paintingbeautifulskin,toneswithcolor&light

inoil,pastelandwatercolor

ChrisSaper

NORTHLIGHTBOOKSCINCINNATI,OHIO

www.artistsnetwork.com

TheNotionofRace

Neitheranthropologistsnorsociologistscanagreeonwhatconstitutesrace,andeachgroupmodifiesitsthinkingonthesubjectovertime.Ethnicity,nationality,culture,migration and intermarriage over the centuries have blurred the lines.For thesakeofconvenience, thefourskincolorgroupsaddressed in thisbookfollow the guidelines published by the U.S. government (which, incidentally,reconsidersitsowndefinitionseverynumberofyears)intheFederalRegister.

•Caucasian/White(notofHispanicorigin):PersonshavingoriginsinanyoftheoriginalpeoplesofEurope,NorthAfricaortheMiddleEast.

•Black/AfricanAmerican(notofHispanicorigin):PersonshavingorigininanyoftheBlackracialgroupsofAfrica.

•AsianorPacific Islander: Persons having origins in any of the originalpeoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, Indian Subcontinent or PacificIslands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, thePhilippineIslandsandSamoa.

•Hispanic: Persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or SouthAmerican,orotherSpanishculturesororigins,regardlessofrace.

Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light Copyright © 2001 by Christine J. Saper.ManufacturedinChina.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeansincludinginformationstorageandretrievalsystemswithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewer,whomayquotebriefpassagesinareview.PublishedbyNorth Light Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio45236.(800)289-0963.Firstedition.

OtherfineNorthLightBooksareavailablefromyourlocalbookstore,artsupplystoreordirectfromthepublisher.

15141312111716151413

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Saper,Chris.

PaintingBeautifulSkinToneswithColor&Light/byChrisSaper.p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferences.ISBN-13:978-1-58180-163-7(hc:alkpaper)ISBN-10:1-58180-163-7(hc:alkpaper)1.Portraitpainting—Technique.2.Humanskincolorinart.I.Tide.

ND1302.S2720012001030145

751.45'42—dc21CIPDesigner:WendyDunningCoverdesigner:AndreaShortContenteditors:AmyJ.WolgemuthandMichaelBergerProductioneditor:StefanieLaufersweilerInteriorproductionartist:BenRuckerProductioncoordinator:JohnPeavlerArtworkontitlepage:Sylvia,oil,16″×12″(41cm×31cm),collectionofMiltonandSylviaSaper

Metric-ConversionCharttoconvert to multiplyby

Inches Centimeters 2.54Centimeters Inches 0.4Feet Centimeters 30.5Centimeters Feet 0.03Yards Meters 0.9Meters Yards 1.1Sq.Inches Sq.Centimeters 6.45Sq.Centimeters Sq.Inches 0.16Sq.Feet Sq.Meters 0.09Sq.Meters Sq.Feet 10.8Sq.Yards Sq.Meters 0.8Sq.Meters Sq.Yards 1.2Pounds Kilograms 0.45Kilograms Pounds 2.2Ounces Grams 28.4Grams Ounces 0.04

Acknowledgments

My deepest thanks to my family, friends and talented and generous teachers,especiallyPhilBeck; for technical assistance,my thanks toAR3Photography,Scottsdale; 5 Star Image Photo, Phoenix; and the GNU Group, Lafayette,California.Special thanks to artist Ann Manry Kenyon for her warm friendship and

encouragement; and to JackConnery for believing itwas just as important toteach darkroom technique as health care organi zation, and whose trusty oldNikkormatproducedall the35mmslides for thisbook.Myheartfelt thanks tomyNorthLightBookeditors:toAmyWolgemuth,MichaelBergerandStefanieLaufersweiler, for their patience and professionalism always; and to RachelWolf,forherhumor,intellectandwillingnesstotakeachanceonapainterfromArizona.

Dedication

ToRon,AaronandAlexandra,whoteachmeeverydaywhatrealbeautyis.

AbouttheAuthor

ChrisSaper'sportraitsarecurrentlyheldinmorethantwohundredprivateandcorporatecollectionsthroughoutfourteenstatesandCanada.Amemberof thePalette&ChiselAcademy inChicago, the Pastel Society ofAmerica and theAmerican Society of Portrait Artists, Saper has exhibited at the U.S. SenateRotunda, theAmericanLegacyGallery inKansasCity, theNationalArtsClubandtheSalmagundiClubinNewYorkCity.Published in The Best of Portrait Painting (North Light Books, 1998) and

Pastel Artist International Magazine, Saper's recent awards include theAmericanArtists'ProfessionalLeague'sDirector'sAwardinNewYorkandtheInternationalAssociationofPastelSocieties'SilverMedal.Herworkisalsothesubject of a one-hour television program first aired on Phoenix Cable in thespringof1997.Saper has studied with noted portraitists, including Bettina Steinke, Burton

Silverman,HarleyBrown,DanGerhartzandPhilBeck.Sheholdsabachelor'sdegreeinFineArtsandamaster'sdegreeinHealthServicesAdministration.SheresidesinPhoenix,Arizona,withherhusbandandchildren.VisitwithSaperatherWebsite,www.chrissaper.com.

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Introduction

1TheFiveElementsofPainting

Drawing

Value

Color

Composition

Edges

2TheColorsofLightandShadow

MakingFriendswithKelvin:TheColorandTemperatureofLight

TheEndofGuesswork:TheColorandTemperatureofShadow

ColorHarmonyforthePortraitPainter

PaletteSelectionandKeyConsiderations

3TheLocalColorofSkin:AQuestionofOrange

TheDeterminantsofSkinColor

PaintingDifferentSkinColorGroups

•Caucasian

•AsianorPacificIslander

•Black/AfricanAmerican

•Hispanic

4UsingPhotographicReferences

PhotographingYourSubject

LightingYourSubject

BreakingtheChainsofPhotoSlavery

ConstructingSensibleComposites

5OrganizeYourPaintinginThreeEasyStages

MINI-DEMONSTRATION1|CaucasianGroup,Oil

MINI-DEMONSTRATION2|Black/African-AmericanGroup,Pastel

MINI-DEMONSTRATION3|AsianGroup,Watercolor

MINI-DEMONSTRATION4|HispanicGroup,Pastel

6PaintingDemonstrationsStepbyStep

PASTELPORTRAIT|SkinTone,IndianSubcontinent(Asian)

OILPORTRAIT|SkinTone,Hispanic

WATERCOLORPORTRAIT|SkinTone,Caucasian

Conclusion

AppendixA:RecommendedResources

AppendixB:KelvinTemperaturesforPortraitPainters

AppendixC:SampleColorCharts

INTRODUCTION

Each of us learns in different ways—some by reading or listening, some bywatching,somebydoing.Since I began painting portraits ten years ago, I've sought out the advice of

painters whose work I admire. Fortunately, many of those painters were alsogreatteachers.Tome,painterstendtobeeitherintuitiveoracademic.Intuitiveinstruction—“justpickout somecolor,”“usecolor thatexpresses thewayyoufeel”—hasneverhelpedme.But instructorswhohavetaughtmehowtosee—what to look for andwhy—havegivenme tools I canuse for a lifetime.Thisbookisdesignedtogiveyoutoolsyoucanuse,too.Paintingbeautifulskintoneshasmoretodowithunderstandingcolorandthe

way it is affectedby light thananyother factor.Theprinciplespresentedhereapplytoanymediumanddonotrelyonaparticularstyleortechnique.There are no secrets to painting portraits successfully. There are simply a

variety of decisions to bemade. This book is structured to show you how tomakethesedecisionsinasystematic,straightforwardway.By organizing your approach to painting, you will be able to get more

consistentresults.Whensomethinggoeswrong,you'llknowwhyitwentwrongandhowto fix it.Perhapsmost importantly,you'll freeyourself tocontinue togrowasanartistandtobepartofthemostjoyfulworkthereis.Enjoy.

MADELEINE(DETAIL)Oilonlinen18″×14″(46cm×36cm)Privatecollection

1THEFIVEELEMENTSOFPAINTING

There are five essential elements in every painting: drawing, value, color,composition (or design) and edges. It's important to note that all paintingscontain theseelements,even ifweaspainters try to ignore them.Theysimplyinsinuate themselves into our work by default, and generally in a disorderlyfashion.Instead,considereachelementandmakeapurposefuldecisionaboutit.Even if the decision turns out to be wrong, at least you'll have a basis forfiguringoutwhyandformakingabetterchoicenexttime.Thinkofaportraitasapainting that justhappens tostaraparticularperson.

Withouttheinterpretationoftheartisttosimplifyinformationanddecidewhatisimportantfortheviewer,there'snoneedforapaintingatall.Itwouldbefasterandeasierjusttotakeanicephotographandbedonewithit.

CHAMBRAYPastelonCansonpaper13″×13″(33cm×33cm)CollectionoftheartistDrawingWhilegooddrawingskillsarefundamentaltoallrepresentationalart, they'remostimportantinportraiture.Strongdrawingskillsresult from patient observation, good training and lots of practice. Goodlikenesses result from accurately measuring the distance between the featuresandusingvaluetoshowvolume.Thinkofyourcanvasasthebattlegroundbetweenwhatyoureyesseeandwhat

your brain decides it knows.Let the judgment of your eyes prevail.After all,achievinganaccuratelikenessisanimportantpartofportraiture,onethateveryportraitpainter,livingordead,hasspentalifetimeworkingtoward.Andthough“likeness”isnottheprimaryfocusofthisbook,bystudyingthelessonsincolorrelationships and improvingyour skill in rendering light and shadow,youwillautomatically improve your skill in achieving likeness. There are also someexcellent resources noted in Appendix A (Recommended Resources) that Iconsidertobeespeciallyhelpful.

PaintManyPaintings

Mypainting teacher relates a taleofhis collegeceramicsclass.The instructordividedtheclassintotwogroupsfortheirfinalweeklongproject.Thestudentsinthefirstgroupweretoldthattheirentiresemester'sgradewouldbebasedoneach student producing one pot—the very best,most perfect pot possible—by

Friday.Thesecondgroup'sgradeswouldbebasedonlyon thenumberofpotstheycouldproducebyFriday.Guesswhosepotswerebetter?Thegroupwiththemostpractice,ofcourse!Themoral:Paintmanypaintings.Painteverydaythatyoucan.Maybeyou'll

likeonlyahandfulof themanyyoucreate.Successismadeupofmanysmallfailuresandthedecisiontochallengeeveryoneofthem.

MeasuringWhenmeasuringproportions,useflatstraightedgetoolssuitableforbothphotosand live model sittings. For photos, place the measuring tool directly on thephoto, using your thumbnail to mark the basic unit of measurement (forexample,thedistancebetweenthenoseandear).Compareallotherdistancestoyourbasicunit.

ValueValueistherelativelightnessordarknessofanobject,anditsimportanceinyour painting cannot be overstated.Value iswhat convinces the viewer that afaceisthree-dimensional,eventhoughthesurfaceit'spaintedonisclearlyflat.It

gives form to the cheek and luminosity to the eye. It creates the path for theviewer'seyetofollowasitexploreseverycornerofyourpainting.Everycolorhas avalue. Imagineaphotographof a colorwheel takenwith

black-and-whitefilm.Redandgreen,intheirpurestintensity,wouldbevirtuallyindistinguishable.However,eveninblackandwhite, it's impossible toconfuseblue with yellow. Every color can be lightened with the addition of a lightercolor orwhite, or darkenedwith the additionof a darker color or black.Witheverylighteningordarkeningstep,colorstakeonnewvalues.Valuesrunfromblack towhiteandeveryshadeofgray inbetween. It is the

artist'sjobtodecidewhat'simportantineachelement,includingvalue.Notonlyisitunnecessarytousethefullcontinuumofvaluesinapainting,itwouldbeadreadfulmistake.Toomanyvaluescausetheviewer'seyestojumparoundinaconfusedandhaphazardfashion,failingtofindthecenterofinterest.Thefastest,mosteffectivewaytosimplifyapaintingistosimplifythevalues.The five-value scale is a useful tool that will be used in the later

demonstrationstodescribehowtomixorselectcolors.Colorswill be described both by their hue and by one of these five values:

dark,middle-dark,middle,middle-lightandlight.Whenthedemonstrationcallsforvaluesattheendsofthevaluerange,thesecolorswillbedescribedasverydarkorverylight.

ThinkinginBlackandWhiteBlack-and-whitephotographseliminatetheconfusingvariableofcolorandcan

be invaluable when you work from photographs. In this example, the reds,greensandblueshavesimilarvalues.

TheFive-ValueScaleNotice that the value scale excludes black (an accent color) and white (ahighlightcolor).Reservetheverylightvalueforhighlightsorwhitedescriptionsandtheverydarkvalueforthedarkestaccents.

ColorRich,subtle,bold,beautiful.Understandingcolorandhowtoseeitwillbeone the most valuable lessons you will gain from this book. The thoughtfulselectionofacolorharmonyandtheabilitytodecidewhatcoloryouwantwillmakemixingcolorseasier.Colorhasseveraldimensions,whichwillbereferredtorepeatedlythroughout

therestofthebook.Theterminologyissimpleanddirect.

HUE

Hue is simply another word for color. Throughout this book, colors will bereferred to in generic terms. Primary colors include red, blue and yellow;secondary colors include orange, green and violet; and tertiary colors, or thecolors inbetween,will behyphenated (red-orange, blue-green, blue-violet andsoon).It'sfarbettertodescribeacolorasa“lightred-orange”thanasa“warmpeachypastel.”Describingcolorthiswayisagoodhabit togetintobecauseitallows you to communicate with other artists in a way they can readilyunderstand.

INTENSITY

Intensity, or saturation, is the degree of strength or purity in a color. Forexample,redismostintensewhenitcontainsneitherbluenoryellow,andwhen

itcontainsnoneofitscomplement—green.The term “grayed down” will often be used to describe color. Every color,

whenmixedwithitsaccuratecomplement,willresultinabeautiful,richneutral—acomplementarygray.For example, agrayed-down reddescribespure redthatismixedwithitscomplement,green.Enoughgreenisaddedtodiminishtheintensityofthered,butnotenoughtocreateaneutralgray.Theresultingcolorisstill perceived as red in nature. Conversely, a grayed-down green describes apure greenmixed with its accurate complement, red. Enough red is added toreducetheintensityofthegreen,butnotenoughtobecomeneutral.

TheTermsofColorSimple,directnamesareusedthroughouttodescribeaplaceonthecolorwheel.Avoid descriptions such as “leaf green” or “ocean blue.” There are as manyinterpretationsofphrasesliketheseasthereareartists!

LoadedWithColor:TheGrayZoneMixing any color with its accurate complement results in lush, wonderfulneutrals. These complementary grays are automatically in harmonywith yourothercolors,andaddrichnessandunitytoyourpainting.It'sraretofindobjectsin our natural world whose colors are at full intensity (perhaps with theexception of some tropical birds), especially human skin. Objects with fullysaturatedcolorsaregenerallyman-made.

SometimesSayNeverContrast the beauty of complementary gray with the cold, eye-stopping grayresultingfromamixtureofblackandwhite.Nevermixblackandwhite togetgrayforyourcanvas.

TEMPERATURE

Temperature refers to the relativewarmth or coolness of any given color.Allcolorscanbemixed tocreatebothacoolandwarmversion.Forexample, red

becomeswarmerwhenmixedwithyellow;itbecomescoolerwhenmixedwithblue.Thetemperatureofcolorisalwaysrelative.Forexample,greeniswarmerthan blue (green contains yellow), but it is cooler than yellow (green alsocontains blue). In painting skin tones, the artist must constantly makecomparisons.Forexample,istheskinontheforeheadwarmerorcoolerthantheskinonthecheek?

GoSouthtoCoolOffColors become cooler as they move around the color wheel toward blue.Conversely,colorswarmastheymovetowardyellow.

TemperatureIsRelativeTheabilityofeverycolor to takeoneitherwarmorcoolqualitiesmakes themversatile and exciting. Placing the warm version of a color next to its coolversionsetsupabeautifulvisualvibration.Thisisaneffectivedevicetosupportthecenterofinterestandtoaddenergytoanotherwiseboringpainting.

LOCALCOLOR

Localcoloristhecolorthatgenerallydescribessomething.Lemonsareyellow,grassisgreen.It'simportanttodifferentiatethelocalcolorfromthecoloryou'remixingbecausetherearetwoinfluencesthatwillalwayschangelocalcolor:thecolor of the light source andwhether it's viewed in light or shadow.Color inshadowisnotadarkerversionofthesamecolorinlight—itisadifferentcolor.Chapter Two describes exactly how colors change so that you can paint themcorrectly.

TheMythofLocalColorSunlight lightens andwarms all colors, including skin tones. Shadows are notonlydarker invalue,but are adifferent color.Theyarecooler in temperature,incorporatingblues,violetsandgreensinskincolor.Localcolorisalwaystruestalongtheedgewherethelightandshadowmeet.COMINGOFAGEPastelonLaCartesandedpaper24″×18″(61cm×46cm)Collection of Andrew and Sherry Saper Composition Ask most people whatconstitutesgooddesign,andyou'relikelytogetalotof,“Well,Ican'tdescribeit,butIknowitwhenIseeit!”Perhapsthemostpracticalworkingdefinitionis

thesimplest:Gooddesignisthearrangementofshapesandvaluesinawaythatlooksgood.Thereareseveralaspectsofapaintingthatcanpredictablypleasetheeyeofa

viewer.Variety insize,shapeandvalueshouldexist.Thevieweralsowants tosee balance, but he wants an unequal balance. For example, the viewer isquicklyboredwhenthecenterofinterestisrightinthecenterofthepainting.Aviewerwantstoseenegativespace(theareaaroundorbetweenobjects),butthespacesshouldbe indifferentquantitiesanddifferentshapes.Theviewerwantslight and dark but in different proportions. The viewer also wants variety ofcolor,butnotofequalintensity.Andfinally,thereshouldalwaysbeanobviouswayintothepainting,oreyepath,fortheviewerandaslightlylessobviouswayout.

ENTERFROMTHELEFTORTHERIGHT

Ihavelongheldthetheorythatpeoplereadpaintingsthesamewaytheyreadtheprint ed page: in a learned visual direction, based upon their first writtenlanguage.Withlanguageswrittenlefttoright,suchasEnglish,peopledevelopalefttorightdefaultdirection.Thosewhosefirstlanguageiswrittenrighttoleft,suchasHebrew,or top tobottom, suchasChinese,develop respectivedefaultreadingdirections.Without purposeful visual direction to the contrary, I knowmostofmyclientswillnaturallyenterthepaintingfromtheleftside.

SatisfyWithGoodBalanceNegativeandpositivespacesinequalproportionforcetheviewertostraddlethe

fence,tryingtodecidewhichshapeispositiveandwhichisnegative.Thisleavestheviewereitherconfusedorannoyed.

BalancedYetUnequalThis design pleases the viewer's eye through harmony and movement.Thoughtfullyposeandplacethesubject(asshowninthefinishedportraitbelow)early on to help prevent a design crisis at the endwhen itmaybe difficult tocorrect.

