3 Value Portraits

 This past week was a continuation of 3 - Value portraits, Andy Warhol style.

Here are some of Andy Warhol's famous portraits to give you an idea of the final result:

Liz Taylor: light value, pink; medium value-red for lips, blue in eye; dark value - black. Added background blue.

Below:Mao: Light value, pale blue; medium value peach in lips and background and yellow in clothes; dark value, black. Kept some white.

Michael Jackson: light value peach; Medium values blue in face, green in background; dark values: dark blue  (Hair, face) and red in clothing and hair.

The last post showed how to use Notanizer to create a 3-4 value picture. This week we modified the sketches. This is an important step. Notanizer is just a tool, not an end result. Like a basic recipe that you adjust to your own tastes. Here are some points to remember:

1. Keep the shapes as simple as possible. You are trying to get the essence of that person, not every detail. Only do as much as it takes to make it identifiable.

 2. Smooth out any jagged lines, especially on children and women. Jagged lines make them look older. and it makes painting it harder.

3. Eliminate anything that makes the face look silly or clownish.

4. If an area has too much black (or white), check the original photo to see what you can add into it to make it look more like the person. Example: There is so much shadow on the eye that it looks like a pirate patch. You might have to examine the photo to see if you can add an eye lid or light in the eye to make it look more like the person.

5. Try using 4 values to get the effect you want. 

ADDING COLOR

You can pick any color for the light value as long as you paint it light (watered down).

When you are painting the face, YOU DO NOT NEED FLESH TONES. This is Andy Warhol style, anything goes. Just pick three colors you like together. I like to paint the entire face with the lightest values first. Then for the second value I just need to paint everything that is 2nd and 3rd value, leaving the light value untouched. Then for the darkest values, I just have to paint over what is darkest values, leaving the mid value and light value untouched. 

First value painted on all the face. (you can choose to just put the first value on those areas only, but I find this easier)

Second value painted on all that is NOT the first value.

Third value painted on only what is darkest.

It's your choice whether you want to paint the background. 

I chose 3 colors to simplify, but if you want to add another color or white that's fine too.

My object here was for you to see the main shapes and values that make a person identifiable.