There are many things a skilled portrait artist can do to elevate his or her art above the average artist's offering... ... and one of these is to take time and develop the clothes in great detail. The clothes are generally finished last on a portrait, and as such are often overlooked or rushed through
The most effective way to build up contrast in portraits is to gradually darken the tone in shadow areas by ... layering pencil strokes blending to smooth repeating until the darks are sufficiently dark. The problem is that every time you blend, you lift up tone and lighten the appearance, which means that the
We've got ourselves a new Facebook page and to kick start it ... we're giving away a free video on 'How To Paint a Beautiful Seascape Scene Quickly and Easily'. If you've always wanted to learn to paint, we'll show you how to create a beautiful seascape scene with this easy step by step
While there is no set recipe to watercolor painting ... ... there are a few practical considerations to take under advisement before you begin. Also a logical order that should be followed to best ensure good results. Begin by preparing your surface. If you're using cotton rag paper that isn't attached to a watercolor
In the simplest terms, there are only three ways to paint in watercolor ... With a wet brush on a wet surface A dry brush on a dry surface Or a combination of those two, which wind up looking very close to the same. The first technique is called "wet-on-wet," and it results in colors
You can't expect to throw some paint on a piece of paper and expect it to turn out well, but painting a good picture doesn't have to be an impossible task, either. Becoming an excellent painter is the fruit of years of labor and practice, experimentation and failure. Becoming a good painter is much simpler
Painting skin can quickly become frustrating if one goes about it without abiding by the principles discussed earlier. Namely, by picking at the washes and describing the skin as one color. When painting a large surface in watercolor, the washes easily become mottled or blotchy if the color is laid on too slowly, on dry
The only absolute necessities for watercolor painting are paper, paint and water. But there are better and worse choices to make when you are selecting materials. If you are a beginner, you can use a cheaper watercolor paper because you'll be throwing most of your work away. Once you become more comfortable, however, you
Today we'll show you some techniques for shading and highlighting. Just as line defines accuracy in shape, shading and highlighting define accuracy in form. Without knowledge of how to shade your drawings, your work will appear fl at, unfinished, and underdeveloped. The first key to shading is knowing how to achieve different effects. You
Today we'll show you how to draw facial expressions. The best way to learn how to convey emotion in the face is by examining yourself and others and noting how the features change. Note when you can see the whites around the eyes, when wrinkles appear beside the mouth or above the eyebrows, and
Today we'll show you how to draw feet. Feet are a complex system of tiny bones, muscles, and tendons, and so present a special challenge in drawing. In proportion to other features of the body, the foot is roughly a third longer than the hand, and without a big toe would be about the
Today we'll show you how to draw a face. Begin by sketching the shape of the face and placing guidelines for eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The eye line should indicate where the eyes line up on the face, which will be on the center of the head for straight-on views. Draw simple lines
Today we'll show you how to draw legs. When drawing legs, acquaint yourself with the anatomy before you begin. Study how the bones are joined and how the muscles attach to them and you will be able to visualize the structure easily as you draw. Begin by sketching the leg in its largest, simplest
Today we'll show you how to draw arms. When drawing arms, it is very helpful to be familiar with the bone and muscle structure. When one understands that the forearm is made up of the ulna and radius, for instance... ... it is easy to remember that the arm tapers from the shoulder to
Today we'll show you how to draw hair. The difficulty in drawing hair is learning how to depict it as soft and movable while not spending hours trying to draw individual hairs. Think of hair as having three definite tones; highlights, shadows, and lowlights, and begin by drawing the shape of the skull and
Today we'll show you how to draw the chin and neck. When drawing the neck, it's important to remember that the lines are not parallel, even though they seem to be. The neck is not a pole that attaches the head to the body, it is a movable column that tapers and curves. There
Today we'll show you how to draw proportion. Every feature of the face and body follows its own rules of proportion, or, measurement in comparison to the features around it. While these rules may be broken or bent from person to person, the general guidelines will apply to most, and so are extremely helpful
Today we'll show you how to draw hands. Drawing hands will vary greatly depending on the age of the person and the way the hands are being held. But here we will look at simplified methods for drawing an adult hand seen from two angles. Begin by drawing the largest shapes. Guidelines will help
Today we'll show you how to draw teeth. Many of the same principles applied to drawing lips will apply when drawing teeth, because of course the lips are still visible, though parted. Begin by drawing the basic shape of the two lips and a guidelines that indicate the center of the mouth vertically, horizontally,
Today we'll show you how to draw a mouth. Mouths are very tricky because so much depends on subtlety. Use a very light touch, especially in the beginning stages, to make sure that you don't outline the shape of the lips too much. Otherwise this will result in a clownish, "drawn-on" look. Sketch the