PORTRAITOFNANCYOilonlinen18″×14″(46cm×36cm)Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Perla

StepRightInAvisualentrygateplacedattheleftedge(asshowninthepaintingabove)startstheviewerontheroadtothecenterofinterest.Aleftentryisnaturalforviewerswhose firstwritten language is read left to right. If youwant viewers to enterfromtheright(asshowninthepaintingatright),you'llneedtoprovidestrongvisualclues.Ofcourse,theexactoppositeistrueforviewerswhosefirstwrittenlanguageisreadrighttoleft.KIPPPastelonWallispaper22″×16″(56cm×41cm)

CollectionoftheCharltonFamily

SILVERBRACELETSPastelonWallispaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)CollectionoftheartistLeadtheViewer

Make a purposeful decision about where you place the visual entry into thepainting, just asyoumakeeveryotherdecisionaboutyourportrait.Choose toeither support your viewer's learned visual direction or give him clear visualclues to the contrary.Make the journey across your canvas a comfortable andpleasantone.

CREATEANEYEPATH

Once the viewer's eyes enter the painting, give a clear path to follow to thecenterofinterest.Eyepathscanberectilinear(inastraightline)orcurvilinear(inacurvedline),buttheyshouldnotbeboth.Whilearectilineareyepathmaybe

suitable for a cityscape, a curvilinear eyepath is far more suited to a humansubject.Aneyepathwithgentlycurving loops,echoing thenaturalcurvesofaperson'sfaceandbody,willpredictablypleasetheviewer.Eyepathscanbeeitherclockwiseorcounterclockwise,buttheyshouldnotbe

both. Themost successful eyepaths encour age the viewer to grip the subjectwithhiseye,returningagainandagaintothecenterofinterestyouhavechosen.

AFlowingEyepathGentle curves and flowing loopsmakemore suitable eyepaths for portrait andfigurativework.

ChooseYourDirectionUse design elements to create a clockwise or counterclockwise eyepath. Thepaintingontheleftshowsclockwisemovement,whilethepaintingontherightdemonstratescounterclockwisemovement.MYCATCOTTONPastelonLaCartesandedpaper

22″×16″(56cm×41cm)

ALEXIS(DETAIL)PastelonWallispaper22″×16″(56cm×41cm)CollectionofDr.andMrs.B.LarsenEdgesEdgesoccurwherever shapesmeet,suchasbetweenasubject'shairandthebackground,thefaceandhair,thecollarandthroat,andshadowandlight.Edgesareallaroundus,andtheartist'sabilitytomanage the edges is often the element that separates the amateur from themaster.In a painting, edges accomplish two important tasks. First, they control the

viewer'seyemovementoverthecanvas,actingliketrafficsigns.Theeyefliestosharpedgesandcoastsgentlyoversoftones.Astheeyetravelsandcomestoalost edge, the viewer finds comfort in seeking out the placewhere it is foundagain.Second, edges are necessary to support your center of interest,which is the

entirepointofyourpainting.Sharpedgesatornearyourcenterof interestactlikearubberbandfortheviewer'seye,callingitbackoverandovertogazeatwhatyouwanthimtoseethemost.Edgeshavefourdifferentdimensions:hard,soft, lostandfound.Hard edges

canbefoundincastshadows,closesttotheobjectcastingtheshadow.Theyarecharacterized by easy-to-see boundaries, smooth textures and areas of strongcontrast.Softedgesarefuzzyandlessdistinct.Theyarecommonlyobservedwherean

object has a form shadow (as opposed to a cast shadow), where textures areunevenandwhereadjacentshapesaresimilarinvalue.Edgesarelostwhenashape'svalueisequaltothevalueoftheshapeitisnext

to.Theyarefoundagainwhenoneofthevalueschanges.

PlaceYourHardestEdgesNeartheCenterofInterestToenabletheviewertofindthecenterofinterestandtoensurethatthecorrectpartofyourpaintingwillcommandthemostattention,placesharpedgesatornearthecenterofinterestwhenpossible.Sharpedgesthatalsohavestrongvalueshiftsworkevenbetter.

CATHERINEPastel22″×16″(56cm×41cm)

CollectionoftheHemingwayFamily

LookforHardandSoftEdgesDifferentiatingbetween theharderedgeof theshadowcastby thenoseon theupperlipandthesofteredgeoftheformacrossthebridgeofthenoseoracrossthecurveof thecheekwillgiveyourportraitenergyand life.Also,conveyingedges in texture, especially in clothing and hair, will give the viewer otherimportantvisualclues.

LostandFound

Look for opportunities to lose and then find edges, even when they're notglaringlyobvious.It'susuallyeasytoloseandfindedgesinthesoftnessofhair.The nature of pastel especially lends itself beautifully to variations in edgequality.

FINDINGSHARPEDGES

It's much easier to see edges working from life than from photographs. Inworkingfromlife,oneof thebestways to identifyyourhardedges is tocloseyoureyes,openthembrieflytolookatthemodel,thenclosethemagainbeforeyouhavetimetofocusonthesubject.Yourvisualmemoryisyourguidebecause

the areas of highest contrast will remain as an afterimage. Due to the way acamera focuses, photos will give you false edge readings. Later chapters willteachyouhowtodealwith this limitation.You'llalso learnwhy it'shelpful todevelopanedgeplanearlyoninapainting.Anedgeplanwillreturncontrolofyour canvas to you. “Treat an edge like a story,” says noted artist RichardSchmid.“Stretchthetruthasfarasyou'dlikewithouttellingalie.”

2THECOLORSOFLIGHTANDSHADOW

Light carries the color in a painting, but shadows carry the painting. Lighttransformscolorandistheverybasisforpaintingbeautifulskin.Determining the color of light that falls on your subject and whether your

portraitisaboutlightorshadowarethefirstandmostimportantcolordecisionsyou must make. Light lends its color temperature to everything it touches.Everything left in shadow takes on the opposite temperature. For the lights inyourportraittobringyoursubjecttolife,theyneedtorestonasolidfoundationofshadow.Therearestraightforwardrulesthatgovernthetemperature,orcolor,oflight.

These rules explain colors that you canobserve, giveguidelines for color thatyoumight deduce and provide structurewhen the color of light is strictly theartist's choice.Bydevelopinga soundunderstandingof thecolorsof lightandshadow,theprinciplesofcolortemperaturewillbecomepowerfultoolsforyou.Decisionsabouthowtosee,mixandpaintskincolorwillbecomemucheasiertomakeandtoexecute.

LINDA(DETAIL)PastelonLaCartesandedpaper18″×26″(46cm×66cm)Collection of Linda Tracey Brandon Making Friends With Kelvin: The Color andTemperatureofLightLikecolor,visiblelightcanbewarmorcool,dependingonitssource. The temperature of light is measured on the Kelvin (K) scale, andrepresents color ranging from red-orange (about 2200K) to blue (about12000K+).Asthecoloroflightbecomesmorered,thecolorofshadowbecomescooler. It's farmore important to under stand the relative temperature of lightthantoworryaboutprecisemeasurements.

BlueNoon

Reddestatsunriseandsunset,sunlighttakesonaneutralcolorat10A.M.and2P.M. of approximately 5500K. Normal daylight film is designed to read coloraccurately at 5500K.Match your film to the temperature of your light for thebest color results. (Note: Because there is not a single standard for themanufacturers of fluorescent bulbs, their temper atures can vary widely.)

TheChangingColorofNaturalDaylight

TheColorofLightandKelvinDegrees

CommonArtificialLightsandTheirKelvinDegrees

DIRECTSUNLIGHT

Sunrise/Sunset

Color: red-orangeTemperature: approximately 2200KAt sunrise and sunset,sunlightisatitsreddest.It'satthelowestangle,passingthroughdenselayersoftheatmosphere.

Mid-morning/Mid-afternoon

Color:warmneutralTemperature: approximately 5500K In its daily arc, thesun reachesapproximately5500Kat10AM. and2 P.M., losing its redcast as itrisesinthesky.Thistemperatureisalsothevisualdividingpointfortherelativetemperatureoflight.HigherKelvindegreesrepresentcooler-coloredlight;lowerKelvinmeasurementsrepresentwarmer-coloredlight.Oureyestendtoperceive5500Kasneutralincolor.

Noon

Color:warmwhiteTemperature:approximately6500KAsthesunrisesinthesky,thetemperatureoflightalsorises,becomingbluestatitspeak.Afternoon,thetemperatureoflightbeginsitsdescent,againreachingapproximately2200Katsunset.

ColorsandShadows

Warmlightsproducecoolshadows.Coollightsproducewarmshadows.

SunsetDistortionPhotographs takenat sunsetwith regulardaylight filmproduceacharacteristicred-orangedistortion.Tocapturethedramaandbeautyofthealmosthorizontalangles of cast shadows at this time of day, sometimes you'll have to acceptdifficult sourcematerial. Until youmaster the principles of color in light andshadow,youcanreducethered-orangecastwithabluefilter.(PhotobyNancy

Crase)

UseColorDistortiontoSetaMoodAttimesyou'llwantthered-orangecastoflateafternoonsuntopermeateyourcanvas.Bathingyoursubjectinwarmlightlendsarestful,comfortingmoodtoyourportrait.Thispaintingisagoodexampleofexploitingrich,warmcolorintheshadow'scorealongthelengthofthenose.JESSICAPastelonWailispaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)

CollectionofEileenandPrestonLong

CastShadowsTellTimeThetworeferencephotosshownaboveforBeachBuddies(atright)weretakenat approximately 11 a.m., just as the sky was reaching its bluest point. Thedirectionoftheshadowsgivesawaythetimeofday,whichismostevidentintheeyesocketsandunderthenose.Eveninblackandwhite,thesephotoswouldtellthe timeof day.Onceyouknow the time, you can quickly deduce theKelvintemperatureandthecolorstouseforbothlightandshadow.

PaintingBeachScenesBeach scenes are among the most complicated to paint well because they'refraught with somany temperature shifts, reflected colors and reflected lights.Theyellowcolorofdirectsunlightdrenches thefiguresandsand,but theblueskystrikestheupward-facingfacialplanes,slightlycoolingtheskincolor.Theoceanmirrorsthesky,bouncingbluelightupintotheshadows.Thesandreflectswarmlightintotheshadowsonthelowerlegs.Astheshadowsmovetowardthehead,theeffectofcoolerreflectedcolortakesover.BEACHBUDDIESPastelonWallispaper

36″×26″(91cm×66cm)CollectionoftheartistINDIRECTSUNLIGHT

ClearSkies

Color:blueTemperature:approximately12000K+Withoutthedirectyellowofthesun'sraystocolortheobjectsittouches,thereisonlythevastblueoftheskyto reflect light on them. Subjects lit by cool, indirect sunlight have warmshadows.

HazyorCloudySkies

Color:warm,grayed-downblueoryellowTemperature:approximately7500KHazyconditions can reduceor eliminate the influenceofblue completely, andwillresultinlesstemperaturevariationbetweenlightandshadow.

Weil-BalancedWarmandCoolLightPaintedfromphotostakenjustbeforesundown,directwarmlightfloodedontothesubjectfromtheright.However,coolbluelightwasalsobouncedontohershadowsidefromtheleft.Likeotherdesignprinciplesofunequalbalance,bothlight temp eratures could not be shown equally. Here, the warm light sourcepredominates.Tomakethisportraitwork,thetemperaturesinthecentersectionofherfacestraddlethefence—coolerthanthewarmlight,yetwarmerthanthecoollight.VICTORIAPastelonLaCartesandedpaper

22″×16″(56cm×41cm)CollectionofMr.andMrs.CliffordCraseARTIFICIALLIGHT

IncandescentHouseholdLight

Color:orangeTemperature:approximately2300–2800KSimilarincolortothenatural light at sun rise and sunset, incandescent light falling on amodelwillcreateawarmorangecasttotheareasofskinandclothingtouchedbythelight.Theareasofthefaceandclothinginshadowwillbecoolerintemperature.

FluorescentLight

Color: blue-green to yellow-green to pinkTemperature: varieswidelyOftenused in offices and commercial settings, fluorescent light falling on a modelusuallycastsacoolblue-greencolorontheareasofskinandclothingittouches;the shadowed areas are rendered warm. Fluorescent light emits peculiar lightwavesandisnotmanufacturedtoanyonespecificKelvinstandard.

HalogenLight

Color:yellow-orangeTemperature:approximately3000KByusingarheostatwithyourlightstandard,you'llbeabletovarythecolorofhalogenlight.Atfullbrightness, halogen light is yellow-orange. As the fight dims, it becomesdecidedlyorange,menred-orange.

3200TungstenPhotoLight

Color: yellow-orangeTemperature: 3200K These bulbs are manufactured toexactly match 3200 tungsten film. While essential for color-controlledphotography, they're impractical to use in lighting a model for any length oftime. They're expensive, delicate and hot, and emit accurate color for only alimitednumberofhours.For a more complete chart of various fight sources and their Kelvin

temperatures,seeAppendixB(APPENDIXA).

MismatchedKelvinDegreesWhen lightingand filmdon'tmatch, it ispossible tocompensateabit.Takealookatthisphotoofthemodel.Here,incandescentstudiolighting(2800K)wasused, alongwithnormaldaylight film (5500K)and ablue filter.The resultingcolorwasgoodinthelight,butdistortedinshadow.

Painted from life, the finished portrait more accurately conveys color,temperatureandvalue.Thewarmer reflectedcolors in theshadowof theneckand the cooler reflected colors in the shadowed cheek obey the principles ofshadowandstayintheirplace.Themodel'snoseisthepartofherfaceclosesttothelight,anditsproximityisexploitedwithwarm,saturatedcolor.Thesectionofherhairnearestthelightistreatedinexactlythesamemanner.BETTINA'SCHOICEPastelonCansonpaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)

Collectionoftheartist

CoolFluorescentLightOneofthefewtimesyoumaypreferfluorescent-coloredlightiswhenshowingasubjectinatheatrical-orperformance-relatedcontext.Otherwise,blueorblue-green skin tones are so powerfully associated with failing health that they'reusuallyundesirable.Thedramaofablue-greenlightsourceisappropriateforthissmallsubjectwaitingtobecalledontoalargestage.Shadowedareasofthefacearewarmedwithgrayed-downreds.SPRINGSHOW

Oilonlinenpanel8″×6″(20cm×15cm)CollectionoftheartistWorkintheRightLight

Regardlessofthetypeoflightonyoursubject,it'sessentialthatthelightonyourcanvasisneutral.Workingunder incandescent lightswill lead to skin that is overcompensated

withcoolcolors,suchasblue-green,whileworkingunderFluorescentlightwillresultinskinthatappearstobebadlysunburned.Toavoidcolordistortion,eitherlimityourworkingsessionstonaturaldaylight

hours or work under color-corrected lightbulbs. Widely available, color-corrected lightbulbs average about 5000K, closely resembling neutral daylightconditions.

LIGHTINGANDDISTANCE

The proximity of your subject to the light source is an important factor inpainting skincolor.Thecloser she is to the light, the stronger thecolorof thelightonher face.For example,whenamodel faces an incandescent light, hernoseisatinybitclosertothelightthanhercheek.Ifyouemphasizecolorshiftswhenyoupaint,you'lladdenergyanddimensiontoyourportrait.

HIGHLIGHTSNEEDCOLOR,TOO

The very last things to paint on the top of your surface are the highlightsreflectingthelightsourceitself.Themosteffectivedevicetoconveythestrengthandintensityofthebrightestlightonafaceistochangeitstemperature.Warmlight sources produce cool highlights, while cool light sources yield warmhighlights.Highlightsarenotdashesofbravado.Theyhavealocation,shapeandcolor.If

youdon'tseeahighlight,don'tpaintone.It'sbettertounderstatethanoverstateahighlight.

RovingHighlights

Highlights on a model will move with the position of the viewer.When youpaintfromlife,besuretoplacethehighlightsbasedonwhereyouseethemfromyour position at the easel.When a group of artists are painting from a singlemodel,eachpaintingshouldshowthehighlightsinslightlydifferentplaces.

Trythis:Movearoundthemodel, fromherfarright tofar left.Observehowthe highlights continually move. If you move far enough around, they maydisappearaltogetherandnewonesmayappearelsewhere.Contrastthisapparentmovement to a cast shadow.Cast shadows stay put, even if you change yourviewingposition.If youwork from photographs, highlightswill remain forever frozen by the

camera'seye.

UsingHighlights

Highlightscantelltemperature,too.Here,warmsunlightaddsrichcolortotheupward-facing plane, while slightly cooler shadows are reduced in intensity.Very light blue-green highlights are carefully placed, mirroring the clear blueJamaicanskiesofmysubject'shome.ANGELIEPastelonCansonpaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)CollectionoftheartistTheEndofGuesswork:TheColorandTemperatureofShadow

Onceyou'vemadeadecisionaboutthecoloroflight,it'seasytodecideonthecolorofshadow.Thecolorofskininshadowisalwaysmadebycomparingittothecolorofskininlight.

THETHREEPRINCIPLESOFSHADOW

Asyoudetermine thecoloryouwant for theshadowedareasofyour subject'sface,keep thefollowing threeprinciplesofshadowinmind.First,avoidusingstrongcolorinshadows.Shadowsshouldbelowerinintensityandusegrayed-downhues.Second,avoidhardedgesinshadows.Keeptheseedgessofterthantheedgesinlight.Finally,avoidstrongcontrastinshadows.Maketherangeofvaluesintheshadowedareasofthefacenarrowerthaninthelightareasoftheface.

ProblemThisportraitcontainseveryimaginableshadowproblem.Notonlyistheshadowcolortoosaturated,butit'salsotheincorrecttemperature—it'severybitashotasthedirectyellowsunlightilluminatingthemodel'sface.Eventhoughbothofthemodel's eyes are in shadow, they contain too much sharp-edged detail. Thewhitesofhereyesarealsotoolight,accentuatingtheedgeproblems.Finally,alackofvaluedifferentiation in the light areasdrawsunwanted attention to theshadowedside.

SolutionCorrectthecolortemperatureintheshadowsbyaddinggreens,bluesandvioletswithoutchangingvalues.Thiswillprovideimmediaterelief.Next,theflickofafinger should be enough to soften the edges and reduce contrast in the eyes.Lightervaluesinthelightareaswillreturninteresttowhereitbelongs.Simplyaddhighlightsonthenoseandlipwithaverylightblue-greenandviolet,whichare opposite in temperature to the warm sunlight. Although the changes aresubtle,theeffectisnot.CHRISTINAPastelonCansonpaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)CollectionoftheRogerMuellerFamilyTHECOLOROFSHADOWS

Shadow color is determined by four elements: local color, color of the lightsource (opposite in temperature),darkness of the shadow and direction of thefacialplanes.Thelocalcolorofhumanskinisalwayssomevariationoforange(seeChapter

Three). Inwarm light, skin colorbecomesbothmore saturated andwarmer incolor. In shadow, it becomes both less saturated and cooler. To reduce thesaturation,graydownthe localskincolorwith itscomplement.Sinceacolor'scomplement is alsoopposite in temperature, youwill havebegun tomove thetemperatureoftheskininshadowintherightdirection.Incoollight,theskin'sorangecolorisslightlygrayeddownbythebluerlight.

To stay in the light, however, the cool tones must retain some intensity,remainingcleanand identifiable.The shadowedareasof the skin lit byacoollightwillbecomeevenwarmerintemperaturethanthelocalskincolor.Tokeepthe shadowed areas from leaping out, they must be lower in saturation thancolorsinthelight.The local colors of other elements in your painting, such as clothing and

background,changeinlightandshadowinexactlythesamewayasskincolor.As thesubjectmovescloser to the lightsource, twosignificant thingsoccur.

