Portrait Painting by E.W. Harvey
Painting Tips
Four Important Points to Remember:
1. A palette with muddy colors will result in a similar painting! Keep your palette full and neat--don't delay to replenish any pigments that are missing. You will end up substituting the wrong hue to make do!2. Sketch out with paint the main position of the features and block in all major areas with the main lights and darks before you allow yourself to get into details. The details are the fun part, and the icing on the cake.
3. Avoid hard edges! Let the hair blend into the background in certain areas. Allow the lines of the composition to be created by various value areas rather than distinct lines.
4. Take care with perspective regarding the position of eyes and nose. ...Use your vision and not your mind to place things! Look at the photo upside down to judge the distances between nose and mouth, for instance. Also, note that on a baby or toddler the eyebrows are postioned in the center of the oval--while an adult the eyes are in the center!
5. Be daring...Experiment! The more you practice, the more you will free yourself to paint with freedom and instinct.