Starting The Painting

• For first-time portrait painters, it is recommended to paint from a photograph rather than a live subject. Live subjects present complications because they are limited in the amount of time that they can sit for a portrait, which rushes the painter. Also, changing light conditions and even subtle changes in the position of the subject can throw the painter for a loop.
  Study your subject before attempting a painting. Complete some quick drawings of your subject to capture gesture and expression. Keep these drawings free and loose. You may even want to use charcoal or vine charcoal as your medium, in place of a pencil.
  Gesture is often more easily captured spontaneously. Begin your painting by quickly applying a thin layer on the canvas, capturing your first impressions of the position of the subject. Cover the canvas with paint, without too much regard for accuracy. Do not yet add detail to the forms. Thin the paint with turpentine.
  
  

Painting Tips

• Skin tone can be difficult to match, especially for inexperienced painters. Take risks if you run into trouble. To find the balance you need, try mixing in the opposite color of what you expect to use. If you are working from a photograph, hold it against the painting for a point of comparison.
  Apply the paint in thicker layers as the painting begins to develop---this is a rule known as "fat over lean." Oil paint dries at different speeds, depending on how much oil it contains. Paint that has been thinned with turpentine should not go on top of paint that is thicker, because the thicker paint will dry more slowly and will crack the thinner paint as it contracts.
  If you are new to portrait painting, don't agonize too much over making the painting look exactly like the subject. Human faces are difficult to match. You can worry about making a painting that looks exactly like the subject later on. For more advanced portrait painters, there are some tricks that can be used to make the portrait more accurately look like the subject. Try flicking your eyes back and forth between the subject and the painting. The differences in shapes in the face and subtle variations of lines should become apparent. Turning the painting upside down also allows you to see inconsistencies in the symmetry of the face and other areas that need correction.
  
  

More Than Just An Image

• Traditionally, the point of a portrait is to paint the whole person, beyond the physical characteristics. Portraits are made in honor or be a memorial of their subjects, often to commemorate their life, great deeds or stature. You should capture more than just a face in a portrait. The portrait should include the subject's personality, conveyed through expression, through dress and through objects incorporated into the image, like objects belonging to the subject.