First, there is an increased change in value between the areas in light andshadow.Second,theedgesofthecastshadowsbecomeharderanddarker,withthedarkest,sharpestedgerightnexttotheobjectcastingtheshadow,suchasthenose.Alterthehardnessofyourportrait'scastshadows,evenwhentheyoccurinplacesassmallastheupperlip.

CloseLightCreatesSharpEdgesShadowscreatedbyalightsourceclosetothemodelrendersharpedgesalongshadowscastbythenose,bothonthecheekandupperlip.

DistantLightSoftensEdgesMoving the light farther away softens the edges of cast shadows and slightlyreducesthecontrastbetweenlightandshadow.Facial planes that face upward are generally cooler than ones facing

downward.Inmostportraits,upward-facingfacialplanesincludethetopoftheforehead,thebrowridge,thebridgeofthenose,theuppersectionofthecheek,thelowerlipandtheuppersectionoftheballofthechin.Innaturaldaylightconditions,upward-facingplanesreflectsomeoftheblueof

thesky,whiledownward-facingplanesreflectthewarmthoftheearthorgrass,orotherpartsofthestudio'sinterior.Likeeveryotherguidelinepresentedinthisbook,therearealwaysexceptions.It'syourjobtofindthedifferencesandapplysoundportraitpaintingprinciplestoeachnewsituation.

SkylightsCapturetheBeautyofBlueDaylightPlace your subject under a skylight to isolate the reflected temperature of theblueskyandeliminate the influenceof theyellowsun.Exploit thecoolness inupward-facing planes. This lighting was a natural choice to showcase theexquisite structure of thismodel's face and to depict the beauty of her PuertoRicanheritage.SOLITARYSONATAOiloncanvas,14″×18″(36cm×46cm)CollectionoftheLiebFamilyTwoPaintingsinOne:DarkandLight

“I encourage my students to think of their paintings as consisting of twopaintings: the light painting and the dark painting,” explains master pastellistSallyStrand.“Neitheronemayborrowvaluesfromtheother.”Inotherwords,the lightest value in shadow, to stay in shadow, must remain darker thaneverythinginlight.likewise,thedarkestvalueinlightmustremainlighterthaneverythinginshadow.

UseUplightingtoLendDramaandMoodVaryingthedirectionofthelightsourceisanexcellentexercisebecauseitforcesyoutoexamineunexpectedshapesandvalues. Warm, incandescent uplighting can create the impression of candlelight,firelightorsimplyanintimatereadinglight. In thepieceatright, theareanearthe model's mouth is the area of skin closest to the warm light source.Consequently,it'stheareaofthefacepaintedwiththegreatestcolorsaturationandwarmth.PRIVATETHOUGHTSChrisSaperwithPhilBeckOiloncanvas20″×16“(51cm×41cm)PrivatecollectionTHEEDGESOFSHADOWS

Theedgethatiscreatedwheretheformturnsandlightmeetsshadowiscalledthe core of the shadow. Closest to the viewer, the shadow's core has threeimportantcharacteristics.The shadow'score isdarker invalue than the restofthe form shadow. It is alsowarmer in temperature than either the light or the

shadow,andhasgreatercolorintensitythantheareasoneithersideofit.

AnUndefinedShadow'sCoreTheshadow'scoreiscreatedwherethelengthofthenosemovesfromshadowtolight.Althoughaccuratelydrawn,theformisflatanduninteresting.

ACoreWithDrama

Addingonlyadarkercolorwithmoresaturationandwarmthtothecorewillturntheform,creatingdimensionandinterest.

CreateaStrongCharacterThe use of strong color and warm temperature (downright hot in places)throughoutthecoresofformshadowscanpunctuateamodel'sstrongcharacterorpersonality.RONPastelonLaCartesandedpaper22″×6″(56cm×41cm)CollectionoftheartistSHADOWSANDREFLECTEDCOLOR

Last,butdefinitelynotleast,thecolorofskininshadow(and,toalesserextent,in light) is influenced by the nearby colors of clothing, other skin and thebackground.

Amodel's shirt is the article of clothing closest to the face, adjacent to thedownward-facing planes of the chin and throat and, to a lesser degree, theunderside of the nose. Fabric usually acts as amirror, bouncing color up intonearbyplanes.Smooth,shinyfabric,suchassatin,reflectsmorecolor(andlight)than fuzzy fabric, such as terry cloth or wool. Be aware of the differentinfluencesofcolorwhenyouhelpyoursubjectselectclothing.When clothing is neutral, or the model is wearing a top with a lower-cut

neckline,theundersideofthemodel'schinandnoseusuallyreflectthecoloroftheskinofherneckandchest.Inthiscase,reflectedlightcontainsmoreofthemodel'sownskincolor,asinfluencedbythetemperatureofthelightsource.Whenthelightsourceiswarm,warmerskincolorisreflectedintotheshadow;

whenthelightsourceiscool,coolerskincolorisreflectedintotheshadow.Backgroundcolorhaslessinfluenceonskincolor,sinceitscolorisprimarily

reflectedontothemodel'sback.Tocreatebeautifulcolorunity,it'simportanttointegrate the background colors into other areas. Add a touch of backgroundcolortotheturning-awayplanesofthefaceinordertoaddasenseofdepthandharmony.Lookforareasinthehairandclothingtoaddsomebackgroundcoloraswell.Reflected color represents a wonderful opportunity to exploit the beauty of

skin color. Remember to observe the three principles of shadow by avoidingintensecolors,hardedgesandcontrastingvalues.

ArbitraryColor:AFatalFlaw

Make a decision about your portrait's color harmony before you pick up yourbrush.Faithfullypaintingtheskincolorbywhatisobservedandthenarbitrarilychanging the color of clothing or background is nearly impossible to dobelievably,evenifyou'rewillingtorepainttheentirecanvastoaccommodateamidcoursecolorchange.

TheImpactofAdjacentColorHelpyoursubjectchooseclothingcolorsthatworkwellwithyouroverallcolorharmony.Remember thatclothingwill reflectcolorand light,andbe true to itthroughoutyourportrait. Ifyoudon't like thecolor, askyourmodel tochoosesomethingelsetowear.

SHADOWSANDREFLECTEDLIGHT

Reflected light is an important aspect of painting skin (and everything else) inshadow.Wheretwoobjectstouchinshadow,thereisaslightping-pongeffectoflightbouncingbackandforth.Thiseffectcausesaslightchangeinbothcolorandvalue,makingtheareaof

reflected light a tiny amount lighter than the rest of the shadow. Becausereflected light is so fun to find and exciting to paint, it's easy to overstate thechangeinvalue.Easydoes it!Remember thatreflectedlight isstillpartof theshadow,andtostaythere,itmustfollowthethreeshadowprinciples.

UseReflectedLightSparinglyAreaswhereformstouch(above,betweenthepalmandcheek)areflatanddeadwithoutreflectedlight.Thebeautyofreflectedlight,however,canbeseductive,andit'simportanttoguardagainstoverdoingit.Keepyourshadowareasintheirplaceby controlling thevalue shift in the reflected light. It's invariablydarkerthanyoufirstthink.Theimageontheleftcontainstoolittlereflectedlight,whiletheimageinthecentercontainstoomuch.Noticethedifferencebetweenthesetwoimagesandtheoneontheright,whichhasthecorrectamountofreflectedlight.

ColorHarmony for thePortraitPainterChoosingacolorharmonyforyourportrait isone of the necessary early decisions to make. Changing the color schemepartwaythroughtheportraitmeanshavingtorepainttheentiresurface.Herewewill focuson twocolorharmonies.Bothworkextremelywell forportraitsandareeasilyadaptedtomanysituations.Ofcourse,thereareothercolorharmoniesavailable,too,andtheiruseisthesubjectofanumberofexcellentbooksonthemarket(seeAppendixAonAPPENDIXB).

ANALOGOUSCOLORHARMONYFORPORTRAITS

Classicanalogouscolorschemesincludeadjacentwedgesofcoloronthecolorwheel, including theirgrayed-downneutralsand lighteranddarkerversionsofthecolorsthemselves.Think of the color wheel as being like the face of a clock. It's easiest to

remember that a “wedge” represents the approximate area between any twohours on the clock. The analogous color wheel has tremendous beauty in itssimplicity: Simply fill in the dominant color you plan to use, and thewedge-shapedwindowshowsyouwhatcolorstomixor,inthecaseofpastel,toselect.Ifyoudon'tseeit,don'tuseit.

However, conventional analogous color harmony needs to be adapted forportrait use, since, as you'll note in Chapter Three, all skin contains someelementoforange.Atrueanalogouscolorschemeforportraitswouldlimit thewedgesavailabletothosecontainingsomeelementofredandyellow.Inordertoadaptitforusewithaportrait,beawarethatorangewillbeusedinadditiontowhatever analogous color wedge you like. As long as your entire painting—subject and background alike—follows the color rules governed by the lighttemperature, your portrait will have beautiful harmonious color. The color oflightunifieseverythingelse.Discordsareexactlywhattheysoundlike:bitsofcolorthatareoutofharmony

withtherestofthecolorscheme.Theanalogouscolorwheelhassmallcircularopenings at about five o'clock and seven o'clock (where the dominant coloralwaysshowsattwelveo'clock)showingtwodiscords.Usedinsmallquantities,discords add energy and capture the eye, so place them near your center ofinteresttosupportyourfocalpoint.

Yellow-GreenAnalogousColorHarmony

JIMMY&JAKEPastelonWallispaper22″×34″(56cm×86cm)

CollectionofMr.andMrs.JamesHoselton

Blue-GreenAnalogousColorHarmony

Red-OrangeAnalogousColorHarmony

AMOMENT'SPAUSEPastelonLaCartesandedpaper22″×6″(56cm×1cm)

CollectionofMs.VictoriaGordon

THEFAERIETALEOilonlinen12″×9“(30cm×23cm)CollectionoftheartistCOMPLEMENTARYCOLORHARMONY

Perhaps themostversatile forportraituse, thecomplementarycolorscheme isbeautifully suited to your oil and watercolor palettes, which are based uponaccuratecomplements.Sinceallskincolorhassomeaspectsofredandyellowinit, you can easily adapt to a red-green, yellow-violet or blue-orange scheme.Keepinmindtheprincipleofunequalbalance.Oneofthecomplementsintheportraitmustbedominant,andtheothersubordinate.

Red-GreenComplementaryColorHarmony

DUFFY'SFOLKSPastelonWallispaper18″×24″(46cm×61cm)

CollectionofPatandDuffyMcMahon

Blue-OrangeComplementaryColorHarmony

REID&ERNIEPastelonLaCartesandedpaper18″×26″(46cm×66cm)

CollectionofG.Price

Yellow-VioletComplementaryColorHarmony

SPRINGTIMEINODESSAOilonlinen18″×14″(46cm″36cm)Private collection Palette Selection and Key Considerations The best general rule inselectingaworkingpaletteistosimplify.Usethefewestnumberofcolorstogetthejobdone.Alimitedpalettepromotescolorharmonythatiseasytoget,easytokeepandeasytoduplicate.

SETTINGUPYOURMIXINGPALETTE

Manypaintersarrangecolorsthewaytheyappearonthecolorwheel.Actually,thearrangementdoesn'tmatteraslongasyoudoitthesameeverytime.Becomesofamiliarwiththeirlocationthatyou'llautomaticallyreachfortherightcoloronyourpalette.Placingamiddle-valuegraypaperunderyourglassorPlexiglasmixingpalette

willhelpyoujudgethevalueofthecoloryou'remixing.You'llbeabletomoreeasilyrelatethemixedcolortowhat'salreadyonyourcanvas.

THEKEYTOCLEAN,FRESHCOLOR

Beautifulcleancolorsresultfrommixinghuesoftherighttemperature.Tomixgreat secondary or tertiary colors, together theymust contain only two of thethreeprimaries.Themomentathirdprimaryisintroduced,you'llbeonyourwaytomixingsomeversionofmud.Carefullyconsiderthetemperatureofeachcoloronyourpalette.Forexample,

youhavethreereds,eachofadifferenttemperature:CadmiumScarletiswarm(it contains some yellow), PermanentRose is neutral andAlizarinCrimson iscool(itcontainssomeblue).Beautiful violets will result from mixing Ultramarine Blue with either

PermanentRoseorAlizarinCrimsonbecausenoneofthecolorshaveanyyellowinthem.However,mixingUltramarineBluewithCadmiumScarletwillresultinbrownbecausethethirdprimary,yellow,iscontainedinthescarlet.

NOTESONBLACKANDWHITE

Both black andwhite can be used to lighten or darken other colors; however,theywillbothcoolthecolorthey'remixedinto.Checktheresultingtemperatureofeverycolortowhichyouaddeitherblackorwhite.Youmayneedtoadjustthetemperature.Neitherblacknorwhiteshouldeverbeusedtopaintobjectsthatareblackor

white. Rather, mix your own black from colors on your palette, while yourwhitesshouldreflectthecolorofthelight.

MakeYourOwnBlack

Neveruse tubeblack topaintsomething that isblack!Onlyuse tubeblackforthe subtle and very - beautiful cooling quality it has when added in tinyquantities toothercolorsonyourpalette.Using tubeblack topaint somethingblackwill render the object dull, flat and out of harmonywith the rest of thesurface. Itwill forever remaina roughspotandwilldistract theviewer.Black

mayalsobeusedtodarkencolors,butbeawarethatthey'llalsobecooled.Youmayneedtoaddanotherwarmercolortocorrectthetemperature.To paint an object that is black, trymixing your own black. For oils, equal

parts of Alizarin Crimson and Phthalo Green will do it every time. Forwatercolors,mixAlizarinCrimsonandWinsorGreen(BlueShade)orViridian.

PayAttentiontoTemperatureWhenMixingColorsYou can always be sure that your mixed colors will stay fresh and clean byselectingthemfromwithinthesametemperaturerange. Think of any two of the primaries on your palette as “temperaturebookends.” Mix any two colors inside the bookends to ensure clean color.Selecting a color fromoutside the bookends creates amuddy color because itintroducesthethirdprimary.

OIL

My oil palette for portraits is based upon Stephen Quiller's color research,beginningwithtubecolorsthatareaccuratecomplements.Startingoutrightwillsimplify the creationofbeautiful complementarygrays and luminousneutrals,anddelivervisualharmonytoyourviewer.AlloftheoilpaintingsinthisbookwerepaintedwithWinsor&Newtonand

Utrechtcolors.(IalsouseTerreVertebyRembrandt,butonlyinthepreliminarydrawing or grisaille phase.)Usewhatever paints you prefer, but keep inmindthatcolorandotherqualitieswillvaryfrombrandtobrand.Iusethefollowingcolors:CadmiumLemon(W&N)CadmiumScarlet(W&N)PermanentRose(W&N)UltramarineViolet(W&N)AlizarinCrimson(U)UltramarineBlue(U)TitaniumWhite(U)IvoryBlack(U)Phthalo Green or Viridian (both U; Phthalo is a strong staining color, so

Viridianmightbeeasierforbeginnerstocontrol)WATERCOLOR

Choose watercolors the same way you choose oil: select accurate tubecomplements.There are hundreds of colors in the watercolor marketplace: staining,

nonstaining,transparentandopaque.Focusontransparent,nonstainingpigmentstosimplifyyourportraitpainting.To keep skin tones beautiful and translucent, keep your brushes clean and

changeyourwatertwiceasoftenasyouthinkyoushould.IusedWinsor&NewtonwatercolorsforthepaintingsinthisbookAgain,use

whateverpaintsyouprefer.Iusedthisbasicpalette:AlizarinCrimsonAureolinRoseMadderGenuineCobaltBlueViridianRawSiennaBurntSienna

PASTEL

Becausepastelscan'tbemixedlikeoilorwatercolor,youwillneedaninventory(asopposedtoastandardpalette)ofsticks.Yourinventoryshouldincludeafullrangeofcolorandvalueandwillbelimitedonlybyyourbudget.Togetstarted,buyastandard“portrait”setofsoftpastels(notoilpastels)ofaboutforty-eightsticks, plus a set of darks. Most manufacturers now offer sets of twelve toeighteendarks—you'llneedthem.Begin each new portraitwith a freshly selected palette of sticks.Bearing in

mindthecolorharmonyyou'veselected,chooseseveralsticksatthedarkendof

thevaluerange,severalinthemiddleandonetorepresentthelightestvalueinthe portrait. Always begin with the fewest number of pastels necessary. Addstickstoyourworkingpaletteonlyasyouusethem,notbecauseyoumightusethem.Asageneralguideline,usedarkersticksfirstbecauseit'sfareasiertouselight

pasteloverdarkthantousedarkpasteloverlight.Once you've used a stick of pastel on your painting, separate it from your

largerpastelinventorybyplacingitonacleanwhitetowel.Wipeeachstickonacleanpartofthetowelbeforeeachstroketokeepcolorsfreshandclean.Select sticks that are similar to not only the tube oil colors previously

described, but to the oil colors once they're mixed. Why? Once those littlewrappersaregone,youronlyhopeofdescribingandfindingapieceofpastelisbyitshue,valueandintensity.

MakeOneColorYourStar

Swedish painterAndersZorn (1860-1920) is known for his limited four-colorpalette.Nearlyallofhispaintingsshowallthreeprimarycolors,buttwoofthemarealwaysgreatlydiminishedinintensity,allowingthethirdtoshineasthestarofthepainting.Zornchoseredtostarinmostofhispaintings.Anycolorcanbeyourstar,butitcan'tshineunlesstheothercolorsaresubordinate.Here, with the exception of red, every other color in this portrait is grayed

downtosomedegree.Althoughcoveringonlyatinyamountofsurfacearea,thisstrong, clear note of red is beautifully balancedwith the darker, grayed-downgreenofthepaper,whichrepresentsamuchlargersurfacearea.

THECEREMONYPastelonSabretooth16″×12″(41cm×31cm)Collection of the artist

LessIsMoreUsinga limited,analogouspaletteofpastels, thispaintingwascompletedwithlessthanadozensticks.Thecomplementarygreenpaperworksbeautifullywiththewarmthofthesubject'sskin.

MYUNCLEMURRAYPastelonCansonpaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)Collection of Jeffrey and Vivian Saper

3THELOCALCOLOROFSKIN:AQUESTIONOFORANGE

Theportraitpainterisfacedwithabreadthofcolorandvalueinhumanskinthatcan at first seem elusive and overwhelming. It is not. There are far moresimilarities than there are differences in painting human skin, even amongdifferentethnicorracialgroups.Therearetwosignificantcomponents toskincolor.Understandingwhat they

aregivestheartistasimplifiedanddirectwaytodetermine,andpaint,thelocalcolorofskin.Andoncethepainterknowsthelocalcolorofthesubject'sskin,it'sasimplemattertomodifyitbasedonthecolorofthelightsource.

