Painting noses; One-color portrait

Building a face by layering values in a one-color portrait

Doing a one-color (monochromatic) portrait helps you understand the features without worrying about "what color do I use?" or "warm or cool?". Below is a finished monochrome of my #2 daughter. I used burnt sienna throughout, and when I needed to darken the hues I used bits of French ultramarine and less water when burnt sienna would go no darker.

For this demo, I am using French ultramarine throughout because it can go from a very pale blue (when watered down) to a very dark value. 

First mask out any pure whites you want to save. I only masked the highlight in the eyes and a few things strands of hair and a small highlight on the tip of the nose.

When masking is dry, cover the entire face in a pale wash for the lightest values. If I feel confident enough, while the first value is damp, I create a slightly darker wash (by adding more paint to the puddle I've created), then paint over everything that is darker than the first wash. You should now have two values painted, but they should blend softly, no hard lines between the values. Dry the painting.

In this blue version,  you see where I wet the entire face and hat, then put a very diluted solution of paint for the lightest layer. Since it was still wet, I put in my second value in any place that would eventually get darker: under the hat, on the neck, around the eyes near the upper nose, under the chin, etc I was using the water to keep the edges very soft at this point. BUT IF your first layer is not damp all over, dry it first. Then wet the area and put in your second value anyplace that is darker than the first value.

I am using my 3-or-4 value from Notanizer to give a general idea of where to place the next values. BUT this does not mean this will only have 3 or 4 values. I also look for nuances in the black and white photo to make decisions.

Here is my next layer of value. 

Wet the painting again only in areas where you want to paint values darker than the first two. Large areas--under hat, around nose, chin, neck, etc--are wet in wet. Smaller areas--ear, iris, mouth, are on dry paper. Increase the darkness of your paint by adding more paint to your puddle, and again add darker paint to anything that is darker than the first two values. Dry the whole painting.

This next layer is completely on dry paper, as I'm dealing more with small spaces with some hard edges. I've painted in the mouth and eyes and some details and shadows on the hat. Dry again.

I've added another darker layer beneath the hat and some background. For this darker layer, I added some indigo to the French ultramarine mixture. Dry again.

I added some background. 

Finally, I reached a point where I can do some lifting and corrections. I removed all miskit, then lifted just beneath the eyebrow; on the cheek; on the lips; a little around the mouth; some softening around the nose. I'm not completely happy with the chin, but if I mess too much with it it will make a mess. Mostly it has been a process of adding one value layer over another, then sharpening some details. 

By the time you have 3 or 4 values, the spaces you paint will get smaller and smaller. You can switch to the wet on dry method, but you are always smoothing the edges to keep them soft. Examples of this would be around the nostrils, which gets pretty dark, but must be softened into the lip and cheek areas.

This is the most valuable skill for painting portraits: learning to keep the edges soft. When you need to soften edges that are still damp, apply the paint; then clean your brush, dab the water out of it, and use this to pull out the edges so they are softer. 

TIP ON MIXING YOUR PAINT:

FIRST put the amount of WATER you want to use on the palette well. Since you will be using the same color over and over, make plenty so you don't have to keep mixing it up.

Second, add the paint a little at a time until you have a very diluted mix. Test it on a scrap of paper to see if it is dark enough.

REMEMBER that this is wet in wet, so your color will be even lighter because you will be adding the paint to the wet paper.

When you have your first layer, then add a little more paint to the water mix to kick it up a value or two.TEST it on scrap paper to see if it is dark enough (or too dark). Adjust the paint to water ratio until you get the next value. Make sure there is enough to paint the space you need to cover so you don't have to keep dipping into the paint and remixing.

Painting Noses in Watercolor

Here is a short YouTube on painting a nose in watercolor:

https://www.google.com/search?q=painting+nose+in+watercolor&rlz=1CATRIY_enUS1088&oq=painting+nose+in+watercolor&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORigATIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRifBTIHCAUQIRifBdIBCTczMTRqMGoxNagCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vhid=lZHstyBTeucikM&vld=cid:9ec2fc96,vid:kYmNGO8C9jg,st:0&vssid=l

You can also refer to my blog of May 2017 for nose

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8812132386157895665/7104778837003534086.

Painting eyes and beginning a value study

Preparing a drawing for a value study

The next step to doing a portrait is to do a value study. This has several advantages:

    1. You get practice softening edges and creating soft transitions with just one color.

    2. You get more familiar with the face.

Here is the picture I am going to demo.  First I printed off both a 3 value from Notanizer and a black and white photo. I will use both to help me find major shapes and more subtle shapes.

If you are not confident enough to draw the face on your own, do this:

ON THE B&W PHOTO, I used a fine point Sharpie to outline the important shapes: eyes, lips, nose, etc.

