3 Killer Portrait Tips to Level Up!

Hey this is the first post of the year, so I've decided to make it about one of the first things I practiced when starting my career: how I studied portraits, how I kept practicing, and my current technique.

Why Portraits?

Portraits are one of the hardest things to learn in anatomy and drawing, yet probably the most powerful when creating art, as they capture people's attention the most.

I didn't start painting portraits strategically. I simply felt drawn to them. Through the process, I explored different styles and techniques. My first attempts were very poor since I'd never painted realistic portraits digitally, only traditionally. So I decided to mix techniques while trying to nail realistic pictures.

Over time, I simplified my approach. People often say my characters feel alive (that's why I titled my book Life in Every Sketch). Most of my characters have expressions, reacting to something, which makes them relatable and powerful.

Here are three key tips I've learned:

Tip 1: Simplify your technique

Instead of full fleshed paintings as practice, capture key shapes from references through line work like eyes, mouth, head silhouette, and eventually full bodies. This process is key to master skills to some extent. As one of my patrons said recently on our Discord group, he struggled because he used to lose what he learned about colors. This is normal. The more complex the task and the less you do it, the quicker you forget or feel rusty. That's why simplification is key, but it's a process that takes time. Start any way you feel comfortable, then eventually simplify.

Tip 2: Master facial expressions gradually

Mastering face expressions is tough but absolutely useful to make characters relatable and powerful. Start with bland neutral expressions if things are too difficult, then slowly take bigger challenges like portraits of people crying, screaming, laughing, etc.

Tip 3: Avoid complex shadows early on

Do not use complex shadows at the beginning of your process. Keep faces flat in terms of values, especially if you want to paint over drawings. Shadows can change expressions, making characters look older or more masculine. Line expressions defined by shadows are very strong, and it takes time to smooth them unnoticed. Be careful with this, specially on cheeks and the area around the nose.

How's your year going so far?