THEARTIST'SCHILDOilonlinen12″×12″(30cm×30cm)CollectionoftheartistTheDeterminantsofSkinColorThetwosignificantfactorsthatcompriseskincoloraretheamountofpigmentanindividualhasandtheextenttowhichtheunderlyingbloodsupplycanbeseenthroughtheskin.Byfar, themostsignificantcomponentistheamountofmepigmentmelanin

inaperson'sskin.Thatamountofmelaninisgeneticallydeterminedandcanbedramaticallyincreasedbyexposuretothesun.Melanin only comes in one color: brown-black. So there are not different

colors of pigment, only different amounts. Peoplewho producemoremelaninhavedarker skin, and thosewith lessmelaninhave lighter skin.Sun exposurecausesatemporaryincreaseintheamountofpigmentapersonproduces.Someskin does not produce melanin readily, evidenced in many fair-complectedindividualswhoalwaysgetasunburnandnevergetatan.Themoremelanininaperson'sskin,thelesstranslucentitis.Melaninisthesamethroughoutourbodies.Eveneyecoloristheresultofthe

quantityofbrown-blackmelanininaperson'iris.Darkbrowneyeshavealotofmelanin; hazel or green eyes have less. As the amount of melanin all butdisappears, eyes become lighter and lighter blue.Hair color follows the samecolorationprinciple,fromblacktobrowntoredtoblonde,andfinallytowhite.Thesecondmajorfactorinskincoloristhebloodsupplyundertheskin.Just

belowthesurface,oxygen-richcapillariessupplytheredinskincolor.Areasofthebodywithgreaterbloodsupplyareredder,asareareaswheretheformsaresmaller,includingthenose,lips,earsandfingers.Thebloodinveins,however,isbluer,havinggivenupitsoxygentothetissues

ofthebody.Venousbloodhasapowerfulcoolingeffectonskincolor,supplyingtheblue,blue-violetandgreeninskin,whichmodifiesotherwarmercolors.Themore translucent a person's skin, the more its color is influenced by bloodsupply.Translucencyalsoaffectsthecolorofthewhiteoftheeye.Thebluishcastin

the whites of children's eyes becomes more yellow with age, caused by thethickeningofthewhiteoftheeye.

THEPAINTER'SPERCEPTIONOFSKINCOLOR

The color of all human skin, from the artist's standpoint, is some variation oforange.That is, it contains aspects of red and yellow in differing proportions.Theorangeofskinexistsinanenormousrangeofvalues,fromlight(asseeninthe fairest-skinned redheads or near-albino blondes) to dark (as seen inequatorial Africans and some Eastern Indian groups)The orange of skin alsoexistsinawiderangeofcolorsaturation,asitisgrayeddownwithgreens(suchasolive-skinnedMediterraneangroups)orblues(suchastheBurntSiennahuesofsomeAfricanandNativeAmericangroups).Like color, human skin tones can be described in terms of value, color and

saturation.Determiningthecolorofyoursubject'sskin isstraightforward.Answer these

threequestions:(1)Whatkindoforangeistheskincolor?Isitalittletotheredside,alittletotheyellowsideorrightinthemiddle?(2)Whatvalueistheskincolor? Light,mediumor dark? (3)How saturated or grayeddown is the skincolor?Isitgrayedwithblues(cooler)orgreens(warmer)?In this section, color andpalettedescriptionswill relate to the local colorof

skinbeforeitisalteredbythecolorofthelightfallinguponit.Mostbasicskincolormixtureshaveared,yellow,whiteandneutralizingcolor.

KEYPOINTSTOPAINTINGSKININSHADOW

Shadow color cannot be determined without first identifying the color of thelight.Usethesamecolor-value-saturationchecklisttoidentifyshadowcolor,butkeepinmindthatskininshadowisnotadarkerversionofskininlight—it'sadifferent color. First, shadow color is less saturated than light color. Add thecomplement of the local color to reduce saturation. Second, shadow color isaffectedbythecolorofthelightsource.Addthecomplementcolorofthelightsource,whichwill alsoproduce a temperature shift.And third, shadow valuesare determined by the strength and proximity of the light source. Diffused,

distant light produces only slight value differences between light and shadow.Closerorstrongerilluminationincreasesthedifferenceinvalues.See Appendix C (Sample Color Charts-BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN

SKIN TONE SAMPLES) for sample color charts for each skin group,illustrating how skin color changes in light and shadow, depending on thetemperatureofthelightsource.

ConveyingEthnicity

Skin color alone is rarely enough to convey a person's ethnicity. For everygeneralization,therearemanyreadilyobservableexceptions.Forexample,therearesomeWhiteswithskintonesdarkerthanthoseofsomeBlacks,whilesomeAsianskintonesarebothlighteranddarkerthansomeWhiteskintones.Also,someHispanic skin tones are identical in color, value and saturation to some

WhitesandBlacks

CapturetheStrengthofHispanicHeritageThismodel'sHispanic ancestry is conveyed asmuchby his dark lustrous hairandeyesasbyhisskincolor.Theupward-facingplanesofhisfacereflectonlythecoollightofthesky,whilethedownward-facingplanesconveywarmth.Hisskinisamiddle-lightred-orange,slightlygrayeddownwithyellow-green.Theindirectlightkeepstheskininlightandshadowcloseinvalue.PORTRAITOFDIEGOOiloncanvas30″×24″(76cm×61cm)

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UsetheColorofLighttoSupporttheCenterofInterestThesubject'sdarkeyesandhair,inbothcolorandtexture,arestrongvisualcluesto convey her African-American influence. Her skin is a middle-dark valuegrayeddownwithbluesandgreens.Warm,directsunlightfromtheleftstrikesher face,providingopportunities toexploit edgesandcolor shifts inbothcoreandformshadows,whileabluer,subordinatelightsourcefromtherightslightlycoolstheskin.SUMMERMEADOWPastelonWallispaper

44″×2″(112cm×1cm)Private collection Painting Different Skin Color Groups It is impossible to provide aspecific recipe for the skin color of different population groups, since there issuch an enormous range of variation within each group. Perhaps the mostsignificant point to remember is that skin color alone is rarely enough for thepaintertousetoconveyaperson'sethnicity.Ratherthanattemptingtofollowaformula, investyour timeandenergy inobservingeach individual.Witheverynewpainting,considerthequestionsofcolor,valueandsaturation,andlookforvisualclues.Whilewell-paintedskincolorisextremelyimportant,itmustbecoupledwith

other key visual clues in order to show someone's heritage. These importantcluesinclude:

•Haircolor,distributionandtexture•Distributionof“colorbands”across theupper,middleandlowersectionsoftheface

•ShapeandplacementofthefeaturesThefollowingsectionsdescribehowyou can incorporate the entire composite of visual information into yourportrait to say what you want about your subject. For the purposes ofconvenience,discussion in thisbook is limited to four skincolorgroups:Caucasian,Asian,Black/AfricanAmericanandHispanic.

Thefollowingcolorchartsareinoilusingmystandardpalette.Usethemediumofyourchoicetoreplicatethecolorsyousee.

IntegrateYourSkinTonesWithBackgroundColorWarmsunlightandcoolshadowsprovideanopportunitytoemphasizecoolredsandavarietyofgreensintheareasofskininshadow.Unifyyoursubjectandthebackground by including background colors in the subject, particularly in theturning-awayplanesoftheface.DANNYPastelonLaCartesandedpaper24″×13″(61cm×33cm)CollectionoftheRichardsonFamilyCAUCASIAN

Of the four groups, Caucasians represent the greatest range in skin color and

value.The range is further extendedbecauseof thevarietiesofhair color andtexturethatarerepresented.Among themost importantdifferencesbetweenCaucasiansandothergroups

are thepronouncedcolorbands thatdivide the face in thirds.Thecenterbandaddsredtotheears,cheeksandnose.Theupperbandcolorstheforeheadwithrelatively more yellow, and the lower band, in females and children, is inbetween.Inadultmales,thebeardlendsadistinctlyblueinfluencetothelowerchinband.

Redheads

•Skin.While there is a slight range of value in redheads' skin color, it'sgenerally light tomiddle-light (asshownin thebargraph to theright). Itcontains lessmelanin, so it's also relativelymore translucent, giving youwonderful opportunities to incorporate the light blues, violets andgreensthatliebeneaththeskin.Theorangeinredheads'skincanbeeithertothered or yellow side. Sun exposure and freckling are strong influences onredheads'skincolor

•Hair.Redhairactuallyrangesinvaluefrommiddle-darktolight(again,inthebargraphatright),andincolorfromadarkred-orange,grayeddownwith blue (commonly called deep auburn) to a light yellow-orange(commonly called strawberry blond). Its texture runs the gamut fromextremelycurly/coarsetostraight/fine.

TheBeautyofTranslucentSkinUnalteredby the sun, a redheadedbaby's fair skin is beautifully showcased incool blue light. Conversely, the local color of her skin is warmed in shadow,accentuated by the rich color in the shadow's core. This child's skin is a lightyellow-orange,grayeddownwithgreensandviolets.Thelightsourceprovidesan average change in value between light and shadow. Lost edges in her hairsupportthecenterofinterest,theexpressionofwondermentonherface.ANGELTIPOilonlinen12″×12″(30cm×30cm)

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TheValueRangeofSkin

TheValueRangeofHair

SamplePaletteforRedheads:Yellow-Orange

Brunettes

•Skin.Ingeneral,theeasy-to-tanbrunetteskincontainsmoremelaninandismore subject to changing value and color with sun exposure. In value,brunette skincanbeas lightas redheads' skinorasdarkas thatof someBlackskin.Ontheaverage,itwillfallintothemiddletomiddle-lightvaluerange. The orange in brunettes' skin is generally a middle orange, orslightlytotheredside.

•Hair.Brunettehairfallsintotherangeofmiddletoverydarkvalues,andin color from brown/black to light brown, with either yellow or redinfluences, often grayed down with green. In texture, it covers thecontinuumofcurly/coarsetostraight/fine.

UseBackgroundColortoReinforceOliveSkinTonesAsablue-eyedbrunette,thismodel'sskinisamiddle-lightorange,grayeddownwithgreenas theneutralizingcolor.Addinggreen to thebackground,hairandshawl reinforces theolive tones in her skin.Theoverall effect strengthens theblueinhereyes.Diffuselightreducesthedifferenceinvaluebetweenlightandshadow.BARBARAPastelonLaCartesandedpaper20″×16″(51cm×1cm)

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SamplePaletteforBrunettes:Orange

TheValueRangeofSkin

TheValueRangeofHair

Blondes

•Skin.Skincolorinblondesrangesfromlighttomiddleinvalue.Thecolorrange is somewhatbroadandcan includeeasy-to-tanorange, red-orange,oliveorlight-yelloworanges,similartothefairestofredheads.

•Hair. Blonde hair ranges from light brownwith a yellow component toverylight—almostwhite—warmorcoolyellows.Almostallblondehaircontains some amount of green. Blonde hair comes in a full range oftextures.

ColorBandsAddVitalitytoChildren'sSkinAdding red-orange hues to the ears, cheeks and nose will lend a sense offreshnessandhealthtoaskincolorslightlymoreyellowthanred.Themodel'sskin is amiddle-light red-orange, slightly grayed downwith green. This lightsourceresultedinanaveragevaluechangebetweenlightandshadow.MYSONAARONOilonlinen12″×12″(31cm×1cm)

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TheValueRangeofSkin

TheValueRangeofHair

SamplePaletteforBlondes:Red-Orange

ASIANORPACIFICISLANDER

•Skin.TheAsianskincolorgroupcoversaverybroadrangeofcolorandvalue. The value range runs from light to middle dark; groups with thenorthernmost origins (such as Japanese and Korean) tend to have thelightest skinof all.Groupswithgeographicoriginscloser to theequator,suchasIndianandPakistanigroups,havedarkerskin.Incolor,AsianskintendstohaverelativelylessredandmoreyellowthanCaucasiangroups. Perhaps the most striking difference between Asian and Caucasiangroups is thenearabsenceof theredmiddlecolorband inAsiangroups.The distribution of color across the three bands of the face is extremelyeven fromhairline to chin.Even inmen, the relatively lighter facialhairtendstomakethebeard'sshadowlesspronounced.

•Hair.Asianhairfallsintoaverynarrowvaluerange—verydarktodark—and is characteristically black to black/brown. It is generally coarse, andtends to be straighter and smoother as a person's place of origin movesnorth.Movingsouth,PacificIslanders'hairiswavier.

ReducetheRedforBeautifulAsianSkinTonesConcentrate on value and even color distribution when painting Asian skintones. This subject's skin is a middle-light yellow-orange, grayed down withblue.Flatnaturallightyieldsvirtuallynochangeinvaluebetweenskininlightandshadow.Usevisualcluesinthefeaturesandhairtounderscorethesubject'sheritage.GRANDFATHER'SGARDENOilonlinen

30″×4″(76cm×61cm)

SamplePaletteforAsians:Yellow-Orange

TheValueRangeofSkin

TheValueRangeofHair

BLACK/AFRICANAMERICAN

•Skin.Blackskinalsofallsintoalargerangeofvalue,rangingfrommiddle-light todark. Incolor, it ranges fromayellow-orange toadeep,grayed-downversionofred-orange(commonlythoughtofasBurntSienna).Blackskinmaybegrayeddownwithgreensandblues.Here,thereisverylittleredinthecentercolorband.

•Hair.Blackhairalsofallsintoarathernarrowrange,fromverydarkblackandblack/brown tomiddlebrownswithayellow influence. Its texture isverycurly

UseBeautifulNeutralsinShadowtoSupportRichColorinLightFor skin color that ismore red thanyellow, use green to graydown the colorsaturationin theshadowareas.Directsunlightonahazydaycreatesaslightlygreater-than-averagevalueshift inskinareas thatare in lightandshadow.Thewarmlightsourceaddsevenmorerichcolortotheskintouchedbysunlight.Thesinglenoteofblueinthebeadsprovidesvisualrelieftothecolorscheme.GRACEOiloncanvas12″×9″(30cm×23cm)

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SamplePaletteforBlacks/AfricanAmericans:Red-Orange

TheValueRangeofSkin

TheValueRangeofHair

HISPANIC

Asreflectedinthedefinitionsofrace,Hispanicsareconsideredtorepresentanethnicgroup,ratherthanarace,andmayincludeinfluencesfromallotherraces.For the sake of convenience, this section will consider the general colorcharacteristicsofpeopleofMexican,PuertoRicanandCubanorigins.

•Skin.Invalue,Hispanicskingenerallyrangesfrommiddle-lighttomiddle-dark. In the orange continuum, it has slightlymore red and slightly lessyellow influences. The center color band has less red than Caucasiangroups,butmorethaneitherBlackorAsiangroups.

•Hair.Hispanichairrangesinvaluefromverydarktomiddle-dark,andcanbeeitherstraightorcurly.

RichRed-OrangesConveyHispanicSkinTonesAs the strength of the light source decreases, the local color of the model'smiddle-valueskinismoreeasilyseen.Herfaceisentirelyinshadow,exceptforatinynoteofcoolbluelightcomingfromtheleft.TheslightpresenceoftheredcolorbandisoftenfoundinHispanicskintones.ARTICLESOFFAITHPastelonCansonpaper21″×5″(53cm×8cm)

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SamplePaletteforHispanics:Red-Orange

TheValueRangeofSkin

TheValueRangeofHair

4USINGPHOTOGRAPHICREFERENCES

Onewouldbehard-pressedtofindanaccomplishedportraitpainterwhowouldadvocate working exclusively from photographs as opposed to working fromlife.Althoughtherearepuristswhosteadfastlyrefusetopaintfromphotographicreferences, you're muchmore likely to find artists who use a combination ofsittings and photos throughout their careers. It is, in fact, the artist's base ofexperienceinworkingfromlifethatallowshimtousephotosmosteffectively,overcomingtheinherentlimitationsoffilm.But as a practical matter, painting exclusively from life is a luxury most

students and fewworking artists actually have. From the subject's standpoint,sittingforaportraitcanbegrueling,evenforanadult. It'spatently impossibleforayoungchild.This chapter is devoted not only to understanding how to effectively

photograph your subject, but also to understanding the limitations that areinherentinallphotographs.Byapplyingtheprinciplesthatgoverncolorinlightandshadow,youcaneasilyovercometheselimitations.

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PhotographingYourSubject

Therearetwoobviousadvantagestoworkingwithphotographs.First,modelsinphotographsdon'tmove.Theydon'tchangehairstylesbetweensittingsandtheydon'tsitinjudgmentateveryphaseofyourwork.Youcanspendaslongasyouwantonanygivenstageofthepainting,andyoucanworkatyourownpace.Second, photographs allow you to capture spontaneity in your subject, and

provide you with a literal snapshot of the time of day and light quality soimportantinoutdoorsettings.

SETTINGUPTHEPOSE

Asyouconsiderhow toposeyour subject, keep inmind the importantdesignprinciplesofbalancedyetunequalelementsandgentlyflowingeyepaths.Thereareclassicapproachestoposingtheseatedandstandingmodels.They're

classic because these natural resting poses were comfortable enough for thesubject to maintain for many hours, long before the invention of the camera.Theyworkbeautifullyforboththeliveandphotographedsitting.The simplest, most direct way to pose your seated subject is in a gentle

“spiral.” In general, choose either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.The knees face to one side, the torso twists gently at the waist, the neckcontinuesfurtherandtheeyesfurtheryet.For thestandingsubject, themostdirectway toestablishaclassicpose is to

simplyhavethesubjectshifthisweightontoonefoot.Thisautomaticallycreatesacontrappostoquality,withgraceful,naturalcountervailingdirections.Asinallpaintingguidelines,thereareexceptionsthatyoumightdeliberately

want to seekout.Forexample,byvarying thedirectionof theseatedsubject's“spiral”backandforth,youcancreatethefeelingoftension,energyorsurprise.The subjectwho stands at attentioncanconvey formality, rigidityordefiance.It'suptoyou.

UseYourCameratoCaptureFleetingLightDappledor filtered light deliverswonderful visual clues to anoutdoor setting.Because this light is irregular by nature, you can add believable splotches oflightalmostanywhereonyourpaintingsurfacetosupportyourdesignandmovetheviewer'seye.Justbecertaintokeeptheedgesappropriatelysoft,thevaluescorrectandthecolortemperatureandsaturationundercontrol.KOLLEPastelonWallispaper34″×22″(86cm×56cm)CollectionofMr.andMrs.JamesK.Smith

AttendtoDetailsUpFrontWhenyouaretakingphotographsasresourcematerial,trytoincludedetailsthatwillhelpyoulateron.Handsaresoessentialtoaportraitthattheydeserveextraattention,butbesuretonoticedetailintheclothingfoldsandhair,too. Even themostgracefulhandswill lookawkward inpositions like theoneshownat left(top),regardlessofthepainter'sskill.Handsinpeculiarpositionswilltendtocompetewithyourcenterofinterest.Shootsomeextraphotographsof yourmodel's hands in better positions (bottom left), relaxed and natural inappearance.

RelyontheClassicsforModern-DayPosesThe most fundamental of standing poses produces CONTRAPPOSTO, marked bygraceful curves and countervailing balance. Even if you are just painting thehead,yourphotosofastandingsubjectwilladdinteresttothecurveoftheneckandslantoftheshoulders.

AddSpontaneitytoYourSmilingSubjectIn painting a posthumous portrait, you will need to work with existingphotographic material. In the case of this portrait, I worked from a flashphotographandabiggrin,bothofwhichItendtoavoid.Asitturnedout,Icouldn'thavehopedforbetterresults.Dr.Fisher'spatientsandtheirparentshaveoftenremarkedhowmuchthisportraitcapturesthemantheyrememberandaregratefultohaveknown.BARRYJ.FISHER,M.D.(DETAIL)InMemoriumOiloncanvas18″×14″(46cm×36cm)PermanentcollectionofPhoenixChildren'sHospital

CAPTURINGANDEXPRESSINGYOURSUBJECT'SHAPPINESS

For themostpart,yourclientswillwant the subjectsyoupaint to lookhappy.