I made dotted lines where there will be gentle shading. I copied it onto regular paper and made adjustments where needed. (This prevents me from having to erase or make too many marks on my watercolor paper, thus damaging the paper.) The Sharpie will show up better on  a light box, and you won't accidentally trace shadows instead of correct shapes. When you are happy with your picture, trace it onto your watercolor paper.

When I am DRAWING my face instead of tracing, I draw a rough sketch on regular paper. I use tracing paper (transparent) and redraw just the lines I want. Only after I like the sketch do I transfer it to my watercolor paper.

Everybody has a scale they feel comfortable with drawing. You can draw your portrait on the scale you are comfortable with, then ENLARGE your final drawing to the size you want to paint.

Gently erase lines that seem too dark, leaving enough mark that you can see it. I like to roll a kneaded eraser over the entire picture, which picks up some of the loose graphite from the pencil.

I masked off the highlight in the eyes and a few strands of hair. Using a 1" flat brush, I wet the entire face. Then I put a pale wash of burnt sienna wet into wet over the entire face and some hair. I used a flat brush because the wash goes on smoother, and I can apply more paint at one time, avoiding getting back-runs. I dried that, then put in the next value on the face under the hat, chin, and neck. Notice that I covered the white of the eyes with a light value also. We'll continue this next week.

PAINTING EYES

Here is the blog from May, 2017 on how to draw and paint eyes. I really haven't changed how I do it in the past 8 years. 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8812132386157895665/2620890659995623982

Here is a video on proportions of the face, including a few things about eyes we discussed: The face is about 5 eye widths wide and 7 eye widths long. the distance between eyes is an eye width; the side of the nose comes to the inside of the eye; the width of the mouth comes about at your pupils. And if you drew a line from your right nostril through your pupil, you could find where the arch of the brow is. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3xK-8cF_E

Knowing general proportions of the face helps you to see what may be different about a face....a narrower nose, eyes closer together, etc.

GETTING A LIFTING BRUSH/ MAKING ONE

You will eventually need a stiff brush for lifting highlights. For faces, I generally use a Monarch #4

flat or filbert. They make "scrubbing" brushes, which cost about $5 for a pack of 3 different sizes. Those are stiffer bristle brushes, useful but not gentle. You can make your own by taking an old used brush. I wrap the bristles in tape, then cut them with a razor blade to make a shorter bristled, stiffer brush for lifting. You can also get inexpensive flat brushes that are nylon but a bit stiffer than your normal brush. I think they are by Simply Simmons.

A 6 min video on lifting: She used a regular brush, but it can be hard on my good brushes, so I use special ones for lifting dried paint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmbmEu0rC7Q

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.

 

Portraits

 We are beginning a 6-week concentration on portraits. This will not necessarily be DRAWING portraits, but painting them in watercolor. However, we will be covering a bit about drawing just to understand the structure and how it could be painted.

This week is mostly introduction and instruction on the first project: an Andy Warhol style portrait using the app Notanizer. The app is only about $2 for either android or apple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpj6nPluM3I&t=258s

Start with a photo that you would like to paint. Adjust the 3-level areas until you are happy with the result. (adjust by using the slide at the bottom) You can also try 4 levels. Print out the result the size you want it to be, especially if you are tracing. Make adjustments as needed. You don't want a lot of details or jagged edges, and if an important area was lost, use a marker to draw it in. Eliminate unimportant parts, like background or over-fussy areas. The Notan is a starting point, and it's up to you to refine the drawing.

Trace the markings onto watercolor paper. 

Decide which colors you want to be light, medium, or dark values. You can make it monochrome, but it's fun to come up with color combinations. Generally, colors in light values are yellows, but if you paint wet enough, they can be any color. 

I often paint the entire face first in my light value, no matter what. After it dries, I paint the other two values in the medium value color, right over the light value. Then I paint the dark value color over that in the areas I want dark.

Here's an example:

Carol L's photo:

Photo changed and adjusted in Notanizer, 3 values.

I also printed out the black and white for later reference.

Here is the picture transferred to watercolor paper. Note some changes.

Here is my first value layer. (Some choose to leave this white) I used yellow.

You can use a pale shade of any color, warm works best.

Here is my second value layer painted with green over the first. 

Third value layer painted in Prussian blue.

PRACTICE FOR PAINTING SKIN TONES

There are several skills we are going to work on throughout this six weeks. 

One is creating skin tones. Another is going to be softening edges.

You can use this pattern or just use squares or circles for this.

Choose two colors for the basic skin tone; for example, raw sienna and coral.

Then choose two more colors, one that would cool off the mixture; one that would warm it.

you can choose blues, greens, violets for cooling; oranges (esp burnt orange) and reds to warm it.

In one area, lay down the skin tone base. One one edge use a cool color to the wet paint; on the other edge use a warm color to warm it up.

