See below some of our readers own examples!
Portrait painting ideas and techniques.
In a nutshell, portrait painting is an artistic representation of a person. Not only are you trying to capture a likeness, but you are also attempting to convey the individuals’ mood, so the whole face should be included. This is also why most portraits have the sitter gazing directly at the viewer. It is a composed sitting, not a snapshot from the camera. (I’ll get into that later, because these too can make for a great portrait)
Portrait painting goes back a long ways. We’ve found funeral portraits from Egypt that date back to the 1st century BC. The portrait painting was alive a well by the 4th Century Greek and Roman time frame. Patrons wanted very realistic, even unflattering paintings of themselves and loved ones. This changed a bit thereafter as folks wanted a more idealistic view, and true representation of the individual didn’t reemerge until the Middle ages. Paintings were done in egg tempera which gave us some fairly good depictions and brilliant colors. Then Van Eyck came along with adding oils to the egg tempera to allow for better blending in the shadow areas. This resulted in some magnificent works!
Leonardo Da Vinci “Mona Lisa”
Portrait painting however, still memorialized the rich and powerful, and the common man wouldn’t be included until the mid 18th century. This came about after the American Revolution, and folks realized we needed a record of some of the leaders and founders of the time, so early American portraitists depicted their subjects in patriotic and modest ways. (as opposed to luxury and aristocracy) Although artists wanted to throw off the appearance of luxury and monarchism within their works, the elite were the only ones that could afford a portrait. It wouldn’t be until years later, with the Industrial Revolution and photography, did the “average joe” get his picture on a wall!
During our modern times, impressionism, cubism, abstract art, all have had their hands in the portrait, so from here, the waters get really muddy. Traditional portrait paintings continue to exist, but experimentation and new ideas have broadened the field to include so much more. Today’s portraits not only tell you what a person looks like, but can depict a whole story around this individual.
A good portrait will give you the essence of the person. It can show you what they did for a living, what they wanted to be remembered for, even where they have come from. It could be iconical in nature by representing a wider group of people by ethnicity, and culture. It can reflect a particular period in time. The portrait can show a person’s hobbies, it can reveal bits of their personality, or their political and religious beliefs. Or, it can be very simple and formal with a monotone background and just the individuals’ face.
Interested in some crazy good portraits? See them here at the
Recent Portrait painting completed using the flemish method.
Saint Pope John Paul II portrait painting
The profile view, the full face, the three-quarter view. These reference the particular orientation of the head within the portrait.
The profile view = the side view, strictly showing the side of the face.
The full face view = from directly in front. Looking straight on towards a persons face.
The three-quarter view = when the person has turned slightly to give you more view of the side of the head. Will usually include a better view of the ear.
There are several methods to use in painting portraits. If using the Flemish technique, you want to make your dead layer have a more greenish, olive color. This allows for a better contrast and believable shadow play within the face.
Portrait painting ideas:
This depends on if this is a commissioned work, or a portrait that you are doing on your own. The same questions will need to be asked when approaching either one. But the main guestion remains, How does the person want to be depicted?
Mood: Angy, sad, happy, or contemplative?
Pose: Sitting, standing, or with some form on movement?
Dress: With or without (nude) their clothes? Formalwear, work clothes, play clothes?
Place: Within their office? Indoors, outdoors, work place, kitchen, living, dining room?
Objects: Holding something, sitting in a fancy chair, reclining on the sofa? Objects can be nearby on a table, in the lap, on the chair.
All these should help answer the basic question of “How the person wants to be depicted” in a historical sense, because when done right, the painting will last for generations!
How to Paint Realistic Portraits
Now you can easily learn how to paint realistic portraits and create gorgeous works of art that you can proudly display or sell.
Atención, pintores: descubre los secretos de la pintura de retratos. Nuestro # 1 Video de venta. Ahora disponible en español o inglés.
There is nothing that compares to the joy artists feel when they’ve painted a beautiful portrait of someone special. Just imagine painting an incredible portrait of such high quality that you don’t hesitate for one moment to show it off, either giving it as a treasured gift or selling it for top dollar.
