Portraiture is one of the most difficult subjects in art, especially when using watercolor to paint. In this particular tutorial, you will be shown how to paint a beautiful watercolor portrait using easy-to-follow steps. You will learn how to use a range of colors and tones to create depth. As well as how to incorporate important elements such as shading, highlights, and contours. So why don’t you try and see how much you can achieve?
Necessary Materials
Watercolor painting portrait tutorial
01. Sketching and masking fluid
1.01: Use a 2B pencil to carefully draw the line draft. When drawing the line draft, not only draw the facial features but also group the hair and draw the pattern on the hat.
1.02: Use the masking fluid with a rigger brush and carefully cover the highlighted hair. That which can not only make easy the coloring of large brush strokes but also achieve natural white space.
02. Coloring the face of girl
2.01:Â Wet the area of the face with a large flat brush dipped in water. Moreover, pay attention to the area of the glasses and mouth when wetting.
Next, mix a little lemon yellow with water, and lay out the areas where the highlights and shadows transition. Then mix lemon yellow and rose red with water, and draw the skin color of the dark part while it is wet. Moreover, the pink-red and orange are blended to create a rosy complexion on the cheeks and nose. Then mix dark purple and orange to draw the dark color of the chin and neck.
2.02: After this layer is dry, use a small brush to blend deep purple and orange to paint the dark color of the nostrils. As a result, harmonize orange-red and rose red to create the fullness and softness of the lips.
2.03: In this step, blend deep purple, orange-red and a little Payne’s gray to paint the brows and tails, the strokes on the brows are slightly more detailed. Mix orange-red with a little dark purple and a little cobalt blue to paint the reflective surface of the black eyeball. Use Grey to darken the shadows of the pupils and upper eyelids.
Mix the lemon yellow with a little rose red and a little orange-red to create a highlight color that connects the face and hair. Next, mix the rose-red with orange-red and a little deep purple to paint the dark color of the lips. Then, harmonize the orange-red to deepen the purple and add a little cobalt blue to deepen the dark part of the neck
03. Coloring the hat of girl
3.01: Wet the hat area with water, taking care to leave the patterned area. Mix chrome yellow and orange-red to create the bright color of the hat. Next, use orange to deepen the purple and rose red connection to painting the dark color of the hat turning. Then, blend the ultramarine blue with lemon yellow and a little rose-red to paint the green pattern on the hat.Â
3.02: Use light purple to paint the color of the flowers on the hat. Wet the hair area, paint the highlights with lemon yellow, then connect the shadows with orange and a little dark purple. Because the drawing board with a vertical angle, the color of the hair flows down the drawing board.
04. Continue to paint the details of the painting
4.01: Mix the orange-red and rose red, then paint a small shadow of the hat on the cheek. This step has the effect of enhancing the space between the hair and the face. Next, blend deep purple, orange-red, cobalt blue, and Payne’s gray. Then continue to paint the dark color where the hat meets the hair.
4.02: Mix orange-red and rose red to deepen the color of the hat. At the same time, use orange-red to deepen the purple, and Payne’s gray to connect and deepen the dark part of the hat. Then, be careful when painting with the connection between the hat and the face. Finally, don’t paint excess color on the skin.
4.03: Keep the color of the hair in the highlights, blend the orange with a little dark purple and a little rose red, and deepen the hair in groups.
4.04: Continue to deepen the dark color of the large area of the hat. At the same time, pay attention to the area where there is the pattern. Besides, paint the light and dark relationship of the pattern, according to their turning point
05. Fix the parts of the painting that don't look good.
5.01: Use a small brush to mix deep purple, orange-red, and a little Payne’s gray to paint the hair in the dark part.
Continue to darken the hat while keeping the patterned areas. With a lot of small dots, the dark parts and patterns of the hat are depicted in detail, real and unique texture.
5.02: After the painting is completely dry, use a pigskin fabric to wipe off the masking fluid on the painting. Finally, adjust the unsatisfactory details of the painting.
6. Finished work
The girl’s portrait is soft and delicate. Her eyes are as clear as water, and her Golden hair glittering in the light, moves with the wind and dances in the air. She is so young and beautiful !!!
Painting a portrait with watercolor can be quite challenging work, as it requires a high level of skill, patience, and attention to detail. However, I hope with the right guidance, it is possible to master this art form and produce truly amazing results.