One the one beside it, paint the skin tone base and let it dry... after it is DRY, glaze over it with a cool color, then on the other side, glaze with a warm color.

Do this experiment with different skin bases and different cools and warms. Try to replicate several skin tones, both light and dark.

Here is one of my blogs on flesh tones:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8812132386157895665/2223522913854128563

Here are some youtubes that describe ways to mix flesh tones. There are so many ways, and you will find one that feels good to you.

Emily Olson: 6 min video on color mixing for skin tones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QECbTP1gJ0A

Jane-Beata

13 min video using 3 colors only

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrtQd7yofTc

Bucciarelli - 16 min - the first 10 discuss mixing 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka2K2Jmi2XE

Mind of Watercolor - 21 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvPEbXAtUsE

2025 "Trash to Treasure"

 Trash to Treasure

Last September I showed how to make a fun abstract from unsuccessful paintings. Everyone "shared" some cut up paintings, then put them together on an 11 x 14 backing. Then we had to find ways to unite them all with repetition of pattern , color, texture, and other elements of design.

You can find the directions in the Sep 2024 blog link here:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8812132386157895665/1865667217418053507

There were some pretty unique results from today's class; several ideas I never thought of.

Here they are (mostly unfinished):

Vicki

Meg--pulling it together by repeating the orange in some bird stencils.

Sarah: using stencils for the GRID first, then using a green leaf

stencil to unify the pattern, then collaging on the stencil itself.

David's: Love the color balance and the use of smaller shapes within shapes

Barb, using some ink to create unique designs..and some gold for the peacock

Here are Meg's complete paintings with background done first.

Vicki, from last week's project: Here busy background is united with

a honeycomb stencil overall, then grounding it with black bee and flowers.

Creating a Painting from an Abstract Background

 Creating a painting from your abstract background

I chose this background:

I turned it vertically and drew this picture of Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota:

You can see I took some cobalt blue and lightly began to put in some shadow color to "find" the objects in the picture.

It's important that you try to put in your darks first. You already have light values and white values, and some medium. You need to get in those darks to see your way around the painting. You may evaluate later and make them darker or lighter, but getting them in to see the overall pattern of shapes is important in this process.

Here I've begun to add some colors to the greens and the pots. This paper is a softer paper, and I was having trouble getting my paint to be dark enough. I resorted to using some water color pencil on the red flowers and to straighten some lines in the columns.

I continued to work on the darks. I pushed the greens, probably darker than I wanted.

I wanted to show two or three things that people could try. Below are three products: watercolor ground, Dr. PH Martin's Bleed Proof White, and a matte medium.

Below I showed a method of stamping that Karlyn Holman recommended in her book. Instead of stamping directly on the watercolor paper, stamp onto some Unryu rice paper. Tear around the piece, then apply it wherever you want with matte medium to the painting. It gives you freedom to move it around before putting it on, and adds a little texture from the rice paper. I have never had any trouble painting over it if needed.

(Pardon my stamp, I only have a few)

Here is the stamp on a column...See the extra texture from the Unryu paper?

Here the stamp is on the floor. 

  

Another product is Dr. Martin's Bleed Proof White. (There are other brands of bleed proof white that are fine, but sometimes not as thick)

Just for demonstration purposes, I applied it with a sponge and tissue over some of the greenery.

This product can be very helpful for getting back whites without looking too chalky. I sometimes use white gouache, but it can be dull and mix with the paint beneath that layer, looking dull gray instead of white. You can apply the bleed proof white thickly and get back to white, or thin it with water to just calm an area down. Dry it completely--24 hours-- if you want to try to paint over it. (More dry time if it is humid)

One note: if you are putting it over BrushO, the paint crystals might activate and make a mess. They will reactivate with any wet product, including matte medium.  Just dry that layer and add the bleed proof white again. 

If your paper has been damaged or you have a large area you would like to paint over, you can cover it with watercolor ground. White ground will bring it back to white; transparent will leave the color, but repair some of the damage. Ground must be dried 24-48 hours before painting over it.

So this is how far I've painted on this picture of the Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota. Lots more to do.

I'm really pleased with the paintings everyone has come up with, using the method of painting background first. Only a few are completely finished.

Sarah

Shirley

Pam

Bev

Meg

Jackie

Kerry

Barb

USING STENCILS

If your under-painting is very busy or dark, dry uniting it with a stencil. You can lightly stencil over the painting or trace the edges of the stencil and color those lines in with a black pen. 

Here is an example of the first idea. 

This was a David Rogers tutorial. It started with a random wash of pale ochre. When it was dried I painted the leaf patterns and the birds. It felt a little blah, so after a while I decided to cover all except the birds with a leaf stencil. (The blue you see in the background)

Repeated patterns, such as stencils, can unite an otherwise chaotic--or boring-- picture.