For many painters, portraits are off-limits — they can be too difficult and require a lot of time, only for the artist to be unhappy with the results. Capturing lifelike features, flesh tones, and expressions can be frustrating, and difficult to correct along the way.
There is now a way to learn portrait painting that is easier than ever and will take the mystery out of this beautiful art form. You will want to discover these secrets for yourself right away, and now you can. Streamline Publishing is proud to partner with Art Renewal Center to bring you “Secrets of Portrait Painting” with ARC Master Artist and Salon winner Cesar Santos.
In his early childhood in Cuba, Cesar, always interested in creative arts, built mud sculptures in the rain and used his imagination to invent toys. At the age of 12, after immigrating with his family to Miami, he dreamed of a future as an artist. Even while participating in the sport of boxing and attending a magnet high school for architecture, his first love was always fine art.
After attending art school and learning a contemporary view of post-impressionistic principles, Cesar wanted to understand the scientific aspects of painting, so he set off to the Angel Academy in Florence to learn more. He took that knowledge and, combining it with what he had learned earlier, developed his own unique personal style that reflects both modernism and traditionalism.
In this extended video, containing more than 19 hours of content, follow along with Cesar as he expertly guides you through each step of preparing, creating, and finishing a portrait painting.
Using his systematic approach, Cesar resolves the difficulties many artists encounter when painting portraits. He’ll show you the proven techniques he has developed over many years of studying in great schools and academies and learned from talented teachers worldwide.
Take a moment to watch this short video and see just a bit of what you’ll experience when learning from Cesar. Take note of how comfortable he is working in front of the camera, both painting and sharing every detail with you so you can learn and apply his techniques in your own work.
Cesar breaks down the process of portrait painting into four stages:
- Drawing and constructing
- Dead coloring
- Creating a first painting
- Creating a second painting
In each stage, Cesar not only demonstrates what he routinely does in his own work, he explains in detail why he does it that way and the advantages of those methods. You can then take the information and incorporate it into your own paintings. Soon you’ll be painting beautiful portraits that are sure to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Watch as Cesar skillfully paints a realistic portrait, from start to finish, interpreting each physical feature and developing flesh tones with great precision.
Because of Cesar’s uniquely teachable approach, this video is appropriate and useful for all skill levels, from the beginner to the master artist who wishes to understand more about painting outstanding portraits.
The skills Cesar teaches are unique, yet universally applicable, and you will find them to be a natural way of building and creating a portrait you can be proud of.
Learn along with Cesar as he shows you:
- His own color palette, including specific brands, and how to mix colors to keep your painting realistic.
- What brushes and tools to use and why. You’ll never have to wonder if you’re making the right choice again.
- How different techniques can be used with different media. The possibilities are endless.
- His secrets to taking a practical, simplified approach when creating portraits. From start to finish, he leaves no question unanswered.
- How not to get distracted from what is important in your paintings. Many artists make these mistakes and end up unhappy with their work.
- The universal knowledge and skills he has gained through many years of studying across the world. You get to benefit from his unique blend of tradition and science.
Not only will this video show you how to paint better portraits, you will also enjoy a showcase of Cesar’s artwork and a personal interview with the artist conducted by Art Renewal Center trustee Vern G. Swanson. Also featured is a musical composition directly inspired by the artist’s work by Brazilian composer Giacomo Lombardi.
This video will become a treasure in your own resource library and you will want to refer to it over and over as you master Cesar’s secrets of portrait painting. You can pause and practice as many times as you like until you are pleased with the results — something you cannot do when attending a live painting class.
To order and learn how to paint realistic portraits, simply click the following link or call 561.655.8778: Teach me the Secrets of Portrait Painting
If you have ever wanted an easier way to paint captivating portraits, this is it.
Browse RealismToday.com to discover more inspiration.
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- Contemporary Realism
- Painting Portraits and Figures
