Portrait Painting Lessons

Learn How to Paint a Portrait With

These Professional Techniques

46

Ta b l e o f Co n t e n t s
make a three-dimensional face reference

Create your own inexpensive reference tools that will

Know
Your
Subject:
Excerpt
help you
understand
generalAn
characteristics
of facial
features
and the relationships
amongby
them.
Refer to
from
Expressive
Portraits
Jean
them as you draw and paint. You need a standard eggPederson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Brush With History (The Artists

Magazine, January/February 2013) . . 27

shaped balloon and a felt-tip marker for this one.

Painting Skin Tones: An Excerpt

from
Vibrant
balloon
head Childrens Portraits by
Mark the guidelines
Victoria
Lisi. . .and . .standard
. . . .relationships
. . . . . of . the
. .com . . . . 7

M o r e R e s o u r c e s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5

fortable face (see pages 2627) on your inflated balloon.

The comfortable
face measurements
change
we
Quiet
Reverence:
Inspired
by because
the human
cannot see the hidden side of the face; however, the lines
experience,
Dongfeng Li paints his
that mark positions dont change. Mark the guidelines and
subjects
with emotion
and face
dignity
standard relationships
of the comfortable
on your by
infl
ated
balloon.
Refer
to
the
balloon
to
help
you
evaluate
Meredith E. Lewis (Watercolor
Artist,
what relationships may be out of proportion in your porApril
. . .balloon
. . . by . wrapping
. . . . .the . end
. . around
. . . a . . 20
trait.2012)
If you tie your
pencil, it can be deflated and saved for future reference.

Z0663 I pp 22-35.indd 25

25

6/29/07 2:22:25 PM

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 3

2 know your
subject
B

ecause our faces are so similar, our minds want to exaggerate the small nuances that distinguish one face from

another. As artists, we try to paint what we see, rather than what

we think we see. If we observe carefully how light falls on the
different planes of the face, we see shapes instead of features. I
keep these ideas in mind when I begin a drawing.
Regardless of where you are in your artistic journey, a solid
foundation in the structural relationships of your subject will
give you the confidence to draw and paint with freedom.
It allows you to understand the figure and to observe your
models distinct features as they deviate from the standard.
Sometimes our drawings go awry, but with this foundation, we
can identify problem areas and adjust them appropriately.

resist the urge to exaggerate

proportions
Because this model is so physically fit,
it would be easy to draw his muscular
upper body larger than it is. But if we look
carefully at the proportions of the figure,
well find that they generally fit into the
standard guidelines for an adult male.

self assured
watercolor, gesso and India ink on
140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper
30" x 22" (76cm x 56cm)
collection of the artist

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Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 4

notice relationships among facial features

The key to becoming adept at drawing and painting many different faces is to see their similarities
first. No matter how much individual facial features
vary from person to person, we are strikingly similar
in the relationships of our features. The closer a
face corresponds to the average relationships of
facial features, the more comfortable that face will
appear.
Most of us have facial relationships that diverge
slightly from the norm, giving each of us our own
unique look. When you create portraits, considering
some standard relationships will help you develop
a comfortable face as a foundation before making
any adjustments to accommodate the uniqueness of your model. You will learn to spot individual
differences among your models and adjust angles
and distances to gain an accurate likeness.

With practice and experience, youll be able to

draw and paint a portrait through shapes and relationships and then use the comfortable face as a
guideline if something doesnt seem quite right. By
comparing it with the standard facial format, youll
discover where your drawing is out of balance in its
relationships.
3 the comfortable face

In general, this models features and

facial relationships are proportional.
This standard is seen globally as what a
comfortable face should be. All ethnicities would see this as a comfortable face.

transfixed
watercolor and gouache on 140-lb.
(300gsm) cold-pressed paper
11" x 15" (28cm x 38cm)
collection of doris lehodey

ill-placed features
On my computer, I separated the models features and rearranged them on her face to illustrate just how similar we all
are in our facial relationships. If we draw these relationships
without considering average proportions, the face becomes
odd or less comfortable. You can see how slight changes to
these proportions change the appeal of the simple face, which
in turn can significantly affect the success of your portrait.

24
Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 5

make a three-dimensional face reference

Create your own inexpensive reference tools that will
help you understand general characteristics of facial
features and the relationships among them. Refer to
them as you draw and paint. You need a standard eggshaped balloon and a felt-tip marker for this one.

balloon head
Mark the guidelines and standard relationships of the comfortable face (see pages 2627) on your inflated balloon.
The comfortable face measurements change because we
cannot see the hidden side of the face; however, the lines
that mark positions dont change. Mark the guidelines and
standard relationships of the comfortable face on your
inflated balloon. Refer to the balloon to help you evaluate
what relationships may be out of proportion in your portrait. If you tie your balloon by wrapping the end around a
pencil, it can be deflated and saved for future reference.