Evenifyoursubjectwearsanintrospectiveexpression,itneednotconveyadarkorbroodingmood.AlthoughIlikebigtoothysmilesinphotographsofmyownfamily,Ihavea

strongpersonalbiasagainstpaintingportraitsthatwayforacoupleofreasons.First,assoonasasmilepassesacertainlevel,thesubject'seyesbegintoclose.It'sjustthewayourfaceswork.Second,thenasal-labialfold,whichrunsfromthe corner of the mouth to the outside of the wing of the nostril, begins todeepen. Even in young children, it will cast a deeper shadow than you'dgenerallywanttoshow.Althoughsomepaintershandlesmilingsubjectsbeautifully,therearefarmore

whosepaintingslookstiff,frozenintimewithexpressionsthatcouldn'tpossiblybemaintainedforverylong.Youwanttolettheviewer'seyeslingeraslongaspossible, to feel that the subject could easily be gazing back.With a grinningportrait,thatcanbedifficult.

PaintingBroadSmiles

If you feel strongly about,wanting to paint awide -smiled subject, take threeprecautions. First, be true to the expression.A broad smilewith apple cheekscannotcoexistwithwide-openeyes.Second,resistthetemptationtoemphasizethenasal-labialfold.Yourphotographswillgenerallygiveyouafalsereadingintheshadowareas,temptingyoutomakethemdarkeranddeeperthanwouldbeevident in real life. And last, paint the teeth as connected shapes and forms,showing subtle variations in color and value. Do not render each tooth as aseparateobject.

SELECTINGYOURVANTAGEPOINT

Whetheryouareat,aboveorbelowyoursubject'seyelevelisreallyamatterofpreference. Subjects are often seen at their bestwhen the artist's viewpoint isslightly above the subject's eye level. This vantage point shows a cleanerjawline, minimizes double chins and avoids having the viewer look upsomeone'snose.

DRESSINGYOURMODEL

Discussclothingwithyourmodelbeforehand.Igenerallysuggestthefollowingguidelines:Avoidhigh,bulkyturtlenecks;smallplaidsandpinstripes;soliddarkround-neckedshirts,unlessmodifiedbyacontrastingcollartobreakupthedarkmass;andstifffabricsorstarchedshirtsthatretaintheirshapeinsteadofmoving

withtheunderlyingform.Selectclothingwithsimple,flatteringshapes.Helpyoursubjectmakechoices

byhavingherbringseveralclothingoptionsorbygoingthroughherclosetswithher. If you have the skill and temperament to paint ruffled organza andelaborately beaded satins, by all means, go for it! But even the most detail-oriented painter has to subordinate the clothing to the center of interest—thesubject—forthepaintingtobesuccessful.

SelectingYourVantagePoint

Position yourself just slightly above your subject's eye level, and you'll seeclean, flattering jawlines and be able to avoid looking up your subject's nose.Youwillseemanyphotosthatadultstakeofchildrenwheretheadultgetsdownon one knee and snaps the standing child. The result is a lot of throat andnostrils.Byallmeans,experimentandenjoythesurpriseofunusualviewpoints.Foryourcommissions,though,thejust-above-eye-levelisagreatwaytogo.T.J.PastelonLaCartesandedpaper22″×16″(56cm×41cm)CollectionofMr.andMrs.SteveTesdahl

LightingYourSubject

Your first lighting decision is whether to use natural or artificial light toilluminateyoursubject.

ARTIFICIALLIGHT

Lightingyoursubjectwithartificiallightisfundamentallythesamewhetheryouworkfromlifeorphotos.Whenyouusephotos,therearetwoimportantrulestofollow:

MakesuretheKelvintemperatureofyourlightsourcematchesyourfilmforthebestcolorresults.

Do not use a flash attached to your camera. Straight flat light producesboringsourcematerialandrequiresheroiceffortsfromthepaintertotrytocompensate for it. Most electronic flash lights, unless softened byumbrellas,aretooharsh.Whenskintonesarenormal,theshadowswillbeinkyblack.

Theclassicway to light themodel is at anangleof about forty-fivedegrees

fromthecenterlineof theface,andfromslightlyabovethemodel'shead.Thislightingpositionproducesabeautiful triangleof lighton thecheekawayfromthelightsource(sometimesreferredtoasthe“Rembrandteffect”)andavoidsthedesignpitfallofequalamountsoflightandshadow.Be sure to place your subject away from the wall in order to separate any

shadowcastbytheheadfromtheformshadowoftheface.There is a large range of direction from which you can light your subject

effectively; however, avoid straight, flat light coming from your viewpoint.Artificial light also lets you light your subject from below, an option notavailablewithnaturaldaylight.

NATURALLIGHT

Thesamerangeoflightingdirectionsareavailableforyoursubjectwithnaturallight,andanyofthemcanbeusedbeautifully.Anexcellentgeneralapproachindirectsunlightistoplaceyoursubjectperpendiculartothesun,androtatehimslowlyawayfromthelight,justfarenoughsothathe'snolongersquinting.Theangleofthesunabouttwohoursaftersunriseandtwohoursbeforesunsetwillmimic the indoor light producing the “light triangle. ” Earlier and later, the

anglesofshadowsbecomemorehorizontal.Remember,thecolorofdaylightischanging,too,andyourphotoswillhaveared-orangecastasthesunisnearertothehorizon.

LightYourModelFromSevenO'clocktoFiveO'clockLight your model from any direction except head-on from where you arelocated.Avoidtheboredomthatcomesfrompaintingasubjectwhosefaceislitwithoutdirection.Excitementand interestwill result fromthemeetingof lightandshadow.

PositionYourSubjectforExcitingSunlightBy turning your subject away from the sun, you can avoid having the subjectsquintandstillcapturestrong,beautifullightpatterns.Haveyourmodeltiltherheadinseveraldirectionsuntilthelightlooksjustright.PAIGEPastelonCansonpaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)CollectionofKathiMansellTophotographyoursubjectoutdoorsundernaturallight,seekoutplaceswhere

there is an evident direction to the light. Hazy sunlight can be beautiful as itmimicsthekindoflightthatwouldcomethroughsheerdraperiesonawindow.Ifthelightistooflattocastashadow,you'llbefacedwiththesamepoorsourcematerialproblemmatresultsfromaflashattachment.Haveyoursubjectslowlylifthisheadskywardtolettheplanesofhisfacereflectthecoolbluelightoftheoverheadsky.Theuseofphotographsinoutdoorsettingsallowsyoutocapturefleetingeffectsofdirectanddappledsunlight.To photograph your subject indoors, you still need to find placeswhere the

lighthasadirection.Anexcellentsolutionistoplaceyoursubjectadjacenttoalarge picture window. Skylights can produce beautiful lighting characteristics,

too.

LiftedFacesCatchClearBlueLightCoolskycolorsreflectbeautifullyonhumanskin.Theyalsocoolthewhitesofthis subject's eyes to the clarity of a child's. The intensity of reflected skyincreasesasaperson'sskinbecomesdarkerinvalue,showntoadvantageonthisJamaicanmodel.SKYWARDPastelonCansonpaper16″×12″(41cm×30cm)CollectionofMs.VictoriaGordon

CoolReflectedLightSilversSkinTonesReflectionsofblueandsilverwillbatheyourmodelinawonderfullight.Here,normaldaylightfilmrecordedthecolorof lightquiteaccurately,butsacrificedlocalcolortodoit.Howyouusecolordistortionandhowfaryougowithitaretoolswithinyourcontrol.Havefunwiththem!

StrikeaBalanceBetweenLocalColorandtheColorofLightInanidenticallightingsituation,Ichosetopaintmoreaccuratelythelocalcolorofmysubject'sskin,modifiedbythecooltemperatureofthelight.It'sachoiceforthispainting,buteachportraitrequiresafreshchoice.MICHAELANNPastelonLaCartesandedpaper23″×17″(58cm×43cm)

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BreakingtheChainsofPhotoSlavery

There are three fundamental problems that all photographs have: depth offield/focus,valueclumpingandcolordistortion. It isessential to recognize theproblemsifyouaretoconquerthem.Overcomingtheselimitationsisthekeytoconvertingyourcamerafromashackletoatool.

DEPTHOFFIELD:THEFOCALLIE

Cameras don't see the way that we do. They are designed to focus within avertical plane, parallel to the lens of the camera. These planes are relativelyshallow or deep. Objects lying within these planes are in crisp focus, andeverythinginfrontofthemandbehindthemisoutoffocus.Thedepthoftheplaneinfocusiscalledthedepthoffield.Atitsshallowest,

yourcamera'saperture,orf-stop,issettoitswidestopening(forexample,3.5).Atitsdeepest,yourapertureissettoitstiniestopening(forexample,f16).The camera produces an image that is completely in focus for the depth of

fieldyouhaveusedinmakingtheexposure,likeaslice(orseveral)ofbreadinthemiddle of the loaf. There is an equal amount of focus everywhere on theplane,alongeverysideoftheimage,cornertocorner.To a camera, focus means sharp edges. The human eye, however, works

entirelydifferently.Oureyesfocusthree-dimensionally,asiflookingatamodelof theearth's layers,whereweseeonly thecore in focus.Notonlyareall theotherlayerslessfocused,theyprogressivelylosecrispnessastheymovefartherawayfromthecore.Asthepainter,youareincontrolofhowyouchooseyourcenterofinterest.If

yourelyonthecameratodoitforyou,yourwholecanvaswillbethecenterofinterest,whichisthesameashavingnofocalpointatall.You must also control where and how you establish edge quality. The

photographcannothelpyouinthistaskbecauseitshowsthateverythinginfocushas equally sharp edges.Based on the center of interest that you've chosen toportray, make edge decisions that will support your choice. Use the sharpestedgestograbtheviewer'seye,lesssharpedgestomovetheviewer'seyeacrossthe canvas toward your focal point, and the softest edgeswhere youwant theviewer'seyetoglide.In life, you perceive edges as soft or hard, based largely on how they look

whenviewing thecenterof interest.Theexperienceyougain inworking from

lifewillbeinvaluableintrainingyoureyetoseeandpaintedges.

HowtheCameraSees...Cameras focus in vertical planes. To a camera, “focus” means equally sharpedges.

...andHowWeSeeWhen we focus on the center of interest, surrounding objects are seen three-dimensionallyandbecomeprogressivelymoreblurryastheymovefartheraway.

VALUECLUMPING

The second problem inherent in photographs is the tendency for areas ofrelativelylightanddarkvaluestobe“clumped”together.Photosdistortthetonalrange,so thatvaluesateitherendof thevaluescalearecompressedandshowlessdifferentiationthanactuallyexistsinnature.Darkvaluesaremoreseverelycompressedthanlightvalues.Therefore,donotrelyonthevaluesinyourphotostopaintvaluesinyourportraits.Interpret values fromyour photographs by teasing out only the very darkest

darksandtheverylightestlightsasthebookendvaluesforthepainting.Extendtheareasofmiddlevaluebymakingotherareasthatlookdark,lighterinvalue,andotherareasthatlooklight,darkerinvalue.Drawuponyourexperiencesinworkingfromlifeandobservingthefacesaroundyou.Takenoteofhowvaluesaredistributedundervariouslightingsituations.

ReferencePhoto(PhotobyLindaTraceyBrandon)

DetailoftheFinishedPortrait

IgnoreFalseDarksinPhotoResourcesBegin by painting only the darkest darks and the lightest lights.Move all theremainingdarksandlightstowardamiddlevalue.Usewhatyouknowtocorrectwhatyourcamerathinksitsees.Theshadowedsideofmyface,asshownbythedetail above, is made up entirely of grayed-down violets and greens,complementstotheorange(red+yellow)colorofthesunlight.BRUSHBREAK:APORTRAITOFTHEARTISTPastelonLaCartesandedpaper22″×16″(56cm×41cm)Collectionoftheartist

COLORDISTORTION

Whenyou'repainting from life, you can relyonyour eyes to find color.Withphotographs,however,youmustrelyonwhatyouknowabout thetemperatureofcolorinlightandshadow.

Regular color film is calibrated tomost accurately recordcolorsof themostcommonlyphotographedsubjects—skintonesinpeopleandcolorinlandscapes,suchasblueskyandgreengrass.Asaconsequence,thereareothercolorsthatthe film records less accurately, such as some greens, oranges, pinks andyellows,especiallywhentheyarelightinvalue.Thefilmisalsosensitivetogreendyesusedinfabricsorsimilarmaterials,and

theresultingprints tendtorepresentgreensasdullkhaki,brown,yellow-greenandsometimesevenblue.Theworstdistortionoccursinshadowedareas.Naturalgreens,suchasingrassorleaves,normallyphotographaccurately.So

whileyourgreencouchmaylookthesamecolorasthelivingplantsnexttoit,thephotosyougetbackmaynotshowagreencouchatall.

In thisphoto,colordistortionmakes theman'swhiteshirtappearbluish in theshadowedareas.A less severe and generally less troubling distortion is also evident inman-

made white objects, which have a blue cast and are most pronounced inshadows.Becausethebluishqualityofshadowsisconsistentlytheoppositetemperature

of thecolorofdirect sunlight, thisdistortioncanoftenbehelpful,providingafunroadmapforexploitingtemperatureshifts.Beware,though,whenpaintingawhiteshirtphotographedunderacoollight;youshouldlettheshirtcolorwarmslightlyintheshadowsasreflectedcoloris introduced(seetheunderarmfoldsabove).

BacklightYourPhotos

Oneofthemosthelpfultoolsinovercomingtheclumpingofdarksinshadowsistobacklightyourresourcephotos.Placeyourphotosagainstastronglightsourcesothatthelightforcesitsway

through the image.Althoughyou stillwon't be able togaugevalueaswell aswhen painting from life, viewing your resource photos this way will helptremendously.Itapemyphotostothetablelampnexttomyeasel.

ConstructingSensibleComposites

Youwilloftenbecalledupontopaintmorethanonepersoninasinglepainting.Youwill rarely,however,haveasinglephotographic resource that showseachsubjectathisbest.Theobviousansweristoprovideyourselfwithanenormousrangeofsolutions,orimages,tofollowwhencreatingyourpainting.

PHOTOGUIDELINES

There are several important things you can dowhile you're taking pictures tomaximize results. First, once you begin to take your photos, don'tmove.Youmustmaintainaconsistentvantagepointrelativetoyoursubjects.Youwon'tbeable to combine one subject photographed from your standing height withanothersubjectphotographedfromyourkneelingheight.Youmustalsomaintainaconsistentanglewithrespect to thepositionof the

lightsource.Evenwiththesamevantagepoint,photostakenatdifferenttimesofday, or from different angles relative to the light's direction, cannot besuccessfully combined. You will occasionally see paintings where impossibleangleshavebeenattempted; thevisualdisruption is similar to amistaken fontchange in themiddle of a typed sentence. Look around—you'll find paintingsthat were painted in the “land of ten thousand suns. ” Thoughtful resourceselectionisthekeytoavoidingsuchapitfall.Finally,beasticklerforsize.Eachsubjectmustbecorrectlysized,relativeto

theothersubjects.Themostpracticalwaytoensurethisistobecertaintohaveatleastonephotoinyourbatchthatallowsyoutocomparesubjects.Knowing,for example, that John's head is about 80 percent of the size of Susan's headgivesyouanexcellentsizingguidelinethatyoucanusethroughoutthepainting,regardlessoftheultimatecompositionyouchoose.

GiveYourselfOptionsBothchildrenhavegreatexpressions(ararityinoneshot!)andthelemonslookgood, too. But the body language of both children is awkward and won'tcontributetoasuccessfuldesign.

Here, the little girl's graceful pose and natural affection for her brother arecaptured.NeitherthechildrennorIhavemovedfromourinitialstartingpoints.

SelectthePoseYouDesireTheboy'sposeinthisshotisperfecttocompletethecomposition.Havingbothchildreninanyonephotoprovidesrelativesizinginformation.BecauseIdosomuchoutdoorphotography,Ialwayscarryagreentowelinmycarincaseofwetgrass.Agroundclothsimilarincolorandvaluetothesettingwillnotintroduceillogicallyreflectedcolor.

CreatetheCompositionYouWantComposingthepaintingfromavarietyofreferencephotosrequiresmuchmoretime in theup-frontdrawinganddesigningphases,butproducesa result that'swellworththeenergy.Withsettingslikethis,youcanfeelfreetoalterthelightandshadowpatternonthegrasstosupporttheeyepathandcomposition.THELEMONGATHERERSPastelonWallispaper18″×32″(46cm×81cm)Privatecollection

PaintingFromLifevs.PaintingFromPhotographs

Shouldyoupaint fromlife?Absolutely.Useeveryopportunityyoucanfind toobservearealsubjectinthreedimensions,inlivingcolor.Shouldyoustandonceremony and refuse to paint from photographs?Absolutely not. Even if youhavethedailyluxuryofpaintingfromlife,youshouldunderstandhowtopainteffectivelyfromphotos.too.You'llmakemoreprogresspaintingeverydayfromphotosthanyouwillpaintingonceamonthfromlife.Doyourbesttopaintbothwayseverychanceyouget.

5ORGANIZEYOURPAINTINGINTHREEEASYSTAGES

In this chapter, you'll become familiarwith some tips and tools to helpmakeyour portraits consistently better. Although the process of painting clearlyrequiresanintegratedapproach,therearesomesimpleandnecessarydecisionsto be made along the way, and they should be made in a logical sequence.Paintingdecisionscanbegroupedintothreestages:early,middleandfinal.The early decisions you will make include selecting the center of interest,

resolvingtheportrait'scompositionalplanordesign,identifyingthecolorofthelight source and selecting the color harmony. Take time to think before youpaint. Middle decisions, which occur during the painting process, includeworkingthelikenessandmakingcolorchoices.Andthefinaldecisionsinvolveproofreading your portrait and considering the center of interest and thecomposition'seffectiveness,determiningifthereisunifiedcolortemperatureandharmoniouscolor,reviewingtheedgesandcolordiscordsand,finally,decidingwheretoplaceyoursignature.Each of the demonstrations in this chapter will illustrate the use of various

tools thatwill saveyou timeandaggravation frombeginning toend, allowingyou to enjoy the process of painting.Throughyour own experimentation, youcandecidewhichofthemworkforyouandunderwhatcircumstances.

JESSIE'SBRAIDS(DETAIL)PastelonWallispaper16″×18″(41cm×46cm)CollectionoftheartistMINI-DEMONSTRATION1:CAUCASIANGROUP,OIL

UsingaThree-ValueThumbnailSketch

MaterialsList

•Surface:Belgianlinencanvas•Brushes:varietyofbristlefilberts,nos.2through8•Turpenoid•Standardoilpalette,including:

TerreVerte(fordrawing) CadmiumLemonCadmiumScarlet UltramarineViolet

AlizarinCrimson UltramarineBluePhthaloGreen TitaniumWhiteIvoryBlack

Three-value thumbnail sketches are a valuable tool in the early decision-makingstageofthepainting.Theytakeonlyafewminutestodoandcansaveyou hours of frustration later. Through them you can resolve questions aboutwhether your painting should be about light or shadow, how you can bestarrangeavaluepatternineitherhorizontalorverticalformat,andhowyoucanbestplaceyoursubjecttosupportabeautifulandeffectivedesign.

