Step by Step
Creating a Portrait
This page gives you an idea of the various stages to produce a portrait in oils. For a single portrait I use a 16" by 20" prepared canvas board.
Stage 1 - The Photoshoot
A vital element in the portrait process is the photoshoot. As I will be working from a photographic source it is of the utmost importance that I get the best photo possible of the subject. I usually take between 50 and 70 shots varying angle, lighting and the sitter's expression. I use natural light as much as possible in order to get naturalistic skin tones.
Stage 2 - The Underpainting
Once I have selected the best picture from the photoshoot I blow up the image on a photocopier to the size I want, trace it on to the canvas board and using burnt sienna oil thinned with white spirit paint in the tonal unpainting. This allows me to concentrate on getting the skin colours right in the next stage.
Stage 3 - Skin tones
The moment before applying paint to the underpainting is for me a bit like the moment before you enter the water in a swimming pool. In this stage I am applying the initial skin tones. I spent a lot of time getting the colour and tones as close as possible to the source material (the photo of the subject). I concentrate on the skin on the face leaving the eyes and lips out as they require a different palette of colours. The portrait looks quite abstract at this stage with the different slabs of colour side by side.
Stage 4 - Blending
All I have done here is to blend the edges together of the colour slabs in the previous stage. This is an enjoyable stage as the portrait is starting to take shape, plenty of hard work still to do though.
Stage 5 - Refining
This is a painstaking stage that I liken to sculpting as I now rework the skin tones adding depth and highlights. It is, however, very rewarding as at this stage I get a sense of the painting really beginning to work.
Stage 6 - Eyes and Lips
When the paint is dry on the previous stage I begin to work in the eyes and lips. I also use dry brush technique to enhance shadows and highlights, and in this case to add some warmer tones to the face and neck.
Stage 7 - Clothes
With the face completed I can now turn to the clothes. Capturing the texture of the clothing is important as this contrasts with the skin tones.
Stage 8 - Background and Finish
I chose a mottled light grey as background, echoing the cool grey blue of the jumper. The light pastel colour effect of the background allows the viewer to focus fully on the warm skin colours and tones of the subject.