25

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 6

46
Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 7

CHAPTER FOUR

SKIN

The range of skin tones is vast. Buying a tube of paint marked flesh is completely
inadequate. Look at the enormous array of skin tones available at a makeup counter.
Some companies even offer customized blends.
Racial ancestry plays a significant role in skin tone. Some children are multiracial
with both strong and subtle influences on skin tone. Careful observation is crucial.
What color is the skin undertone? Pink, blue, olive, yellow, purple? All sorts of
beautiful subtleties exist in skin colors of all races. The skin also changes hue on
different parts of the face. Thinner skin, such as at the temples, tends toward more
cool tones. The tip of the nose, cheeks and forehead tend toward warmer, rosier
hues. This holds true for all races.
Lighting also affects skin tones. Skin color changes dramatically depending
on the amount of light falling on it. A strong light lightens the areas of skin where
it falls, while low light can darken the skin tones. Even a very light-skinned child
will look dark if the light is insufficient. The color of the light also has an influence.
The skin tones of a child on a cloudy day or standing in the shade will look cooler.
Furthermore, different light sources give different results. Cool northern light gives
a cooler bluish hue. Low evening or morning sunlight is pink or orange and affects
skin tones accordingly.
If you make a skin chart of all the potential skin palettes, youll be in a much better
position to select appropriate colors.

Margaret
oil on canvas
14" 11" (36cm 28cm)
collection of Jane Maday

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DETERMINING VALUES
The next step after drawing is establishing the correct values. Value is the
degree of lightness or darkness. It is
more important to get correct values
than correct color. A black-and-white
photo is an arrangement of values from
black through white with all the grays in
between. A person in a black-and-white
photo is still recognizable. Imagine
looking at the same photos with no
valuesonly colors. The subject probably wouldnt be recognizable. There
are a number of tips and techniques for
getting correct values.

Using Gray Scales to Mix

Using Gray Scales to Test Mixtures

A gray scale has eight to ten values,

ranging from pure white to black. Lay
the gray scale on your reference and
painting (only when the painting is dry!)
to compare the values. Keep it near
your palette when you mix your colors.

Laminate your gray scale to try this

handy trick. Place a mixture of paint
directly on the gray scale to see if it
matches the reference. Wipe off the
paint with a paper towel once youve
established the correct value.

ARTISTS TIP
Here are a couple of tricks that will
help you see values:
1. Squint at your reference or
painting. This allows you to see
value more distinctly. Make this
a habit. Dont try to paint while
squinting though.
2. Hold a sheet of acetate or
undeveloped lm close to your
eyes like a pair of spectacles,
then view your painting and
reference through the colored
lm. This will remove much of
the color, and you will see the
values better.

Isolating Values
Punch a hole in two pieces of card stock. Lay one piece on your reference and one
on the corresponding area of the dry painting. This will isolate the area so you can
better judge value. This technique also works well for selecting colors (see page 59).

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PLACING VALUES
Weak values create a weak painting. Strong values draw

As a general principle, apply dark colors thinly and light

attention. With children, the values should be subtle and

colors with more paint. The idea is to let the light of the canvas

change gradually or they will look too harsh.

shine through the darks. The light colors will reflect light

Mix a sufficient number of values. I use at least five, but

automatically.

no more than nine. When establishing values, its better

Place the center of interest in the light area of the painting.

to use more opaque colors. Mix white into all of the lighter

Use contrast (such as a black pupil with a light glint) to draw

mixes. Titanium White is very opaque.

the viewers attention to the center of interest (usually the eye

Concentrate on the values early in the painting. Put the

angled closest to the viewer in a three-quarter view or the eyes

darkest color down as soon as you can. It will be a key to

in a front view). Avoid extreme value contrast at the edge of

determining values in the rest of the painting.

your painting, as it leads the viewers eye off the page.

Clarifying Value and Color

Using Sepia Photos

To separate value from hue (color), it can help to make a

black-and-white and a color print of your reference photo.
Use the black-and-white print for the underpainting stage
and the color print for the color stage.

Sepia closely emulates Burnt Umber, which is often used for

the underpainting in oils, so it can be helpful for determining
the values in underpaintings. Use photo editing software to
manipulate and improve your photos to make them more
suitable for painting.

ARTISTS TIP
Black is a controversial color. Some artists never use black from a tube. Instead,
they mix dark colors with their complements (colors opposite each other on
the color wheel). This creates a black that is more vibrant than pure at black,
which can suck the life out of a painting. Try using tiny amounts of Mars Black
at the center of interest. Mix the rest of your darks with complements, such
as French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna, or Permanent Alizarin Crimson and
Winsor Green.

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BLENDING
Many artists dont advocate blending, preferring a looser, more

than transparent ones. Dont try to blend colors that have

painterly style. This approach can look great on portraits of

begun to dry out. Youll have a streaky mess. Use a good

adults, but painting the smooth skin of a child calls for blending.

brush with the right level of stiffness to apply paint, such as

Blending is easier with a properly primed canvas and the

a synthetic mongoose filbert.

right brushes, paints and medium. Opaque colors blend better

Soft, Rounded Brush

Fan Brush

Once youve applied the paint to the

canvas with a lbert, use a soft,rounded
brush, such as a mop or glazing brush,
for blending. Always use a clean, dry
brush.

Fans are also good for blending.

Toddler Skin

Toddler Skin, Blended

I applied the paint with a no. 2 short

lbert. I didnt blend the paint after
applying it.

Here is the same image after I blended

the paint with a no. 6 glazing brush. The
skin is much smoother.