FinishedPainting

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

•Identifythecenterofinterest.Inmiscase,thefocalpointwillbeIsabel'slefteye(onourright).

•Determine the compositional design through three-value thumbnailsketches.Thiswillbeaportraitaboutlight.

•Determine the color of light. Isabel posed next to a large, north-facingwindow. The indirect light is cool and blue, leaving the shadows to runwarm.

•Determinethecolorharmony(complementaryyellow-violet).

1|CreateaThree-ValueThumbnailSketchQuicklysketchyoursubjectwithinasmallrectangle,uptoabout4″×6″(10cm× 15cm), proportional to the canvas you will be using.Make copies (tracingpaperisquickandeasytouse)soyoucanexperimentwithdifferentvalueplans. Shade in blocks of shape representing light,middle anddark areas of thesketch.Trytoforceeverythingintothreesimplevalues.Considershapesontherectangularplane,aswellastheforeground,middlegroundandbackground. Tryseveralcompositionalarrangements: lightagainstdarkagainstmiddle;light foreground and background with middle and dark values in the middleground; and light against middle against dark. Choose the one you prefer. Ipreferthemiddlearrangement.Bychoosingthatone,threeimportantdecisionsaremade:(1)Thisportraitisaboutlightratherthanshadow,(2)ageneralvalueplanthatconsidersbothnegativeandpositivespacesisestablished,and(3)theheadisplacedinahorizontalformat.Experimentwithmovingtheborders,ifyouwish.Whenyou'resatisfiedwithyourvaluesketch,findthecenterandmarkit.

2|PrepareYourCanvasToneyourcanvaswithathinwashofTerreVerteandTurpenoid.Thegreentoneisawonderfulfoilforskin,aswellasagreatdrawingcolor.Findthecenterofthecanvasandmarkittocorrespondtothecenterofthethumbnailsketch.

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

•Workthelikeness.Eventhoughyourdrawingwillbeobliteratedassoonas you begin applying color, it's an important dress rehearsal for thepainting.Drawinggivesyouavisualmemoryofyoursubject'sfaceandtheconfidencetoknowthatifyoucandoitonce,youcandoitagain.Therearemanyways to begin a drawing: line, shape, outside-in or inside-out.Usewhateverworksbestforyou.

•Make color choices. An olive-skinned brunette, Isabel's skin is middle-lightinvalue,slightlymoreyellowthanred,andgrayeddownwithgreen.Mixtwopilesofcolor—onetoapproximatetheaveragevalueandcolorofherskininlight,andtheotherforskininshadow.Sincethelightsourceiscool,keepthelightcolorscoolerthantheshadowcolors.Mixavarietyofhuesintoeachpilewithoutchangingthevalueoftheoriginalpiles.You'llhaveafreshmenuofcolorsavailableforeitherlightorshadow.

3|DrawthePortraitUsingano.2bristlefilbert(oranybrushwithasmall,stifftip),drawtheportraitwith thinned-down Terre Verte. As a painting becomes larger, the differencebetweenthethumbnailsketchandfull-sizepaintingbecomesmorepronounced.Ifyoufeelyouneedtorethinktheplacementorvalueplan,dosonow.

Locatingthe,Center

Whenyouworkonafixedsupport, locatingthecenter isextremelyimportant.Otherwise,you'lllosetherelationshipbetweennegativeandpositiveshapesthatyouworkedout inthevalueplan.Youwillgetmore“wiggleroom”whenyouworkonpaperthatcanbecutormattedtofixcompositionalerrors.Rememberthattheframe'srabbet(rebate)willcover⅜″(10mm)oneachside.

4|PaintSkinTonesinLightMix a pile of average skin color in light. Create amenu of different hues byaddingcleancoolblues,green-violetsandreds.Keepvaluesclose.

TheDrawingStage

Whenyou paint fromphotos, take as long as you'd like in the drawing stage.When you paint from life, youmustmake decisions quickly, such as locatingyourcenter,rapidlyplacingtheheadandlocatingfeaturesinanundetailed,yetaccurate manner. What you may give up in terms of tight likeness will beregainedbythespontaneityinherentinafresh,quicklydoneportrait.

BasicLightColors

5|PaintSkinTonesinShadowColorsinshadowwillbewarmerthanthoseinlight.Createacomparablemenu

ofshadowcolors,maintainingvalueandtemperaturerelationships.Keepwarm,strongredsalongtheshadowcores,evenwheretheedgesaresoft.

BasicShadowColors

6|PlacetheDarkestDarksEstablish your darkest value early on. Thiswill become the book-end againstwhichyouwilljudgeothervalues.

7|CompletethePaintingUsevaluechangestocreatevolumeasyourefinethecolorandlikeness.Alwayskeepinmindthetemperaturedifferencesbetweenlightandshadow.

8|ProofreadYourWorkandFinishTo add balance and strength to the complementary color scheme, the lightergrayed-downvioletinthebackgroundneedstobeoffsetbysaturatedyellowsintheforeground.Temporarilyplacethepaintinginaframetoseewheretherabbet(rebate)willcropthecanvasandthenaddyoursignature.Here,Iplaceditinthelowerleftcorner. Whenyoumakeyourearlydecisionsat the right time,you'll find that theadjustmentsnecessary tocomplete thepaintingarestraightforwardandeasy toaccomplish.Inthiscase,allthat'srequiredisabrighter,strongeryellowtopunchupthecomplementarycolorharmony,andtheplacementofthesignature.ISABELOiloncanvas12″×16″(30cm×41cm)CollectionoftheCandyceandJamesHinesFamilyFINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGYOURPAINTING•Isthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.•Isthecompositioneffective? Yes.•Arecolortemperaturesunified?Yes.

•Doesthecolorharmonywork? No.•Aretheedgeseffective? Yes.•Isadiscordneeded? No.•Isthesignatureneeded? Yes.

MINI-DEMONSTRATION2:BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICANGROUP,PASTEL

RescuingaPoorPhotographicReferenceMaterialsList

•Paper:CansonMi-Teintes,Burgundy•6Bcharcoalpencil•Kneadederaser•Softpastels,15sticks(seecolorreference)

Sometimes you'll need to work with a photo with worse than average colorlimitations. Use what you know about the color of light to create exciting,energeticskintones.Inthisdemonstration,Eric'sportraitispaintedwithoutanytrueskincolor—Iusedonlythecoloroflight.

ReferencePhoto

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

•Identifythecenterofinterest.Erichasacenteredpresenceabouthimandan even, wide-set gaze that imparts a sense of calm. It's rare to find asubject with such regular and beautifully sculpted facial planes. Thestructure of his face and skull ismost evident in the core of the shadowseparatinglightanddark,andthiswillbethefocalpointofthepainting.

•Determinethecompositionaldesign.Thisportraitwillbeapaintingaboutshadow.The color of the light itselfwill provide all thedesign elementsneededtosupportthevignette.

•Determinethecolorofthelight.Resourcephotos for thispaintingwere

takenjustbeforesunset,whenthelightstrikingEric'sheadwasred-orange.Whilethemajorityofhisfaceisinshadow,it'sstronglyilluminatedbytheclearbluesky.

•Determinethecolorharmony(analogousviolet).Thepervadingsenseofcool shadows suggests a red-violet/blue-violet color scheme. Canson'sburgundyMi-Teintespapersupportsthecolorharmony.

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

•Work the likeness. In drawing a portrait for a vignette, it's generally agoodideatocenteritfromrighttoleftandtoplacetheheadclosertothetop than the bottom of the page. This will give you some croppingflexibility at the end. Sizing a head 75 percent of life-size gives acomfortablefeelandleavesenoughroomfordetail.

•Makecolorchoices.Eric'sskinismiddle-darkinvalue.Sincenotrueskincolor will be used in this portrait, the type of orange in his skin isn'trelevant. Instead, it's necessary to concentrate on the temperature andsaturationofcolorsinthelightandshadows.

CorrectingCompetingColours

Inkeepingwiththeprincipleofunequalbalance.thelightbluecannotcompetewiththelightyellow.Solvethisproblembyusingasmallerquantityofbluethatisslightlydarkerinvalueandslightlylowerinsaturationthantheyellow.

1|WorktheLikenessUsing a soft charcoal pencil, indicate the placement of the head and enoughfacial detail to feel comfortable introducing color. Sketch lightly so as not toscorethepaper'ssurface.

2|ModeltheHeadwithColorsofLightandShadowPaintskininshadowwiththreesticksofpastelthatrepresentthecomplementofthecolorofthered-orangelightsource.Chooseagrayed-downblue,matchingthemiddle-darkvalueofthepaper,andtwomiddle-valuesticks,oneinblueandoneinblue-green.Painttheskininlightusingmiddle-darkredandorange.Establishthelightestvaluesinthepainting:alightyellowmeetingalightblueatthetopoftheskull.

3|ModeltheFeaturesUseblack,modifiedbytheotherdarksyou'vealreadyused,topaintthefeatures,alwaysobservingthethreerulesofshadow:reducedcontrast,reducedsaturation,controllededges.Unifycolorswithastickofmiddle-valuegrayed-downyellow-green.Turntheformbypaintingthecoresoftheshadowswithsaturatedmiddle-darksticksinredandred-orange.

FINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGYOURPAINTING•Isthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.•Isthecompositioneffective? No.•Arecolortemperaturesunified?Yes.•Doesthecolorharmonywork? Yes.•Aretheedgeseffective? Yes.•Isadiscordneeded? No.•Isthesignatureneeded? Yes.

Although thevignetteholds togetherokay, itwouldbemuchmoreexciting toadd an energetic background, punctuated by the use of color discords in coolyellowandblue-green.

4|StrengthentheDesignbyPaintingtheBackgroundUsingonlythecolorsalreadyonyourpalette,placebroad,scrawlingstrokesofcolor, shifting the temperatures from left to right. Integrate the lower edgesofthebackgroundwiththepaper.

EstablishBackgroundEarly

It'salwaysbettertoestablishyourbackgroundsatthebeginning.Toaddthematthe end, you need to mirror other choices you've already made:(1) Preserveharmony by using existing colors.(2) maintain the balance between light and

shadow,and(3)keepcoolandwarmareasdistinct.

5|AdjustNegativeSpacesbyCroppingCarefullyDeterminethebestplacementofthemat(orframe)tobalancenegativespaces.Place the painting in its mat before adding your signature. Accept that thesignaturewillbepartofthedesignandmakeitworkforyoubycontrollingitsplacement,sizeandcolor.ERICPastelonCansonpaper18″×14″(46cm×36cm)CollectionoftheartistMINI-DEMONSTRATION3:ASIANGROUP,WATERCOLOR

DevelopanEdgePlantoMakeYourPointMaterialsList

•Paper:Arches140-lb.(300gsm)cold-press•Brushes:1-inch(25mm)flatsable,no.8roundsable•Standardwatercolorpalette,includingtheseWinsor&Newtoncolors:

RoseMadderGenuine CobaltBlueAlizarinCrimson ViridianRawSienna BurntSiennaAureolin

Makinganearlyedgeplanhelpsyouthinkthroughboththeportrait'sdesignandhowtomovetheviewer'seyetoyourfocalpoint.Edgeplansareusefulineverymedium.Inoilandpastel,they'revaluabletohelpyoustayfocusedonthecenterofinterest,althoughtheyalmostalwaysneedtobeadjustedandrestatedaspartof theproofreadingstage. Inwatercolor,however,edgeplansaremuchmoreimportantsinceedgedecisionscanbedifficult,ifnotimpossible,tochangeonceawashisdry.

FinishedPainting

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

•Identifythecenterofinterestthroughtheedgeplan.Thesmallareaoflight tumbling acrossSue's left eye (onour right) perfectlydescribes thebeautiful structure of her eyelid,whichwill be the portrait's focal point.Crispedges,strongcontrastandsaturatedcolorwillworktogethertomovetheviewer'seyetothatpoint.

•Determine the compositional design. This portrait will be high key—apaintingaboutlight.Relatethesubjecttothebackgroundthroughlostandfoundedges,connecting lightanddarkvalues to theedgeof the frameormat.

•Determine the colorof light.The light source is awarmyellow-orangefilteredthroughascreen.Asaresult, theshadowsarecoolandsoft,withreducedcontrastbetweenlightandshadow.Changingtemperaturesareasimportantaschangingvaluestodepictshadow.

•Determinethecolorharmony.Acomplementaryyellow-violetharmonyisasimpleapproachtowarmlylitskintonesandviolet-basedshadow.M

1|PlanYourEdgesUpFrontSince the focal point is the eye on our right, the shadows on the lids and theshapeof the iriswillhave the sharpest edges in thepainting.Consider severalsecondaryedgeslocatedinplacesthatwillencouragetheviewertoreturntothecenterofinterest,suchastheeyeonourleft,theinsidecornerofthemouthandtheedgesofthejaw. Losing the top edge of the hair entirely into the white of the paper

accomplishestwothings:First,itanchorstheheadtothebackground;second,itprovidesvisualinteresttobreakupamonotonoussilhouette.

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

• Work the likeness. Watercolor doesn't lend itself well to unlimitedreworkingofthesurface,sodrawlightlybutwithenoughaccuracytoseewhereyou'regoingwiththelikeness.Themoreaccurateinthebeginning,thefresheryoucankeepthefinalpiece.

• Make color choices. Decisions about basic hues are straightforward:Grayed-downyellowsrepresentthelightareasofthepaintingandgrayed-downvioletsrepresenttheshadows.Eachhasavarietyofcolorsdroppedin,butoveralltheyobservetheseparatetemperaturesoflightandshadow.

2|PaintBasicSkinTonesinLightSue'sskinislightinvalue,slightlymoreyellowthanred,andwarmedfurtherbythe light source.Use a1-inch (25mm) flat sablebrush to cover the skin toneswithRawSienna,extendingintothehairandbackground.DropinbitsofRoseMadderGenuinebeforethewashdries.UsingavioletmixedfromCobaltBlueandRoseMadderGenuine,addawashofsimilarvaluetotheareasofhair,alsoconnectingittothebackground.Letitdry.

3|PaintSkinTonesinShadowSwitch to ano.8 round sablebrushandpaint the shadowpatternon the face.Paintthesharpestedgealongtheshadowsoftheeyelidonourrightandleaveit.UseagreenmixedfromViridianandAureolinfortheskinfarthestfromthelightsource;warmthecoresoftheformshadowswithorangemixedfromAureolinandRoseMadderGenuine.Modeltheleftsideoftheface.Letitdry.

4|PlaceSecondaryEdgesasYouModeltheFeaturesContinuemodelingthefeatures,placingeachsecondaryedgeasyougo.Correctthesharpnessassoonyoupainttheedges,alwayskeepingthemsubordinatetothe focal point. Use Burnt Sienna and a mixed black (Alizarin Crimson +Viridian)forthedarkestareasoftheeyesandbrows.Letitdry.

5|CompletetheHairandProofreadYourWorkLooselywashintheshapeofthehairwiththemixedviolet.

FINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGYOURPAINTING•Isthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.•Isthecompositioneffective? No.•Arecolortemperaturesunified?No.•Doesthecolorharmonywork? Yes.•Aretheedgeseffective? Yes.•Isadiscordneeded? No.•Isthesignatureneeded? Yes.The composition is improved by attaching the head to the backgroundwith

color. Using warm connectors on the left side of the paper also corrects thetemperatureerroronthe leftsideof thehair.Onlyafter thefinalcroppingis it

possible to place the signature

6|CorrectthePortraitDarkentheshadowsideofthehair,connectingittothebackgroundwithavioletwash.Correct thecolor temperatureof the lightsideof thehairbywarming itwithRawSienna, connecting it to the left edgeof thepaper.Crop theportraitandplaceyoursignature.Iusuallysignmywatercolorswithpencil,butyoumaywishtousepaint.Chooseacolorandvaluecompatiblewithyourfinishedwork.PORTRAITOFSUEWatercoloronArchescold-pressedwatercolorpaper14″×11″(36cm×28cm)CollectionoftheartistMINI-DEMONSTRATION4:HISPANICGROUP,PASTEL

IntegrateMaterialWithStrongColorHarmonyMaterialsList

•Paper:LaCartesandedpaper,lightgray•6Bcharcoalpencil•Kneadederaser•Softpastels,21sticks(seecolorreference)

Here's a great example of how you can successfully combine photos withdifferent backgrounds by using a color harmony of your own choosing. Youhavetodoitintheplanningstagesinordertogetanendresultwithbeautiful,unifyingcolor.

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

•IdentifythecenterofinterestEveryonewhomeetsEuniceisimmediatelytaken with her extraordinary eyes and beautiful, full mouth. In thispainting, the eye on our left, under its sculpted brow, is the center ofinterest;herlipsarethesecondaryfocalpoint

•Determinethecolorharmony.Inreviewingthevariousphotoresources,it's impossible to disregard the fantastic red-green complementary colorharmonypresentedby thebloomingbougainvillea.With thoughtful colorconsiderations, you can combine this backgroundwith the preferred facephotos.

•DeterminethecoloroflightThelightonEunice'sfaceisafilteredwarmyellow-orange; therefore, the shadows are cooler than the light areas.However,thebougainvilleaisindirectlylitwithcoolerlight,givingacoolred-green image. To make this color harmony support the warmth ofEunice'sskin,thebackgroundneedstobebroughtuptothetemperatureofthelightonherface.

•DeterminethecompositionaldesignSkintonesconstitutetheonlylightareasofthispainting,punctuatedbytheverydarkvaluesinthehair.Inordertoretaintheintensecolorsaturationofthebackgroundfoliage, the redsandgreensmustbekeptat theirhighestsaturation, forcing the background into a middle to middle-dark valuerange. In this example, the painting's design is created by strong colorpatterns.Redmovestheviewer'seyefromtheupperleftofthepaintingtothemiddle-lowerright.Stronglipcoloractsasavisualstepping-stone.

1|PoseYourSubjectThis photo of Eunice shows a comfortable contrapposto pose,Rembrandt-likelightingandabeautiful,sereneexpression.Thelightsource,althoughfiltered,isawarmyellow-orange.

2|AddItemsofInterestThisbougainvilleaissimplytoospectaculartopassup!Built-incolorharmonyand interesting patterns make their inclusion perfect. The tropical feel of thebougainvillea sets up a strong clue for aHispanic subject. The light source isindirectandquitecool.

3|DeterminetheValuesofYourColorsA photo-quality black-and-white image can help you think through the finalcolorsinthepaintingwithoutbecomingconfoundedbythefightingtemperaturesin the photos. In this high-quality scanned photo, the value clumping of colorshadows is actually reduced. Be aware, though, that normal black-and-whitephotocopierimagesgenerallyworsenvalueclumpingandareoflimiteduse.

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

•Workthelikeness.Usea6Bcharcoalpenciltolightlysketchtheportrait.Despite thegreatabilityof theLaCartepaper toacceptopaquelayersofpastel,thesurfacescoreseasilywithasharppoint.It'sdifficulttocoverthescratches,soeasydoesit.

•Makecolorchoices.Inapaintinglikethis,it'sessentialtocommittothebackgroundimmediately.First,you'llestablishasaturationbookendsince

thebackground foliagecontains themost intensecolors.The intensityofalltheothercolorsusedintheskintonescanbejudgedincomparisontothe background reds and greens. By stating color temperature early, it'seasiertomakegoodcolortemperaturedecisionslater.

