Portrait Oil Painting: step-by-step

Thought I'd share with you a little bit about how I approach my oil painting for a portrait. I like to start at the focal point, which for a portrait, is always the eyes.

Just as I approach my drawing by shapes, I tell my drawing students to notice shapes and to draw the shapes. In painting I do the same and attack the focal point the same way, looking for the color shapes.        
(Please excuse the phone pics)

Apply the color shapes one next to the other.  Where the color shapes meet, blend softly.

I paint wet-into-wet one section at a time.

It is helpful to lay in some color in the background that can be used to softly create "soft" or blurred edges while the paint is wet.  Some edges should fade or gently blend into the value of the background.

Glazes are added to brighten the color of the cheeks, nose and ears.  The middle part of the face has more color in it than the top or bottom the face.

The white of the eye is never white, only the highlight will be white.

All done!

For Marie Donato's Oil Painting Classes offered - click below.

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