Practice Blending
Select three colors from one of the skin
tone palettes (see pages 5356), and
lay them out on your palette. Thoroughly
mix a drop of medium into each color.
Mix nine values from light to dark and
place them side by side on your canvas
(see left bar above). Use a glazing or fan
brush to blend, creating a blended bar
that goes smoothly from light to dark.
It usually takes two coats to get it really
smooth (see right bar above).
If you have trouble, make sure you
take enough time to mix the paint. You
may not have mixed enough values, or
the paint might be dried out. It should
be buttery, not too liquid or too stiff.

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GLAZES
Glazing produces rich colors with luminosity and depth. It

Practice glazing transparent colors over dried opaque

is a wonderful technique for finishing the painting process.

ones to get a sense of what this technique can add to your

Glazing is done with only transparent colors. These allow

work. Mix a drop of fine detail medium in your glaze color.

light to pass through the paint film and bounce off the paint

Paint the transparent coat thinly, spreading it with your glaz-

underneath, almost like a sheet of stained glass or acetate

ing brush or fan.

overlaid on the painting. Because oils dry slowly, its usually

See the list of transparent colors below. Of course there

possible to apply only one or two glaze layers per painting.

are more transparent colors than these. Many manufacturers

Its best to use opaque colors in the early stage and trans-

tubes are labeled opaque, transparent or translucent. If not,

parent colors in the later glazing stage. If you try to use only

theres a simple way to test colors. Draw a black line with a

glazing colors at the beginning, you wont get coverage and

marker on canvas. Paint color swatches over it. Opaque col-

your work will look streaky. A glaze will make an area darker

ors will cover the line better, while transparent colors will let

in value.

the line show. The colors that are in between are translucent.

Permanent Magenta

Indian Yellow Deep

Red Rose

Green Gold

Rose Madder
Genuine

Winsor Green

Permanent Alizarin
Crimson

Winsor Blue
(Green Shade)

Burnt Sienna

French Ultramarine

Transparent
Red Ochre

Violet Deep

Transparent Maroon

Winsor Violet Dioxazine

TRANSPARENT
COLORS FROM
MY PALETTE
Burnt Sienna
French Ultramarine
Green Gold
Indian Yellow Deep
Permanent Alizarin Crimson
Permanent Magenta
Red Rose
Rose Madder Genuine
Transparent Maroon
Transparent Red Ochre
Violet Deep
Winsor Blue (Green Shade)
Winsor Green
Winsor Violet Dioxazine

Glazing Chart
Make your own chart once you know which of your colors are transparent. Paint
an opaque esh strip using any of the skin tone palettes, and let it dry. You can
use fast-drying medium to save time. Then, mix transparent colors with a thin,
fast-drying medium and apply them over the esh strip. This will give you an idea
of how skin colors might respond to various glazes.

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SCUMBLING
Scumbling is the opposite of glazing. To scumble, take a

change, such as turning blond hair greenish. It can produce

lighter opaque color (usually white or an opaque color mixed

beautiful pearly skin tones when done properly. You can

with white) and paint it over a darker area. It changes the

alternate glazes and scumbles at the end of your painting for

temperature, producing a cooler, more bluish color. Scumbling

a really beautiful finish.

is a little tricky because it can cause an unexpected color

Cadmium Yellow
Hue + Titanium
White

Bismuth Yellow +
Titanium White

Cadmium Red
Scarlet Hue +
Titanium White

Transparent White*

Titanium White

Naples Yellow Light

Prescumbled Skin
Here is a painting before scumbling.
See how the skin is a bit too orange.

Opaque Colors Useful for Scumbling Skin

Using scumbling and glazing properly can take a relatively lackluster painting and
add dimension and mystery. Scumbling and glazing are best used at the end of
the painting process.
To experiment, paint opaque swatches of different skin colors and let them dry.
Add uid medium to a lighter opaque color and scumble it over the skin tones.
Spread the lighter opaque scumble coat very thinly, creating a thin veil of color.
Observe the change in temperature.
*Transparent White is more transparent than Titanium White. It is useful if you
want a very delicate scumble. Even though its called transparent, it will create a
scumble rather than a glaze.

Scumbled Skin
Here is the same painting after scumbling.
Notice how the skin is cooler and bluer
after scumbling. This is an optical effect
created by applying light over dark.

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LIGHT SKIN TONES

Light skin tones range from pearl through peach, olive, beige

So will different proportions of paint ratios. On some children

and brown. Some have freckles. Children of Northern European

the areas of thinner skin will require some blues. Mixing a

descent often have more pink tones while those of Southern

blue with an orangey red and white can also yield light tones.

European descent may have more olive.

White, red and yellow create a generic light skin tone.
Different reds and different yellows produce different results.

Opaque Chart of Triads

Here are some combinations with each

mixture including two pigments and
Titanium White. The ratio of the other
two colors changes the temperature.
The amount of white changes the value.
White always cools and grays the
colors its mixed with. Titanium White
makes transparent colors opaque.

A. Permanent Magenta + Cadmium Yellow

Hue + Titanium White

B. Yellow Ochre Pale + Permanent Alizarin
Crimson + Titanium White
C. Yellow Ochre Pale + Transparent Maroon +
Titanium White
D. Indian Yellow Deep + Terra Rosa + Titanium
White
E. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + French
Ultramarine + Titanium White
F. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Blue
(Green Shade) + Titanium White
G. Green Gold + Rose Madder Genuine +
Titanium White

Glaze and
Scumble Chart

Cadmium Yellow
Hue + Permanent
Magenta + Titanium
White

Here is a chart with strips

of opaque light skin tones
that have been further
modied with glazes
(Transparent Red Ochre
and Rose Madder Genuine) and a scumble (Titanium White). Notice how
each affects the colors.

