How to Paint a Portrait

Painting a portrait is easy if you break it down into basic steps. Here's how to do it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Get your supplies ready. Whatever your medium--watercolor, oil or acrylic, on canvas or paper--set up in a well-lit spot with all your pencils and brushes by your side.

2. Position your subject, or a photo of your subject, in a place that makes it easy for you to glance back and forth between the subject and your painting. Before touching the paint, sketch a light outline of your subject in pencil first. Avoid erasing to prevent smudging or tearing the paper.

3. Choose your starting point. Pick something easy, such as the background or the subject's clothing.

4. Mix your paints to replicate the subject's skin tone, gradually working from light to dark. Fill in the face and move on to the hair. Provide a general shape for the hair, and then focus on the subject's face. Begin to add details, especially around the eyes.

5. Draw out the subject's features by painting new layers of skin tone, adding and blending colors to give depth and definition. Continue adding details to the hair, contrasting light and dark patches.

6. Shift your focus from the subject's face to other areas of the portrait, returning to the background or the subject's clothing. Add details and begin to distinguish and define the layers of the painting.

7. Return to the face and add special touches of light and shadow to give it more depth and bring the portrait to life. Consider softening or blending skin tone lines.

Resources

• Search for painting supplies on eBay.

[pjetimages]

on 6/3/2009 Very accurate way of describing the steps involved in painting a live model.