Eunice'sskincolorismiddle-lightinvalue,slightlymoreyellowthanredand

grayed downwith green.Her skin color is beautifully balanced in color fromhairlinetochin,whichissocharacteristicofHispanicsubjects.

4|StateYourColorHarmonyUpFront

Onceyou'vesketchedyoursubject,makeaboldbackgroundcommitmentrightaway.Establishtheeyepathwithfullysaturatedgreensandvioletsforthefoliageandfullysaturatedredsfor theblossoms.Tosupport theface'sskin tones,addwarmerandcoolerversionsofredandgreentothebackground.

5|PainttheLightandShadowPatternsoftheFacePaintthelightskintoneswithwarmyellow-orange,approximatingtheaveragevalueandhueofEunice'sskininlight.Paint theshadowshapes,concentratingfirstonthevaluerelationships.Adjustthecolortemperaturesothatthelightsareclearlywarmerthantheshadows.

6|PlacetheDarkestDarksPaintthedarkestdarkswithblackandverydarkbrown.Establishingthedarkestvalues in thepaintinggivesyouavaluebookendandhelpsyoubegin toworkthelikeness.

7|ModeltheFeaturesModel thestructureof the facewithslightvalueandcolor shifts,and increaseattentiontoeachfeature.Keepcolortemperaturesinlightandshadowseparate,makingsurethatthevaluesandedgesallsupporttheeyeonourleftasthecenterof interest. Repeat the saturated reds of the bougainvillea in the lips, usingslightlylesssaturatedhuestoturntheformsattheirshadows'cores.Evenverystrong colorwillwork in skin tones, since itwill look subtle compared to thefiery colors of the background. Place a note of light yellow-green to test howlightandwarmthefoliagecolorscango.

FINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGYOURPAINTING•Isthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.•Isthecompositioneffective? Yes.•Arecolortemperaturesunified?Yes.•Doesthecolorharmonywork? No.•Aretheedgeseffective? Yes•Isadiscordneeded? No.•Isthesignatureneeded? Yes.

Ahappyproofreadingoutcomeismuchmorepredictablewhenyoumakeall

of the immutable decisions at the right stage in your painting. Even if youidentifyseveralfinishingtasks,they'llbeinareasthatcanbereadilyadjusted.

8|CompletethePortraitRefineandrestatetheredsandorangesoftheflowers,andfillinthefoliagewithasprinklingofvariousgreens,integratingthelightyellow-greenthroughouttheentire background.Using loose, broad strokes, complete the lower part of thepainting.Placethesignature,andyou'redone!

EUNICEPastelonLaCartesandedpaper18″×14″(46cm×36cm)Collection of the artist

6PAINTINGDEMONSTRATIONSSTEPBYSTEP

In each of the following demonstrations, the same decision-making outline isfollowed. Organizing your thoughts in early, middle and final stages is apracticalwaytoapproachaportrait.Yourresultswillnotonlybemorebeautiful,they'llbemorepredictable.All the principles discussed in this book come into play as each painting is

developed. But to paint beautiful skin tones, none is more important thanunderstandingthecoloroflight.

KATHARINEWatercoloronArches140-lb.(300gsm)paper15″×10″(38cm×25cm)CollectionoftheartistDEMONSTRATION1:PASTELPORTRAITSkinTone,IndianSubcontinent(Asian)MaterialsList

•Paper:CansonMi-Teintes,LightGrey•6Bcharcoalpencil•Kneadederaser•Softpastels,26sticks(seecolorreference)

Begin this portrait in the sameway you begin every portrait: by observationand with thoughtful decisions. My subject has ethnic origins in the Indiansubcontinent.Thelocalcolorofherskinisamiddle-valueorange,grayeddownwithslightlymorebluethangreen.CharacteristicofherAsian/Indianorigin,thebandsofcoloracrossthetop,middleandlowerthirdsofherfaceareextremelyeven.Thisdemonstrationwillbepaintedasaclassicvignette.

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

•Identifythecenterofinterest.Theexpressionconveyedbythesubject'sleft(ourright)eyeandtheslightliftofthebrowconveyserenity,optimismandhumor,andwillbethefocalpointofthisportrait.Thesharpestedgeswill need to be at the center of interest, with movement supported bysecondaryedgesatthejawlineonourleftandontheshawl,wherethelightandshadowmeet.

•Determine thecompositionaldesign.Ordinarily, this is thepointwhereyouwoulddoathree-valuethumbnailsketch.Butforthisdemonstration,a

thumbnail isn't really necessary. First, the pattern of light and dark isstraightforward:Thehairandeyesaredarkinvalue,theareaslitbydirectsunlightarelightandthefaceandbackgroundareinthemiddle.Second,because this painting is a vignette, you can crop the paper at the end,leavingnegativespacesthatarepleasinginshapeandproportion.

•Determine the color of light The reference photo for this painting wastakeninthelateafternoonwithdirectsunlightingthesubject.Therefore,the color of the direct sunlight is a very warm orange (probably about2500K to 3000K). However, the entirety of her face is in shadow,illuminatedonlybytheindirectcoollightfromaclearbluesky(probablyabout12000K).

•Determinethecolorharmony.The relativelycoolhues in the skin tonesuggestablue-violetanalogouscolorharmony,adapted forportraitswiththeadditionoforange.Since thisportraitwillbeavignette,selecting thebackground color is essential. To support the sense of cool skin tones,chooseacoolneutralpaper.Inthiscase,agraywithamiddle-lightvaluewasused,allowingcontrastbetweenthepaperandboththedarkandlightareas.

FinishedPainting

1|PlacetheHeadandDeclaretheCoolestandDarkestAreasofSkinUsing vine charcoal or a very soft 6B charcoal pencil, place the head in thegeneralcenterofthepage,slightlysmallerthanlifesize,about7″(18cm)fromthe chin to the top of the hair. Using a very light touch, indicate the gesturaldirection of the head, neck and shoulders, and indicate the placement of thefeatures.Continuethis lightdrawinguntilyouhavearoadmapofthelikenessanddirectionalfeelofthepainting. Selecttwopastelstickssimilarinvalue,butoppositeintemperature:adark,grayed-downvioletandadark,grayed-downred.Becausethereissolittlevaluedifferentiationacrossthesurfaceoftheskin,it'snecessarytorelyontemperatureshifts, rathe thansimplyvaluechanges, to indicatevolume.Since the subject'sfaceisilluminatedwithcoollight,theupward-facingplanesofherfacewillbeslightlylighterinvalueandrelativelycoolerintemperaturethanthedownward-facingplanes.Usethetwopastelstickstoindicatetherelativelydarkerareasofherface,aswell as the downward-facing planes. Use your fingers to smooth the painted

areassothat thepaperdoesn'tshowthrough.Thenlightlybrushoff theexcesspasteltokeepthefirstlayersofpastelthin.Theresultlookslikeathinstainofcolor.

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

The painting process involves the selection of color and its application, andcreatinglikeness.It'snecessarytoworkthelikenessateverystageofthepainting.Ifyouhaven't

lost part of the likeness at each stage, it's probably because you're being toocautious in applying the layers of color. Drawing the features and carefullypaintingaroundthemwillnotresultinfreshintegratedcolor,norwillitenableyou to control your edges effectively.Don'tworry. If you canget the likenessonce,youcangetitagain.Likenessisaprocess,notanevent.

2|PainttheLocalColorofSkinandtheDarkestDarks

Selectamiddle-valuegrayed-downyellow-orangeandstaintheremainingareasofskin.Thisactsastheaveragegroundfromwhichyoucanmodifythevalue,colorandtemperatureofskin.Selecttwoverydarkpastels:blackandthedarkestbrownyoucanfind.Usingtheblack first, indicate thedarkestareaof thepainting: thehair.Add thedarkbrown, allowing some of it to show on the paper and some to layer over theblack. Finger-smooth aswas done in the first step. These darkswill basicallyremain unchanged through the painting, so it's not necessary to brush off theexcess.Selectaverydarkredthatissimilarinvaluetothebrownyou'vejustusedinthe hair but warmer in temperature. Use this stick to restate the likeness byindicatingtheshapeandplacementofthenostrils,thecornersofthemouthandtheshapeoftheeyes.Placebothirisestoestablishthedirectionofthegaze.

3|DeveloptheSkinTonesBegin the skin tones by adding lighter values to the stained base. Select two

stickswith a similarmiddle-dark value and in complementary colors: slightlygrayed-down red-orange and slightly grayed-down yellow-green. Restate thewarmer downward-facing planes with the red-orange, then neutralize thesaturationbylayeringtheyellow-greenontop.Bystoppingjustshortoftheturnin the form, you'll leave the core of the shadow warmer and darker, addingvolumetotheform.Usethisstickofyellow-greenthroughoutthepaintingasamoderatingandunifyingcolor. Selectthesevenremainingskintonesticks:amiddle-darkgrayed-downred-violet; a grayed-down orange, grayed-down red and blue-green, all in middlevalues;a lightgrayed-downyellow;amiddle-darkgrayed-downyellow;andamiddle-dark grayed-down violet. Place the colors by using the rules oftemperature:lighterandcoolercolorsontheupward-facingplanes;warmeranddarkercolorsonthedownward-facingplanes.Touchtheblue-greensticktotheplaneovertheeyebrowontherighttoreinforcethecooltemperatureoftheskininshadow.Therearenowfifteensticksinyourpalette.

4|ModeltheEyesIn modeling the eyes, refine the shape of the sockets by placing the brows.Brows curve with the form of the forehead, and therefore are not uniform incolororvalue.Rememberthatphotoswillvalue-clumpthedarks,andwillalsofail to show color differenceswell in dark areas.When this happens, rely onwhat you know about color, value and how tomake forms turn; use the verysameprinciple inpainting the eyebrows.Thedifferences are extremely subtle,butimportant.Thewhitesoftheeyeschangeinbothvalueandcoloracrosstheirsurfaces,too.Oneofthekeyvisualcluesaboutoursubject'sIndiansubcontinentheritageisthe pigment surrounding her eyes—its color, distribution and value. Likewiseimportant is the deep, dark, lustrous quality of her hair, lashes and irises. Insubjectswhoseirisesareextremelydark,it'softennecessarytouseacolorationconvention, as shown in the mini-demonstration on the next page. The same

principlesapplytolight-eyedsubjects

a|SetUptheEyePainttheskintonesoftheeyesocketandlids,placingtheiristosetthedirectionofthegaze.

b|SetUptheIrisPainttheshapeoftheirisandpupilwithblack.

c|PainttheIrisIndicatetheiriswithdarkbrown,leavingtheouterringoftheirisandthepupilblack.

d|LighttheIrisPaint theareaof the irisoppositeof thehighlight (in thiscase,betweenseveno'clockandnineo'clock)withred-orange.

e|PainttheWhiteoftheEyeSelectamiddle-lightblue-graysticktopainttheareawheretheupperlidcastsaslightshadowontheupperpartofthewhite.Selectalightgrayed-downyellow-green(commonlycalledRawUmber)topaintthelowerpartofthewhiteofthe

eye.

f|CompletetheEyeSelect a clear middle-dark red to lightly indicate the inner corner of the eye.Placethehighlightoppositethered-orangepartoftheirisatabouttwoo'clock,usingaverylightblueandanevenlightertouch.

GetttngtheLikenessRight

In modeling the features, there are two schools of thought. Either bring thewholesurfaceof thepaintingupslowly to thesamedegreeof finish,or finisheachsectionasyougoandthenmoveontothenext.WhenIbeganpainting,Idid the former, although now I'm more likely to work each section to nearcompletionandthenmoveon.ItseemstohelpmecontrolthelikenessbecauseonceIgetthefirsttwothingsright,Ihaveenoughreferencetogetthethirdthingright, thenthefourthandsoon.Ifinditeasiertomanipulateoneaspectofthelikenessatatime.Theonlycautiontothisapproachisthatthefirsttwothingshavetobereallyright,oranylikenesserrorswillbebadlycompoundedbythetime you get to the end. It's amatter of personal temperament and technique.Experimentwithwhatworksbestforyou.

g|CompletetheRightEye(detail)Inordertoretainthefocalpointofthepainting,besurethattheeyeonourrighthasshaperedges,greatercontrastandrichercolorthantheeyeonourleft.

5|ModeltheNose(detail)Rechecktheshapeandplacementofthenostrils,andrestatethemwiththeverydarkredifnecessary.Usethedarkgrayed-downredsticktoestablishtheedgewherethetipofthenoseturnsundertomeettheupperlip.Reducethesaturation

just under the turning edge with the yellow-green stick Use the dark grayed-downviolettodeclarethelateralplanestothenose,andthelightercoolerstickstodefinetheupperplaneofthenosefacingthesky.

6|ModeltheMouth(detail)Recheckandrestatetheplacementofthecomersofthemouth.Theupperlipisinshadowandalsofacesdownward,sousethedarkgrayed-downredtoindicatetheshapeoftheupperlip,keepingtheedgessoft.Theshapeoftheupperlipcanbeestablishedwithanadditional layerofmiddle-darkgrayed-downviolet andthemiddle-valuegrayed-downred.

7|PainttheHairContinuetousetheblackandverydarkbrownstickstocompletetheshapeofthehairinshadow.Selectaverydarkgrayed-downblue-violetandmiddle-valueblue to cool the color of the hair at the upper left side of the crown,where itreflectsthebluesky.Selectamiddle-darkgrayed-downorangetopainttheplaneof the hair where the light and shadow come together. Use a combination ofwhiteandmiddle-lightyellow-orangetopainttheareasofhairstruckbydirectsunlight. (The images on the next page show you how.)

a|PainttheThreeValuesintheHairPaint the hair in shadowwith black and very dark brown.Use amiddle-darkgrayed-downorangetopainttheturningedgeoftheformofthehair.Paintthelightsectionofthehairwithverylightyellowandmedium-lightyellow-orange.

b|CreateTexturebyControllingEdgesUsingacleanfinger(withorwithoutaglove),makeasingleblendingstrokeinthedirectionofthestrandsofhair.

c|AddPastelandFinishTexturizingAddmore color if you need it for blending. Continue to blend as above, onestroke per clean finger. If you need tomakemore than five blending strokes,washyourhandsorgetanewglove!Finishbywarmingtheloweredgesofthehair on the left using the same principles that landscape painters use for skyholesthroughtreebranches:Theareaswherelightjustbarelypeeksthroughthe

hairshouldbeaslightlydarkerorangethanthecoloroftheturningplanes.Justblend itwith a little very dark brown instead of adding another color to yourpalette.

TheFinishedResult

8|PainttheShawlWiththeColorofLightRendertheshawllooselyinanalmostabstractfashion.Bylightlyapplyingthemiddle-darkgrayed-downviolettotheareasoftheshawlinshadow,thegrayofthepapershowsthrough.Foravignettetoworkwell,theremustbeplaceswherethe image is completely integrated with the paper or ground. This can beaccomplishedmosteffectivelythroughdisappearingedges.Arbitraryendpointsandabruptvaluechangesoredgeshiftsareextremelydisruptivetotheviewer'seyeandcanlendanamateurishqualitytoanotherwisesuccessfulpainting.Usewhiteandlightyellowtopainttheshawltouchedbysun.Leavetheedgewhere shadow and lightmeet unblended. This edge is softer than the hardestedgeintheeyeontheright,butharderthanthesoftturningedgeofthehair. Addthelast twocolorstothepalettetocompletethepatternintheshawl:a

middle-dark red-violet and a dark grayed-down blue-green. Use your yellow-greenunifyingcolorwiththedarkergreenintheleaves.

FINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGYOURPORTRAIT•Isthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.•Isthecompositioneffective?Doesitsupporttheviewerinfindingthecenterofinterest? Yes.

•Arecolortemperaturesunified? No.Doesthecolorharmonywork? Yes.•Aretheedgeswellplaced,supportingratherthancompetingwiththecenterofinterest? Yes.

•Isadiscordneeded? No.•Isthereanoptimalplaceforthesignature? Yes.Theonlytilinglefttodoissignit,frameitandputthenailinthewall.

9|TheFinishingTouchesThelast task inpaintingtheshawl is to integrate itscolorswith therestof thepainting.Intruth,adjacentcolorsimpacteachother.Inthiscase,thewhiteshawlwouldreflectsomecoolbluesintotheundersideofthejaw,andtheskinwouldreflect some orange onto the top of the shawl around the neck. In order tounderscorethesenseofcolor temperature in thispainting;however, it'sbest tomake a choice about which reflected color should dominate (the principle ofunequal balance). Rather than introducing cool tones in the downward-facingplanesoftheface,I'vechosentoaddorangeintotheupward-facingplanesoftheshawl.

MANISHAPastelonCansonpaper22″×16″(56cm×41cm)CollectionoftheartistDEMONSTRATION2:OILPORTRAITSkinTone,HispanicMaterialsList

•Surface:18″×14″(46cm×36cm)Belgianlinencanvas•6Bcharcoalpencil• Brushes: variety of bristle filberts, nos. 2 through 12; sable brushes forblending,anysize

•Turpenoid• Standard oil palette (see MINI-DEMONSTRATION 1: CAUCASIANGROUP,OIL

Energy, beauty and charisma all come together in a portrait of this talentedyoung actress. Engage your viewer by painting yourmodelwith a straight-onfacial position and direct gaze, and create the illusion that the subject's eyesfollow the viewer wherever he stands. Tasha's orange skin is middle-light invalue, andgrayeddownwithgreensandblues.Herdarkeyes,browsandhairreflectherHispanicheritage.

ComposethePortraitWithaThree-ValueThumbnailSketchUse a value plan towork out light,middle and dark shapes, size and subjectplacement.Whenyouworkonasurfacewithafixedsize,it'sessentialtoplaceyoursubjectcorrectlyatthestart.Rememberthattherabbet(rebate)willcover⅜″(10mm)allaround,soavoidtangentsinthecornersandsides,andbecarefulnottocrowdtheheadatthetopofthecanvas.Besurethatyourvaluesketchisproportionaltothecanvas,andmarkthecenter.

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

• Identify the center of interest. To make Tasha's compelling gaze thecenter of interest, both eyes need to be treated equally. In this way, theviewerwillbeenticedintolookingbackandforthfromeyetoeye.

•Determinethecompositionaldesign.Useathree-valuethumbnailsketchtowork out a value plan, the distribution of the negative spaces and theplacement of the subject on the canvas. This portrait is a painting aboutlight,sinceonlyabout15percentofthesurfaceareawillbedark.

•Determine the color of light. Photos taken outdoors under a patio roofresultedinaflat indirect light,blockingboththecoolbluelightfromtheskyanddirectyellowsunlight.TheKelvintemperatureinthesephotoswasprobably in themiddle,about8500K,which is similar to lightonahazyday. Flat neutral light offers very little temperature differences betweenlightandshadow—it'sboringtopaintandboringtoview.Astheartist,youneedtodecidehowyou'dliketopushthecolortemperature—goonewayortheother,butdon'tsitonthefence.Forthisdemonstration,assumethatthelightiscoolandtheshadowsarewarm.

•Determinethecolorharmony.Strongredsandred-violetsinTasha'sdresssuggest a red-green complementary color harmony, easily accomplishedwithgreenfoliage.