Yellow Ochre
Pale + Permanent
Alizarin Crimson +
Titanium White

Cadmium Red
Scarlet Hue +
Winsor Blue
(Green Shade) +
Titanium White

Transparent Red
Ochre

Rose Madder
Genuine

Titanium White

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DARK SKIN TONES

Mixing complements (colors that are opposite each other

There is a wide range of dark skin tones. Colors can range

from delicate mochas to golden honeys to rich mahoganies.

on the color wheel) makes interesting dark skin shades. Varying

Some areas, such as lips, may have a deep rose, a soft pink

the ratio will help give nuance and life. This is a better strategy

or a subtle violet cast. Palms and soles are often lighter than

than simply using paint from a brown tube, which can look flat.

other areas.

Opaque Chart of Triads

Here are some combinations you can
use. Dark skin benets from colors with
strong tinting strength and less white in
some areas.

A. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Winsor Magenta

+ Titanium White
B. Venetian Red + Violet Deep + Titanium
White
C. Winsor Blue (Green Shade) + Cadmium
Red Scarlet Hue + Titanium White
D. Green Gold + Winsor Magenta + Titanium
White
E. Venetian Red + French Ultramarine +
Titanium White
F. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Violet Deep +
Titanium White
G. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor
Green + Titanium White

Glaze Chart
After you have painted
dark skin tones opaquely,
enhance the colors with
transparent glazes.
Transparent Maroon is
one of my favorite glaze
colors. Its particularly
effective on dark skin.
Purples and magentas
can be effective in
selected areas such as
the shadows and lips.

Cadmium Yellow Hue+

Permanent Magenta +
Titanium White

Venetian Red +
Violet Deep +
Titanium White

Cadmium Red Scarlet

Hue + Violet Deep +
Titanium White

Winsor Violet
Dioxazine

Permanent
Magenta

Transparent
Maroon

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WARM SKIN TONES

Warm skin tones range from palest cream through deep honey
to rich browns. There can be a subtle underlying golden hue.
Try mixing various yellows with reds or magentas.

Opaque Chart of Triads

Mixing different yellows with different

reds and purples yields believable
warm skin tones. Yellow and red make
orange, and yellow and purple make a
neutral brown. Adding Titanium White
to these mixtures cools them and makes
them more suited for esh tones.

A. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Rose Madder

Genuine + Titanium White

B. Yellow Ochre Pale + Transparent Maroon +
Titanium White
C. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Blue
(Green Shade) + Titanium White
D. Indian Yellow Deep + Terra Rosa + Titanium
White
E. Naples Yellow Light + Burnt Sienna +
Titanium White
F. Bismuth Yellow + Venetian Red + Titanium
White
G. Green Gold + Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue +
Titanium White

Glaze and
Scumble Chart

Naples Yellow Light +

Burnt Sienna +
Titanium White

Glazes or scumbles can

work well over warm skin.
Here are some examples.
Notice how the yellow
glaze warms and the
white scumble cools the
underlying colors.

Bismuth Yellow +
Venetian Red +
Titanium White

Cadmium Yellow
Hue + Rose Madder Genuine +
Titanium White

Indian Yellow
Deep

Burnt Sienna

Transparent
White

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BROWN SKIN TONES

From warm amber to cool olive and deep umber, there is an
enormous variety in brown skin tones. Any number of combinations might work: reds with greens, yellows with reds or
blues with orange-reds.

Opaque Chart of Triads

Stronger colors work well with brown

skin tones. Children with Latin heritage
will tend toward olive while those with
Native American heritage will have a
redder skin tone.

A. Bismuth Yellow + Permanent Magenta +

Titanium White
B. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + French
Ultramarine + Titanium White
C. Green Gold + Permanent Alizarin Crimson
+ Titanium White
D. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Venetian Red +
Titanium White
E. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor
Green + Titanium White
F. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Permanent Alizarin Crimson + Titanium White
G. Yellow Ochre Pale + Venetian Red +
Titanium White

Glaze Chart
Determine if the undertone is red or green
when selecting glazes
or scumbles for brown
skin tones. If the child
has olive tones, Green
Gold is a good choice.
If the undertone is more
red, Permanent Alizarin
Crimson would work well.
If the skin is neutral, Burnt
Sienna will work.

Bismuth Yellow +
Permanent Magenta +
Titanium White

Cadmium Yellow
Hue + Permanent
Alizarin Crimson +
Titanium White

Yellow Ochre Pale

+ Venetian Red +
Titanium White

Green Gold

Burnt Sienna

Permanent
Alizarin
Crimson

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MIXING
In the initial stages of a portrait, mix a sufficient number of

I usually mix many values and hues of paint for a portrait

flesh values, at least five but not more than nine. You can mix

in the early and middle stages. Its time consuming, so I keep

more than nine skin tones, but the difference should be in hue

the paint in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator

(color) rather than value. Mix colors with a palette knife. Use

between sessions.

more drying medium in the white paint, but a consistent amount

in the other colors. The one exception is Burnt Umber, which
does not need drying medium.

