Even for experienced artists, portrait painting can be very difficult. Viewers are sensitive to the smallest errors, so in order for a portrait to look correct--unless artistic liberties are being taken by the artist--it must be nearly perfect. Although there are steps you can take to fix or avoid errors while portrait painting, portraits are an advanced subject. If this is your first time painting, start with a simpler subject and work your way up to portraiture.
Instructions
1. Choose a photograph of your subject. The easiest portraits are of subjects who are looking into the camera, facing straight ahead, with mouth closed. Younger, unwrinkled faces will be easier. The photograph should be large and in focus, with many details.
2. Draw several studies of your photograph. These drawings will prepare you for painting your subject and should be done on paper.
3. Draw the outline of your subject on the canvas. Do not draw details--only the outline of the face and the horizontal axis across the face through the center of the eyes and the vertical axis down the middle of the face. These axes will help you position the features of the face when it is time to paint.
4. Mix your flesh tone. Flesh tone for light skin is made with a mixture of red, yellow, white, brown and a little bit of blue. Flesh tone for dark skin is made with a mixture of red, brown, yellow, blue and a little bit of white. Experiment with the color of the paint until you have found the right flesh tone for your portrait.
5. Thin the paint with paint thinner. Apply the first coat of paint to the canvas with a flat, medium-sized paintbrush. Paint a layer of flesh tone over the face, paint a layer of hair color over the hair and paint a simple flat background behind the figure. Keep the background simple for your first few portraits until you are comfortable with the process.
6. Build up the paint slowly on the canvas. Switch to smaller paint brushes as you begin to add details. Add larger details first, such as the basic structure of the eyes, nose and mouth. The eyes should be placed on the horizontal axis you drew in step 3, which may still be somewhat visible through the paint on the canvas. Eyes are typically seen as "football-shaped," but take a careful look at the eyes of the figure you're painting in order to make the most realistic pair of eyes possible. Also note that the whites of the eyes are probably not pure white, but rather a gray-white or yellow-white.
7. Indicate the location of the nose with subtle shadows, down one side and underneath. Try not to use an outline for the shadows. Notice that the nostrils are likely not very visible--pay specific attention to the actual shape of the nostrils. Never paint round nostrils unless that's really what you see.
8. Draw the mouth with two sets of lips. Lips are not usually bright red unless makeup is involved. Paint a line that grows thicker toward the middle and thinner at the sides for the bottom lip, and a line that is thinner at the sides and thicker in the middle for the upper lip. Pay special attention to the actual shape of the lips in order to paint the most realistic lips possible.
9. Add shadows and highlights. Shadows on flesh are usually best painted with shades of brown, reddish-brown, green or blue, rather than black. Highlights may show up in the hair as a light shine. Blend the shadows and highlights into the painting using a dry brush, in order to make these areas appear natural.
10. Continue to add details. The smaller the detail, the smaller the brush you should use. By this point, you should be adding details like eye lashes, eyebrows, pupils and small wrinkles (when applicable).
11. Put the painting aside for a few days and come back to it when you feel that you can look at it from a fresh perspective.