FlatLight:TheArtist'sChoiceWhere light and shadow are close in value and temperature, you canmake aconscious choice to pick a color temperature for the light source.This pair ofresourcephotos,shotinquicksuccession,allowsthebestfacialexpressionandbodylanguagetobecombined.

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

1|PreparetheCanvasandDrawthePortraitTonethecanvaswithTerreVertethinneddownwithTurpenoid.Markthecenterwitha6Bcharcoalpenciltocorrespondtothecenterofthethumbnailsketch. Next, use a no. 2 bristle filbert brush to draw the portraitwithTerreVerte,followingtheplacementworkedoutinthethumbnail.

2|CommittotheBackgroundLooselyplacedgreens,yellow-greensandblue-greenscreate the impressionoffoliage.Gettingthebackgroundplacedearlyisimportanttothepaintingbecauseit establishes a value against which other values can be judged, and a coloragainstwhichothercolors,especiallyskintones,canbejudged.Mixsomedarktomiddle-valuegreensfromCadmiumLemon,PhthaloGreen,UltramarineBlue andTitaniumWhite.Neutralize some of themwithAlizarinCrimson. Move some background color into the edges of the hair for softtransitions lateron.NoticehowPhthaloGreenchangesdramaticallywitheventinyadditionsofTitaniumWhite,soadditsparingly.

3|PainttheSkinTonesinLightLightly scrub in lights with a no. 4 bristle filbert, following your cool lightsource assumption. Upward-facing planes will pick up ambient blue from thesky;sideward-facingplaneswillreflectgreenfromthefoliage;anddownward-facingplaneswillbea littlewarmer, influencedby thedress, theearthand,ofcourse,thecoollightsource.Mixseveralhuesandtemperaturestorepresenttheaveragecolorandvalueofskin in light. Neutralize a base of TitaniumWhite and Permanent Rose withPhthaloGreenandCadmiumLemon.AddCadmiumScarlet.

4|PainttheSkininShadowLightlypaintintheshadowpattern.Thetransitionfromlighttoshadowismostsubtleintheforehead.Useadrysablebrushtoblendtheedgeswhilethey'restillwet.Mixseveralwarmer,grayed-downhuestoapproximatetheaveragecolorandvalueoftheskininshadow.

DrawingthePortraitinOil

Takethedrawingasfarasnecessarytofeelcomfortablemovingintocolor.It'softenhelpfultomakeamorecompletedrawingwhenyourresourcephotosareflat,asinthiscase.TheTerreVertedrawing,easytoerasewithTurpenoid,helpsyou explore the structure of the face that is not readily apparent from thephotographs. Although the likeness will be lost many times throughout thepaintingprocess,thisvisualdressrehearsalmakesiteasiertoregainit.Thisthindrawingcansitforhoursordays,andgivesyouachancetofinderrorsthatyoucancorrectonceyoubeginusingcolor.

5|PainttheEyeSocketsMixwarmandcooldarkbrownsfromCadmiumScarletandUltramarineBlue.Useasmallbristlefilbert(no.2or4)tofirstmodeltheshapeoftheeyesocket,looselyplacingtheirises.Youcancorrectthegazelater.Modelbotheyesatthesametime.

6|CompletetheEyes(detail)Paint the whites of the eyes in a grayed-down neutral mixed from TitaniumWhite,UltramarineBlue, PhthaloGreen andCadmiumLemon.Thewhites ofthe eyes get a small cast shadow under the upper lashes that is mixed fromUltramarineBlueandTitaniumWhite.Painttheirisesfromthreeo'clocktosixo'clockwithawarmer, lighterbrown; thepupil isaspotofblack,mixedfromPhthalo Green and Alizarin Crimson. Place tiny catch lights at ten o'clock,keeping themsmall.Keep focusedon theeyesasyourcenterof interest,withsharperedges,greatercontrastandsaturatedcolor.

BeCautiouswithPhthaloGreen

Typically, this is where you'd want to place your darkest darks, whichwouldincludethehair.Sincethere'ssomuchPhthaloGreeninthebackground,giveitafew hours to set up a little before painting into it. Otherwise, it's easy toaccidentally pickup and transfer Phthalo Green into other undesirable places.The eyes can adequately describe the darkest dark. If you have troublecontrollingthePhthaloGreen,tryViridianinstead.

7|IModeltheNose,PlacetheBrows(detail)Paintthenosewithvariationsofcolorsyou'vealreadymixed—coolerwherethelightstrikesmostdirectly;warmeranddarkerattheshadow'score.Comparetheturningedgeofthenosetothesofterturnoftheforeheadandthesharperedgesintheeyes.AfleckofAlizarinCrimsonplacesthenostrils.Theedgeatthetopofmenostrilissharperthantheedgeatthebottom.It'softeneasiertoplacetheeyebrows,whicharesoimportanttolikeness,afteryouhavepaintedthenose.Thenyouhavebothcornersoftheeyesaswellasthewingsofthenoseashelpfullandmarks.

8|ModeltheMouth(detail)Useavarietyofreds,red-orangesandred-violetstopaintthemouth.TouchthecornerswithAlizarinCrimson,andpaint thehighlight ina lightcool red.Theplacement and shapeof the light on the lower lipwill define the shapeof themouth,soitmustbeconsideredcarefully.

9|PainttheHairSquintatthehairtofinditsthreebasicvalues,justasyou'dapproachthethree-valuethumbnailsketch.Usethesamebrownsyoumixedfortheeyes,paintingthegeneralshapes.Keepthehairlineverysoftwhereitmeetstheskin.Uselarge,loose strokes to integrate lost and found edges where the hair meets thebackground.Exaggeratetemperaturesifyou'dlike—afterall, this isapainting,notaphotograph!Usegrayed-downbluesandblue-violetstopainttheareasofhairinlight.

10|PainttheDressPaint the dress in its dominant color andvalue:middle-value, slightly grayed-downred-violet.Darkenandgraydownareasofthedressinshadowbybrushingbackgroundgreensoverthereds.Paintthepatternontopoftheoverallcolor.

11|MakeProofreadingCorrectionsCorrectthelikenessbybroadeningthefaceatthecheekbones.Correctthevaluesbydarkeningtheshadowedsideoftheface.Enliventhehairwithbrushworkanddarkaccents.Signthepainting.PORTRAITOFTASHADIXONOiloncanvas18″×14″(46cm×36cm)CollectionoftheartistFINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGYOURPAINTING•Isthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.

•Isthecompositioneffective? Yes.•Arecolortemperaturesunifiedinshadowandlight? Yes.•Isthecolorharmonyeffective? Yes.•Aretheedgesstatedeffectively?Notquite.Whiletheedgessupportthecenterofinterest,thehairistoouniformlysofttobalancethepatterninthedress.Adddark,crispaccentstoimprovebalanceandaddsecondaryedgeinterest.

•Isthereanoptimalplaceforthesignature? Yes.Bymakingpaintingdecisionsattherighttime,thefinishingproblemscanall

be easily dealtwith.Even small likeness adjustments canbemade at the end.Movingsomethingjustasmidgencanmakeanenormousdifferenceinlikeness.

DEMONSTRATION3:WATERCOLORPORTRAITSkinTone,CaucasianMaterialsList

• Paper: Arches 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-press, 16″ × 12″ (41cm × 30cm),stretched

•Brushes:1-inch(25mm)flatsable;no.8roundsable•No.2pencil•Kneadederaser• Standard watercolor palette (see MINI-DEMONSTRATION 3: ASIANGROUP,WATERCOLOR),plusCadmiumRed

•Maskingfluid•Razorbladetoliftouthighlights

PaintingAshlee inwatercolorwas a delight.Watercolor iswell suited to hertranslucentcomplexion,clearblueeyesandlightblondhair.Herskinisorange,lighttomiddle-lightinvalue,andonlyveryslightlygrayeddownwithgreen.

Finishedpainting

EARLYDECISIONS:THINKBEFOREYOUPAINT

• Identify the center of interest. Ashlee's right eye (our left) catches thelightandwillbethepointofgreatestimpact.Sharpestedgeswillbeinthiseye,withsecondaryedgesinthebackgroundandshineofherhair.

•Determinethecompositionaldesign.Inwatercolorvignettes,youcanletthe clean white paper balance the image. This is a great opportunity topaintahigh-keypainting,whereallofthevalues(excepttinyaccentareas)aremiddle-valueorlighter,andyouusetemperature,saturationandedgestocreatedimension.

•Determinethecolorof light.Alttiough the light is filteredanddiffused,it'sclearlywarm,lettingtheshadowscool.

• Determine the color harmony. Ashlee's peaches-and-cream coloringwould easily support an analogous orange color scheme accented withdiscords.However, a yellow-violet complementary color harmonywouldbemoreinteresting,particularlysincetherewillbeasubstantialamountofwhiteleftonthesurface.

1|DrawthePortraitByusingano.2penciltoplacetheheadcenteredlefttorightandslighdycloserto the top than the bottom of the paper, you'll keep a little wiggle room forcroppingwhenyou'refinished.Drawtheportraittothelevelofcompletionyouprefer.Now,erasethedrawingwithakneadederaser,leavingjustaghostofthedrawing.

TheImportanceofDrawing

Of the threemediums shown in this book,watercolor is the least amenable tobeing changed. Therefore, I recommend spending more time in the drawingphase than youmight in the other twomediums.When you paint watercolorportraitsfromlife,tryusingtheentirefirstmodelingsessiontogetyourlikenessestablished.Inpaintingfromphotos,takeasmuchtimeasyou'dlike,butavoidthetemptationtooverworkthedrawing!

MIDDLEDECISIONS:THEPAINTINGPROCESS

During the process of painting, you'll be working on both likeness and colormixing. Since watercolor can be easily overworked, it's usually easier toestablishyourlikenessbeforeyoubegintoapplycolor.

ToMaskorNot?

Usingmasking fluid is a highly personal choice. It's a lifesaver to escape that“painted around” look that is often characteristicofoverworkedor amateurishpaintings.Thedownsideisthatitinvariablyleavesuniformlysharpedgesonceit's removed.Get thebestofbothworldsby limitingmasking toareas thatnotonly need to stay very light, but whose sharp edges you want to preserve.Experiment—afterall,it'sjustapieceofpaper!

2|ApplyMaskingandFirstWashPreserve thewhite of the paper in the areas of highest value: the eye in light(includingcatchlights)areasofitssocket,andthehighlightsonthenose,lower

lipandhair.Usea1-inch(25mm)flatsablebrushtowashtheskinareasinRawSienna.Allowthewashtomovethroughthehairandintothebackground.Dropasmallamount of RoseMadder Genuine into the cheek in the light. Let it dry. Thiswash'svalueshouldmatchtheaveragevalueoftheskininlight,butshouldbedarkenoughtoeasilyseethemasking.

3|PainttheSkininShadowWash in the shadow shapes, starting at the forehead,with greens (Aureolin +Viridian)movingtored-violet(RoseMadderGenuine+CobaltBlue)belowtheeyebrow.DropasmallamountofRoseMadderGenuineintothewetcheekarea.Letitdry.

4|AdjusttheValueoftheSkininShadowDarkentheskininshadowwithanotherwashofred-violetandred.Establishthejawlineinshadow,keepingtheedgessoft.

5|ModeltheStructureoftheFaceinLightSwitchtotheroundsablebrush.Wetthecheekinlight,thenapplyalightwashofRoseMadderGenuinetotheareaofthecheekwhereitmeetsthewingofthenose,thelipsandtheturningplanewherethelowereyesocketmeetstheuppercheek.Softentheedgeswhereneededwhilethepaperisstillwet.Letitdry.

6|ModeltheStructureoftheFaceinShadowUse a darker version of the red-violet you've alreadymixed to place areas ofdarkershadow.Someoftheseshadowswillgointotheinnercorneroftheeyesocketinlight.

7|PainttheEyesinThreeStagesThisishowtheeyesshouldlookwhencompleted.

a|PlacetheIrisesPainttheirisesandcastshadowsundertheupperlashesinCobaltBlue.Placingtheirisessetsthegaze.Ifyou'reunsureaboutplacement,workitoutwithyourpencilfirst.Letitdry.

b|CompletetheIrisesAdjustthevalueandhueoftheiriseswithCobaltBlue.Rememberthatthecatchlight(here,at teno'clock)sits in thedarkestpartof theiris; thelightestpart isoppositeataboutfouro'clock.Althoughtheentireeyeonourrightisinshadow,thevaluerelationshipsatteno'clockandfouro'clockstillhold.Letitdry.

c|CompletetheLidsandBrowsUse amixofCobaltBlue andBurntSienna to paint the brows.Tokeep theirinnercornerssoft,wetthemfirst.Restatethecreasesintheupperlids,observingthethreeprinciplesofshadow:lowercontrast,lowersaturationandsofteredges.Letitdry.

8|ModeltheNose(detail)Indicate thenostrilwitha tiny strokeofAlizarinCrimson.Wetand thenpaintwhere thenose turnsunder tomeet the lipwitha touchofCadmiumRedandAureolin.Thisisnowthewarmestareaofskincoloronthepaper.Thenostrilinshadowhascooler,lesssaturatedcolorthaninlightandtheedgesaresofter,too.

9|ModeltheMouth(detail)Keep the upper and lower edges of the lips soft by wetting the edge beforepainting.UsingRoseMadderGenuine, startondrypaper at theedgebetweenthe lips and let the color flow toward the outer edges.While the paper is stillwet,coolthelipinshadowwithAlizarinCrimson.

TheFinishedResult

10|PainttheHairandBackgroundPaintbothinthesamestepsothatyoucanworkinsomelostandfoundedgeswhere the shapesmeet. Paint the hair in lightwith different strengths ofRawSienna.Asthehairmovesintoshadow,graduallyaddBurntSienna.Wherethehairiscompletelyinshadow,neutralizetheBurntSiennawithCobaltBlueandViridian.Tounifycolor,paintthebackgroundwithred-violetsandblue-violetsalreadyusedelsewhere.Letyouredgesvary tocreate supportingsecondaryedgesandimpartalivelysensetothesurface.Removethemaskingbeforeproofreading.

FINALDECISIONS:PROOFREADINGTHEPAINTINGIsthecenterofinterestclear? Yes.Isthecompositioneffective? Yes.Arethecolortemperaturescorrect? Yes.Aretheedgeswell-stated?No.Theareascoveredbymaskingareallthesamewhite,andtheedgesarethesame.Mostneedtobesoftenedandcolored.Also,thecatchlightintheshadowedeyeissimplyinthewrongplace.Itneedstobepaintedoutand,oncedry,repositionedwithascratchfromarazorblade.

Isthesignatureneeded? Yes.

11|MakeFinalCorrectionsMostoftheremainingtasksinvolvecorrectingormitigatingmaskedareas.Placethesignaturewithpencil.ASHLEEWatercoloronArchescold-pressedwatercolorpaper15″×10″(38cm×25cm)Collectionoftheartist

CONCLUSION

GOLDENEYESPastelonCansonpaper16″×20″(41cm×51cm)CollectionoftheartistThisis,infact,thebeginning.Ihopethetoolsandlessonspresentedinthisbookwillhelpyoumoveforwardfromwhereveryouaretoday.Ifthetruthbeknown,someofthefinestpainterswilltellyouthattheirworkis

onlyabout15percentaresultofinborntalent;thelargerpartisaresultofgoodtrainingandpractice,practice,practice.Michelangelos,VermeersandSargentscomealongonce inacentury.Willyoupaint like them?Probablynot.NeitherwillI.Beinspired,notdiscouraged.Bethebestpainteryoucanbe.There'snosubstituteforputtinginthehours.It'sabeautifulworldoutthere.Grabyourbrushes.Someonehastopaintit,and

itmightaswellbeyou.

APPENDIXARecommendedResourcesTOOLSANDSUPPLIES BOOKS VIDEOS

AnalogousColorWheel—HalReedArtVideoProductionsP.O.Box92343Pasadena,California91109(888)513-2187www.artvideostore.com

Dobie,Jeanne.MakingColorSing.NewYork:Watson-Guptill,1986.

Greene,Daniel.PastelPortrait.LeFranc&Bourgeois,1989.(914)669-5653.

Kreutz,Greg.ProblemSolvingforOilPainters.NewYork:Watson-Guptill,1986.

Silverman,Burton.PaintingtheFigureinWatercobr,SignilarArtVideo,1996;PortraitofaYoungGirl:Jenny(oil),SignilarArtVideo,2000.(800)205-4904.

WallisArchivalSandedPastelPaper(800)760-7870

Quiller,Stephen.ColorChoices.NewYork:Watson-Guptill,1989.

QuillerColorWheelQuillerGalleryP.O.Box160Creede,Colorado81130(800)876-5760

Schmid,Richard.AllaPrima:EverythingIKnowAboutPainting.Longmont,Colorado:StovePrairiePress,1998.WestWindFineArt&Antiques,(800)939-9932.

TheMichaelWilcoxSchoolofColourGibbetLane

Silverman,Burton.Sight&Insight.NewYork:MadisonSquarePress,1998.Merrill-JohnsonGallery,(303)333-1566.

WhitchurchBristolBS140BXUnitedKingdomTel:01275835500Fax:01275892659www.schoolofcolor.com

Whitney,Richard.PaintingtheVisualImpression.1995.MinnesotaRiverSchoolofFineArt,190RiverRidgeCircle,Burnsville,Minnesota55337,(612)890-4182.

APPENDIXBKelvinTemperaturesforPortraitPainters

NaturalLight ArtificialLightClearBlueSky 12000+ XenonArc 6420HazySky 7500 CameraFlash 5500NoonSunlight 6500 3200Tungsten 3200Sunlightat10:00amand2:00pm 5500 Halogen 3000SunriseandSunset 2200 500WattIncandescent 2960

100WattIncandescent 286540WattIncandescent 2650Candlelight 1900

Unlessartificiallightisspecificallyrated,temperaturesareapproximate.

Sources: Kodak: www.kodak.com; Kodak Color Films & Papers forProfessionals,1996;ThePhotographer'sGuidetoUsingFilters,JosephMeehan,1992.

APPENDIXCSampleColorCharts

Foreachskintonegroup,mixenoughbasecolortoaddothermodifyingcolorsassuggested.Caucasianskintones(blondes,redheadsandbrunettes)allusethesamethreecolorsasastartingpoint.Changeproportionstomatchtheskincolorofanygivenindividual.

CAUCASIANSKINTONESAMPLES

KeyAC=AlizarinCrimsonCL=CadmiumLemonCS=CadmiumScarletPG=PhthaloGreenPR=PermanentRoseTW=TitaniumWhiteUB=UltramarineBlueUV=UltramarineViolet

ASIANSKINTONESAMPLES

KeyAC=AlizarinCrimsonCL=CadmiumLemonCS=CadmiumScarletPG=PhthaloGreenPR=PermanentRoseTW=TitaniumWhiteUB=UltramarineBlueUV=UltramarineViolet

HISPANICSKINTONESAMPLES

KeyAC=AlizarinCrimson

CL=CadmiumLemonCS=CadmiumScarletPG=PhthaloGreenPR=PermanentRoseTW=TitaniumWhiteUB=UltramarineBlueUV=UltramarineViolet

BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICANSKINTONESAMPLES

KeyAC=AlizarinCrimsonCL=CadmiumLemonCS=CadmiumScarletIB=IvoryBlackPG=PhthaloGreenPR=PermanentRoseTW=TitaniumWhiteUB=UltramarineBlueUV=UltramarineViolet