Skin Tone Mix Chart

Cadmium
Yellow Hue

Permanent
Magenta

Cadmium Red
Scarlet Hue

French Ultramarine

I used ve colors to create twenty mixtures varying in value and hue.

The top two rows contain Cadmium
Yellow, Permanent Magenta and Titanium White. The top row contains more
Cadmium Yellow Hue than Permanent
Magenta, making a slightly more yellowish skin tone, while the second row contains slightly more Permanent Magenta
than Cadmium Yellow Hue, making a
slightly more pinkish skin tone.
The bottom two rows contain Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue, French Ultramarine and Titanium White. The third
row contains slightly more Cadmium
Red Scarlet Hue than French Ultramarine,
making a more reddish skin tone, while
the fourth row contains slightly more
French Ultramarine, making a bluer
skin tone.
In all the rows, as you move toward
the right, each mixture has progressively
more Titanium White. You can mix many
more shades from these colors. This
would be a minimum.

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COLOR VARIATION OF FEATURES

All skin tones have areas that are more reddish or more blue.

child has produces deeper skin tones. Cadmium Red Scarlet

Creased areas such as the inside of ears, nostrils and between

Hue is particularly effective for redder areas.

fingers reflect light, which gives them a reddish hue. The thin-

Highlights are important as they give skin dimension and

ner skin of the temples, eyelids and wrists often has a bluish

describe the form. It may be necessary to warm the Titanium

or violet cast because blood veins show through transparent

White highlight color with Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue or Cad-

skin layers.

mium Yellow Hue.

Cheeks, fingers, noses and ears are often more pink or

red due to weather exposure. The amount of sun exposure a

Lips Before Blending

Blended Lips

Before blending, it is easy to see the separate colors: Cadmium

Red Scarlet Hue and Transparent Maroon in the shadows, and
Titanium White with a touch of Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue for
the highlights.

After blending, the Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue, Transparent

Maroon and Titanium White are still visible, but they are softly
blended in.

Ears Before Blending

Blended Ears

The same process works with ears. Here they are before
blending. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue is in the creases. Titanium
White is in the highlights. Use miniatures in the tight areas.

After blending, the colors have been softened. A no. 6 glazing

brush works well for this.

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Quiet
Reverence
Inspired by the
human experience,
Dongfeng Li paints
his subjects with
emotion and dignity.
By Meredith E. Lewis
Extraordinary Quietude The subject in Under
the Eaves, Soft Touch of the Sun [watercolor on
paper, 30x22] is my mothers still-living childhood
friend, says Li. I tried to present her quietness and
her ordinary life in the rural village through her pale
face and typical country-house door curtain. The soft
afternoon sunlight touches her face through the tree
leaves, conveying my feelings for my mother.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 20

umility, grace, dignity: these are

the hallmarks of Morehead State
University professor Dongfeng
Lis watercolor portraits. Choosing to
paint people from a variety of places, ages
and life experiences, Li works to imbue
each subject with poise and distinction. Their different backgrounds can
create interesting contexts, he says.
Im curious about these differences, so
its one of my primary motivations in
creating my work.
Lis style is realistic, although diffuse, muted and atmospheric color
washestrademarks of his chosen
mediumaugment the transition from
foreground detail to background abstraction. My work is primarily realistic,
though it can vary, depending on what
I want to achieve with a piece, he says.
With watercolor, I can often create
detail that rivals that of oil paint, though
sometimes I like to pursue a more simplistic approach, such as in the painting
Joe [on page 34], which relies more on
color washes.

Solitude The subject in Living Alone [left; watercolor on

paper, 26x38] lives by himself
without any children, says Li.
His face, skin and wrinkles tell
his history and experiences.
Vivid LifeIn Pikeville Sun
[below; watercolor on YUPO,
38x26], I spent a great deal of
time on the reflections and on
alternate brushstrokes on his
facial hair, to allow his face to
reflect vivid sunlight, says Li.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 21

Mystery ManIn Joe

[opposite; watercolor on
YUPO, 38x26], I tried to
approach the idea of ambiguity and the obscurity of
the subjects identity, says
Li.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 22

Contrast and Harmony

Li completed his undergraduate studies in China, where he studied Chinese
watercolor and oil painting, as well as
drawing. He credits this early training
to his success with watercolor and with
realism, noting the similarities between
the Western watercolor tradition and the
Chinese school. There are some similarities between watercolor and Chinese
painting, such as washes, brushstrokes
and paint bleeding effects, as well as
their typically summarized and simple
nature, he says.
Both contain a simplified approach
to color by creating multiple subtle layers of glazes. Chinese painting and
watercolor are focused more on design
and composition above all else, as well as
how the economy of the brushstroke is
used to create structure of form.
In college, Li was also preoccupied
with sports. Soccer, volleyball and table
tennis were his favorites, and he spent
a great deal of time outdoors or in the
gym. Many of my professors told me
that I should attend a sports academy,
rather than studying art, he says. This
has influenced my work today, and is
part of the reason why Im interested in
plein air painting, as I love being outdoors, surrounded by nature.
Lis paintings explore color contrasts, color temperatures and hues,
elements that allow him to capture the
personalities and moods of his subjects in two-dimensional space. Emotion arrives through composition and
through his use of light and dark values,
color washes, texture, brushstrokes and
color work. Contrast and harmony are
based on my design purpose, he says. If
I need more attention, Ill use more contrast; when I want elements to seem unified, Ill do the opposite.
Painting from life, photographs and
reference material, Li strives to achieve
authenticity in each painting. Life painting is his favorite way of working. If he
chooses to work from photographs, he
often changes the color scheme and various personal elements to complete and
unify a composition. Working and teaching in a variety of environmentsfrom
the studio to en plein air and travel
paintinggives him flexibility and virtu-

