to help create the mood of the painting. The expression on his face exudes a sense of sadness. The subject of this painting is a homeless man. These cooler shadows should contrast nicely with warmer skin tones.

If we allow some of the blue to show through in shadowed locations on the face, we can create the impression of natural, cool shadows. Some of the blue is allowed to show through the completed painting. The first reason for a blue base deals with shadows. In this case, a blue base tone is chosen for a couple of reasons. The color chosen for a base color will vary depending on the subject and the desired mood of the painting. With a color on the surface, it is a bit easier to judge values and contrast as we begin to paint. Although we could paint directly on the white gessoed surface, a tone provides a nice starting point. We'll begin by first establishing a tone on the surface. Preparing the Surface and Transferring the image (Some of the following links are affiliate links which means we earn a small commission if you purchase at no additional cost to you.)

Oil painting portrait