Portrait painting has always been one of the most popular subjects in art. But it is not a simple process and you have to practice hard to improve your process. This tutorial here shows you how to paint a watercolor portrait for beginners, where I share my process from creating the first loose layer to developing the details and finally finishing it.
Reference Photo
You are not a slave to the reference image, so don’t try to draw exactly what it is, boldly make your own artistic decisions throughout the watercolor painting process.
1. Necessary Materials
I usually use the following color types, however; You don’t have to have the same color as the one I use.
Paper: Arches Cold press 300gsm watercolor paper is my choice.
Pigments: Here is a list of the pigments I used:
Vermilion, Bright Violet, Opera Pink, Permanent Yellow, Naples Yellow, Indanthrone Blue, Cobalt Blue, Jaune Brilliant No.1
Brushes: calligraphy brush, Rigger Brush
Other: HB pencil, Pallette, Water bucket, Drawing boat, Masking tape.
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Old Man With Beard – Watercolor Portrait Paintings Step By Step
1. Make a Sketch
Start with sketching, complete loose details but draw carefully using a HB pencil. This is the step where I arrange the composition, perspective, proportions, and balance. A good sketch is a basis for a watercolor portrait painting; it can make your next steps easier.
2. Apply First Wash of Old Man With Beard Watercolor Portrait
Wet the paper in the face area with clean water using a soft flat brush. Allow the water to soak into the paper so that it is still wet, then use a light mixture of Opera pink and Naples yellow to brush over the surface. Let dry completely.
3. Applying the second layer
In this step, I add colors with darker values to the painting to better define the forms. I start with the forehead, moving to the eye sockets, nose, and cheeks. I mix Vermilion and Naples yellow with a touch of Opera Pink for these areas.
4. Start building on the details and dark areas of the face
At this stage, I start building on the details and dark areas of the face. Add to the previous mix (Vermilion, Opera Pink, and Naples Yellow) with Bright Violet to darken some of the shadows on the skin such as the eye sockets, neck, the right side of the nose, and the cheek.
I apply the light version of Bright Violet to suggest the large form of the beard and hair, remember not to lose the big shapes as you refine the details.
5. Paint the character's jacket
This is the right time to paint the character’s jacket, I used a light mixture of Vermilion and Permanent Yellow to wash the area of the jacket.
6. Define the shadows of the character's jacket
Next, allow the previous layer to dry completely. I mixed a mixture of Vermilion and Permanent Yellow with Bright Violet and a little Cobalt Blue to define the shadows. Besides, I also finished the shirt inside with Cobalt blue.
7. Begin the Background
To paint the background. First, wet the paper around the character with clean water, and remember to leave the beard and hair out. while the paper is still damp, Apply a mixture of Indanthrone Blue and a touch of Lavender to wash the first layer of bạckground.
8. Finished Watercolor portrait for beginners
I use a denser Indanthrone Blue to darken the value of the background. This will help the background to highlight the main subject of the portrait. Note that, apply this step when the previous layer is completely dry.
Use Jaune brilliant No.1 with a Rigger Brush to add individual hairs and beards in certain places.