Life Lived In Coalminer [watercolor on YUPO, 38x26], I explored the effects of dripping rain and
the feeling of being wet with color blending and washes.

bridgingtraditions
Dongfeng Li prefers to paint with both soft- and hard-hair Chinese
brushes, because both can be smoothed to a point, and the soft brush
can hold a great deal of water. His palette of watercolors has more than
20 wells with a casket seal, which prevents the paints from drying out.
His favorite colors are: blue-green, ultramarine blue, sap green, rose
madder and alizarin crimson from brands such as Rembrandt and Da
Vinci. Additional materials include liquid soap, for mixing with paint;
a spray bottle; and a sponge.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 23

Memories of HomeIn Pack Rat [opposite;

watercolor on paper, 38x26], I characterized my
subject through her aging skin and I imbued her
with a very quiet feeling, says Li. She reminded
me of my mother and aunt.

osity with the medium. It also allows him

to demonstrate a wide variety of painting methods to his students.

Vivid Forms
Composition takes two forms in Lis
process. The first is brainstorming. He
spends time with his subject, watching the model or examining the photograph for clues. Often, after a period of
time, Ill have a vague idea of the theme,

color, light design and composition, he

says. Then come the thumbnail sketches
and black-and-white value study, or color
studies.
With this preliminary work in place,
the second stage of Lis process sees him
developing his final painting according to the road map set out by his initial
thoughts and studies. For the painting Pack Rat (on page 37), Li first completed a black-and-white drawing and

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 24

quick color design studyelements that

allowed him to edit and perfect his
composition.
With these references in place, he
drafted his drawing in pencil on his
watercolor paper. He then blocked in
the lightest colors and, where gestural
strokes were required, he worked additional colors into these areas while they
were still wet. He designed and glazed
the background before he went to work
on the face and detail areas. When he
finally launched into the facial planes of
the work, he began by creating the value
and blending in cool and warm colors,
before achieving depth in detail areas.
Throughout his process, Li takes

care not to overwork any particular area of the painting. My process

of watercolor isnt that different from
many other artists, he says. However, I do emphasize the idea of lost and
found in my work. I use this tool to provide emphasis in certain areas of the
face and details, allowing less emphasized areas to subtly blend into the background. Its key to making the form of a
portrait more vivid.
In addition, he counts white as
black, he says, and allows some areas
of his paintings to be busy and tight
in contrast to quieter areas with less
detail. These are both well-known theories in Chinese painting, he says. They

Off GuardIn Cats Cradle [opposite; watercolor

on paper, 22x30], I tried to capture the confused
expression of the girl and the cool lighting cast upon
her, which was challenging in classic transparent
watercolor, says the artist.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 25

Fond Recollections What I depicted in Loess, Light Misty at the Village

[below; watercolor on paper, 30x22] is the accumulation of my feelings and memories of China, says Li. I tried to present all that I saw and know about this senior in
my parents hometown.

Workaday I tried to create the idea of a miner exiting a coal mine at the
end of a workday, tired and exhausted, in Morning Relief [watercolor on paper,
38x26], says Li. There are certain risks involved in deep mining, and his expression shows a sense of pride from his jobas well as relief from having safely completed a day of work.

describe the use of positive and negative

spaces. I also sometimes look for more
abstract shapes in both spaces.

soul when creating your art, he says.

In giving myself this time, he says,
Always look for new vocabularies, explorI can explore new and interesting ideas
ing new and innovative processes.
that I can later add to the piece that I
wouldnt have explored initially. SucNew Vocabularies
Meredith E. Lewis is a freelance writer and editor
cess in painting can be elusive, but
working in Central Pennsylvania. Shes a frequent conFor Li, who enjoys the quiet dignity of the explorationthe search and the investributor to Watercolor Artist, The Artists Magazine and
human face, the challenge is to remain
tigation itselfis key. Explore your own
Pastel
Journal.
open to new ways of working with and
visual vocabulary and use your heart and
exploring a subject. He admits that hes
often dissatisfied with his initial paintTo see more of Dongfeng Lis watercolors
ing efforts, and it may take weeks of addivisit www.artistsnetwork.com/
tional work and assessment for him to
medium/watercolor/dongfeng-li-gallery.
arrive at the finish line.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 26

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 27

A 70-year career has taken Everett Raymond

Kinstler from inking cartoons to illustrating books
and magazines to painting thousands of portraits
of Americas most celebrated.

brush with

history
By Louise B. Hafesh

Sitting comfortably in the antechamber of Everett Raymond Kinstlers

Gramercy Park studio in Manhattan, I felt
an overwhelming sense of the significance
of the place and its current inhabitants
contribution to the art world. After all, we
were in not only an historic New York City
landmark, the National Arts Club, but
also the former studio of the American
Impressionist and prominent teacher
Frank Vincent DuMond (18651951).
Whats more, this is the studio where
Kinstler had painted what amounts to a
pictorial whos who of over 2,000 portraits, including those of Tony Bennett,
Katharine Hepburn, Tom Wolfe, countless business leaders, more than 50
U.S. Cabinet members and seven U.S.
presidents. Like a kid in a candy store, I
scoured the place, taking everything in.

