Portraits a la Andy Warhol

 3-value portraits

Seems everyone is scared to try a portrait. So many variables to juggle all at once: what colors for skin tones? How do I make hair? Eyes? Realistic shadows? The list goes on and on.

I wanted to take the scary out of portraits by only worrying about values and allowing the use of any color scheme.

To do this, I had everyone take a photo in strong sunlight. (This will help in identifying the values.) Crop the photo to a head shot. 

Then, using Notanizer or other photo altering app, turn the photo into a 3-value picture, adjusting it so that it captures the look of that person.

It is important to make those adjustments to your picture. Notanizer gives you a good start, but it's not perfect. You need to decide what you can eliminate and what you want to add so that the picture looks like the person. I like to see how little detail I need to make it captures the person. (On this one, I had to recover part of his face covered up by what he's holding.

 Print it out to the size you want to paint. I also print the black and white version (with all values) as a reference.

Copy or trace this 3-value picture onto watercolor paper. (if you are doing it in gouache, you can use a less expensive grade of paper)

Decide on your three colors. You will need one to represent the lightest value; one to represent the medium value; and one for the very darkest value. I usually like yellows or light greens for the lightest value, but you can also use a pale pastel of any other color. The medium value can be any color (except yellow), as long as you keep it a medium value. And the darkest values can be blue, violet, black, brown, or a darkened red. There are a lot of combinations you can make.

I start by sketching on paper. I mostly use the value picture, but I look at the black and white also for any nuances I might have missed.

When I'm happy with the sketch, I paint my lightest values in the color I've chosen. (in this case, pale green)

When that is dry, I paint my medium value in. (in this one, it is orange)

When that is dry, I paint in my darkest values. (blues) Sometimes I adjust things as I go along.

You can paint in a background if you like. You can also add blacks or whites to emphasize areas, such as a white in the eye.

If you are using watercolor (I used gouache on the one above), I like to paint my lightest values over everything. (see the pink in the one below) I do this to make it easier to paint some areas, such as the band of light in the hair.

Then I will paint in the medium tone value (blue) in just the medium areas. I have not begun to paint in the darks yet. 

For help in using the NOTANIZER app, here is a very short YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpj6nPluM3I

This is the only time I recommend an app, but it is SO useful, and I mention it a lot, both in composing a picture and in critiquing my own work.