left: Avon Books had asked Kinstler to create a cover

illustration for the detective novel The General Died at

Dawn, which was based on a 1936 movie of the same
name. Avon never used the illustration but, in 2012, the
painting, Untitled (Couple) (ca 1958; oil, 18x14), became
the cover of the catalogue for his retrospective exhibition,
Pulps to Portraits.

above: Intimate Confessions #4 (1952; pen and ink,

17x13) is one of hundreds of illustrations Kinstler created during his six-year association with Avon Comics.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 28

above: Kinstlers

studio at the
National Arts Club
in New York City
was once the studio
of Frank Vincent
DuMond, Kinstlers
early mentor.
Photo by Louise B. Hafesh

Studio Mementos
Not a day goes by, says Kinstler, that I dont
think of Mr. Dumond, who was my teacher
at the Art Students League. It was at that
school that Kinstler himself would later teach
full time from 1969 to 1974 and give weekend
workshops through 2010. I loved the old
man, continues Kinstler. He used to call
me his boy and, taking me under his wing,
helped secure my first studio at the National
Arts Club. After his death, I moved into his
larger space (above).
And what a space it is! Bright and airy
(20x30 feet) with an 18-foot ceiling, one
entire wall of north-lit windows plus a grand
balcony that stretches across another wall.
Paintings, sketches and photographs lie scattered about, along with an eclectic assortment of props and resources, including an
impressive private library and a life-sized
seated mannequin affectionately known as
Ms. Draper (bequeathed to the studio by portraitist William F. Draper, 19122003). To
the right of Kinstlers easel (originally owned
by another mentor and friend, the illustrator

Materials
Canvas: New York Central Art Supply #90 SP (single-primed)
linen on Jack Richeson Best stretchers
Brushes: Silver Brush Everett Raymond Kinstler Series
Kinstlers most commonly used brushes are bristle filberts, sizes
212.
Paint: Jack Richeson oilssap green, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, burnt umber, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, cadmium
red light, raw sienna, cadmium yellow, ivory black and white
Mediums: Kinstler Studio painting medium (very fluid; good
for beginning stages, such as sketching and blocking in) and
Kinstler alkyd oil painting medium (a thicker medium that expedites drying of the paint; used for glazing, detailing and other
processes as the painting progresses); Kinstler directed the
formulations of both mediums, which were developed through
experimentation.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 29

James Montgomery Flagg, 18771960), a simple chair

rests on a worn platform, while a hand-carved wooden
screen is flanked on the right by a taboret on which
rests John Singer Sargents actual palette. That was
a gift bequeathed to me from the New Jersey painter
Paul Burns (19101990), says Kinstler. It had been
part of Sargents estate sale in 1925.
Having already discovered that every nook and
cranny holds some treasure and an opportunity for a
personal anecdote, I try to appear nonchalant about
this last revelation. I comment on a small, striking
painting of Katharine Hepburn (whom Kinstler had

painted more than 40 times in the 1980s and 1990s).

Kinstler confided that, at her sittings, the actress had
insisted on overseeing every detail, dictating incessant
instructions, often to Kinstlers exasperation. I finally
said to her, Ms. Hepburn, I admire you so much, but
your constant critiques are driving me crazy, recalls
Kinstler. She thought for a second and then said,
You know what your problem is? You talk too much!
When that particular portrait was complete, Hepburn
declared (to Kinstlers surprise) that it was her favorite
and told the artist, I like youyou do your homework.

below: Katherine

Hepburn (ca 1987,

oil, 46x46), one
of many portraits
Kinstler painted
of the actress, is
part of the permanent collection of
the Smithsonian
National Portrait
Gallery.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 30

Two Takes on Tom Wolfe

Kinstlers friendship with Tom Wolfe began in 1964. At that time, Kinstler
was painting astronaut Scott Carpenter and Wolfe was writing his novel
about Americas first space travelers, The Right Stuff. Kinstler first painted
Wolfe in 1987 (at right). Then, in 2000, Kinstler revisited the subject
(below). Of the second Tom Wolfe, Kinstler says, I challenged myself
to paint Tom in his characteristic white suit against a stark white background. This white portrait is part of the permanent collection of the
National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

above: Portrait of Tom Wolfe (1987; oil, 50x27)

left: Tom Wolfe (2000; oil, 56x44)

From Pulp to Portraits

My visit with Kinstler took place a week after
the opening of Pulps to Portraits, the artists 2012 exhibition at the Norman Rockwell
Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a
retrospective that explored how illustration had

shaped the artists work and influenced his transition into portraiture. Still riding high from
that celebration, he and I discussed his reaction
to seeing his lifes work showcased in a significant place and in such a comprehensive way.
I feel a little like a Dickens character
whos transported by the ghosts of past and
present and gets to view everything from a different perspective, Kinstler said with a laugh.
Its odd but quite rewarding to look back on a
career that spans more than 70 years and see
the progression of the work.
Time travel aside, its been quite a ride
for the Manhattan-born artist who left
school at age 16 to take a job drawing comic
books, magazine illustrations and paperback
book covers. His magazine and comic contributions, including the first Zorro comics
and illustrations for the pulp magazine, The
Shadow, are often credited with influencing
the Pop art schoola point reinforced by Roy

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 31

Lichtenstein, who once told the artist, You were Pop art
before it even existed.
As an inkers apprentice in the 1950s, Kinstler completed 180 comic strip panels each week. He credits this
early work with helping him attract freelance pulp book
and magazine assignments as well as honing his ability
to tell a story visually, a skill he put to good use in his
portraits. When I began illustrating, I wasnt aware that
the field was disappearing, he says. Culture was chang-

above: Kinstler painted John Wayne (1978; oil, 44x34) from life for the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The

Saturday Evening Post picked up the portrait as an August 1979 cover
illustration.

ing, photography was taking over, television was coming

in and magazines were folding. And with the market and
business starting to decline, I had to think differently.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 32

above: Kinstler has drawn life portraits of each presi-

dent of the Screen Actors Guild who has come to office

in the last 20 years. Mike Hodge, President, Screen
Actors Guild (2012; charcoal, 20x15) is the latest of these
portraits.
left: In Portrait of Will Barnet (1977; oil, 50x40), Barnet

sits in front of an abstract painting that he was working on

at the time in his National Arts Club studio. This portrait is
now part of the collection of the Butler Institute of American Art, in Youngstown, Ohio.

ing out that spending time with the subject to

get a sense of what he or she is like, looking for
significant characteristics and being selective
about certain traitsalong with sincerity and
passion for what youre doingare integral to
the process.

A Painter of People
Out of necessity, the young illustrator began to
look for more viable outlets for his art. Painting
people was always what I enjoyed most,
Kinstler explains, so making the transition into Anatomy of a Portrait
portraiture was a natural shift. Suffice to say,
Generally Kinstler works from life, although he
portraiture was also something he was excepdoes take photographs for secondary reference.
tionally gifted at. Signing on with Portraits,
He begins on a bluish-gray toned canvas and,
Inc., a gallery that specializes in securing poronce his model is posed to conform to prelimitrait commissions, he soon established himself
nary sketches, places a few rough indicators for
as one of Americas top portrait painters.
composition before delving directly into paintIts been stimulating to paint people, he
ing alla prima. I feel a responsibility to capture
says. Im a storyteller; thats my journey. What
both the spirit and likeness of the people I paint,
I value most are imagination, feeling and the
and so I prefer my sitters to be animated rather
skill to communicatethose qualities have
than motionless, he says. Carrying on a lively
always been the measure for me, says Kinstler, conversation as I work helps. In so doing, I also
who ranks capturing a persons essential charget to see other facets of my subject that I can
acter above all else. Painting a convincing
perhaps incorporate into the portrait.
portrait is not always about getting a likeness,
Concluding our visit, Kinstler remarked:
he says. Naturally, that helps, but often its
I was recently asked an intriguing question: If
about getting a point of view. To that end, he
you could paint anyone in the world, who would
recommends doing advance life studies, pointthat be? Almost immediately, says Kinstler,

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 33

Artist Interprets Actor

By Everett Raymond Kinstler

Collection of the artist, on loan to The Players Club, NYC

Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer is an

actor I admire, as well as a good friend and neighbor. Of course, Id seen him on stage and in films
through the years, but before picking up the brush
to paint his portrait, I again watched at least a half
dozen of his movies. Eventually, I decided to base
his portrait on his most recent success, his role as
Prospero in Shakespeares Tempest. His 2010 stage
performance of this play had been filmed at the
Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada to create
a 2012 feature movie.
After countless drawings and color sketches,
as well as discussions with Plummer, I arrived at a
concept for the portrait. Plummers input helped
shape my interpretation, and I greatly appreciated
getting his reaction to my ideas. He posed for me in
my Connecticut studio (above).
left: Portrait of Christopher Plummer as Prospero

(2011; oil, 50x42)

names like Sir Laurence Olivier and Winston

Churchill came to mindmostly people who
were or are larger than life. After further
thought, though, I realized my subjects are
not just well-known personalities, but rather
people from all walks of life. And since everyone in his or her own way has a story and what
I most enjoy about the process is capturing
the essence of a persons character, you could
say that Im already painting the very people
whose essences I most want to interpret!
Louise B. Hafesh is an award-winning artist and writer
and a contributing editor for The Artists Magazine. You
can see examples of her work at www.louisebhafesh.
com and www.paintersportal.blogspot.com.

Meet Everett Raymond Kinstler

Everett Raymond Kinstler, who dropped
out of high school and abandoned a formal
art education to take a job inking comic
books, has been awarded honorary doctorates from Rollins College (1983), outside
Orlando, Florida; Lyme Academy College of
Fine Arts (2002), in Old Lyme, Connecticut;
and the Academy of Art University (2010),
in San Francisco. For five decades he
taught at the Art Students League of New
York. Kinstler has painted seven United
States presidents from life, and his paintings of President Ronald
Reagan and President Gerald R. Ford are official White House portraits.
Kinstlers work is part of the collections of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the Butler Institute of American Art
in Youngstown, Ohio, among others. The Smithsonian National Portrait
Gallery has acquired more than 100 pieces of his works and, in 1999,
awarded Kinstler the Copley Medal, its highest honor. Visit his website
at www.everettraymondkinstler.com.

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques | 34

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