How to Paint Realistic Portraits with Oil Paints
- Ahmed Kheder
- Jun 20, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 27
Painting realistic portraits with oil paints is a rewarding and challenging endeavor. This art form requires patience, practice, and a keen eye for detail. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this guide will walk you through the essential steps and techniques to create lifelike portraits.
Paint Realistic Portraits with Oil Paints
Materials Needed
Oil Paints: A basic set including primary colors (red, blue, yellow), white, and black.
Brushes: A variety of brushes including round, flat, and detail brushes.
Palette: A mixing palette to blend your colors.
Canvas or Board: Prepared with a suitable ground (gesso).
Palette Knife: For mixing colors and applying paint.
Mediums: Linseed oil, turpentine, or other oil painting mediums.
Rags or Paper Towels: For cleaning brushes and wiping excess paint.
Easel: To hold your canvas at a comfortable angle.
proportional divider
Light weight pencil H5 or H6
Reference statue head
Prepare The Canvas
Prepare your canvas by applying a thin layer of gesso if it's not pre-primed. Gesso is a mixture of a binder (white Glue which is polyvinyl acetate), a filler which is chalk, and whitening pigment mainly Zinc Oxide powder is used.
Once the gesso is dry, sand well and repeat the process of applying gesso and sanding till the canvas is ready.
Don't apply a thick layer of Gesso because you will make your canvas more liable to cracking.
Sketching The Composition
Select a high-quality reference whether it was a photo or a statue head. in case of using a statue head as a reference, the light source must be unchanged as long as you paint the portrait. Do not depend on natural light because the natural sunlight will change in terms of intensity and direction. use one source lamp light to create a clear shadow and tint on the portrait.
Use a light pencil H5 or H6 to sketch the basic outline of your portrait. Focus on the proportions and placement of key features (eyes, nose, mouth, and ears). Use a proportional divider to adjust the measures of the portrait key features placements. Don't change the angle or distance between you and the reference statue. in case you use a photo as a reference you can use grid line technique.
How to Use a Proportional Divider for Drawing a Portrait
A proportional divider is a tool that artists have used for centuries to achieve accurate proportions in their work, especially in portraiture where precision is crucial. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, mastering this simple yet powerful instrument can dramatically improve the accuracy and realism of your portraits.
What is a Proportional Divider?
A proportional divider is a mechanical drafting instrument that helps artists and designers transfer measurements from one scale to another with perfect accuracy. It consists of two arms joined by an adjustable pivot point. By changing the pivot’s position, you can enlarge, reduce, or maintain the same size when transferring measurements.
In portraiture, where every millimeter can make a difference in likeness, a proportional divider helps to precisely capture the relationships between facial features.
Setting Up the Proportional Divider
Before you begin drawing, you need to set up the proportional divider correctly:
Determine your scale:
1:1 scale: If you want your drawing to be the same size as your reference photo or subject.
Enlarged scale: If you want to make a bigger drawing.
Reduced scale: If you want to make a smaller drawing.
Adjust the pivot point:
Move the center pivot along the arm until the small side and the large side create the proportion you need. Most proportional dividers come with pre-marked notches or a sliding mechanism for common ratios.
Tighten the pivot:
Ensure the pivot screw is firmly tightened so the arms don’t shift during use.
Tip: If you are working from life, you may want to fix the proportional divider in a slightly larger scale to help you "map out" the portrait more loosely at first.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Proportional Divider for a Portrait
1. Choose Your Reference
Decide if you’re drawing from a live model, a photograph, or even a sculpture. Make sure the subject is well-lit and positioned consistently to avoid changes in shadows and forms.
2. Mark Anchor Points
Using the proportional divider, measure and lightly mark major anchor points on your drawing surface:
Top of the head
Chin
Width of the head
Placement of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears
How to do it:
Open the divider and place the smaller tips onto two reference points (e.g., the top of the head and the chin).
Without adjusting the divider, use the larger side to transfer that measurement to your drawing surface.
Lightly mark the points with a pencil.
This gives you a skeletal "map" of where everything will go.
3. Measure Feature Distances
Next, measure the distances between smaller features:
Eye to eye
Eye to eyebrow
Nose width
Mouth width
Distance from nose to mouth
Ears’ positioning
Use the divider to measure the distance between, for example, the corner of one eye and the other, then transfer that measurement to your paper. Continue this for every major feature.
4. Check Angles
Besides distances, proportions also involve angles — the tilt of the head, slant of the eyes, or the angle of the jawline. Use the divider like a visual guide to compare angles:
Hold the divider up to the subject, aligning it along a feature.
Without moving your hand, bring it down to your paper and adjust your lines accordingly.
This will ensure the portrait has the correct "tilt" and dynamic energy.
5. Block in the Forms
Once the main landmarks are placed:
Connect your points lightly to block in the larger shapes of the head and facial features.
Focus on broad, simple shapes first rather than getting caught up in small details.
Your initial drawing should look like a loose, geometric version of the portrait.
6. Refine the Drawing
Now that your proportions are accurate:
Gradually refine the shapes.
Add curves and subtleties.
Begin shading, modeling, and detailing.
You can keep the proportional divider handy to double-check measurements as you progress, especially for difficult areas like the mouth, which is often asymmetrical.
Practical Tips for Best Results
Work from General to Specific: Always start with big relationships (head height, width) before measuring small features.
Use Light Pressure: Make initial marks very lightly so you can erase and adjust as needed.
Step Back Often: Even with accurate measurements, it’s important to view the drawing from a distance to ensure it "reads" well overall.
Maintain Consistent Distance: Hold the divider and your drawing surface at the same distance and angle relative to your eyes to avoid parallax errors.
Be Patient: It might feel slow at first, but using the divider will speed up as you become more familiar with it.
Combine with Freehand: Eventually, you’ll internalize these measurements and rely less on the tool, but it’s always there when you need a check.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Changing Divider Scale Midway: Always use the same scale for consistency unless you intentionally want to change the size.
Incorrect Arm Orientation: Always make sure you are using the correct side of the divider (small side for measuring the reference, large side for transferring to the drawing).
Over-reliance: Don’t become too mechanical; allow some life and spirit into your lines even while keeping proportions accurate.
Underpainting
Use a monochromatic color (like burnt umber or ultramarine blue) to create an underpainting.
This will help to eliminate the stark white of the canvas and make it easier to judge values as you paint.
Begin by applying a thin, even tone to your canvas. This helps to establish a mid-tone base, making it easier to judge values later on. A mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, thinned with medium, works well for this purpose.
The medium used as an underpainting should be lean i.e. have a low percentage of binder oil. Also, it should dry fast, so, use high percent of diluent which help dryness of the binder oil by enhancing its oxidation. Another thing to mention, it should be thin in terms of the amount of pigment dispersed in the oil medium.
The medium used to thin the paint should be Turpentine 75%, Linseed oil 25%. Don't use clove oil as a diluent because it is a reducing oil and will delay dryness. Also. The binder oil should be Linseed oil because it dries faster than Walnut oil, Poppy oil, and Safflower oil.
Block in Shadows and Highlights
Identify the darkest and lightest areas in your reference and block them in This step establishes the value structure (light and dark areas) of your portrait.
Color Mixing and Application
Mix Your Colors: Start by mixing skin tones. A basic mix can include white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a touch of red. Adjust the mix to match the reference photo.
Layering: Begin with thin layers and gradually build up the paint. Oil paint's slow drying time allows you to blend colors seamlessly.
Work from Dark to Light: Apply darker colors first, then add mid-tones, and finish with highlights. This technique creates depth and realism.
Detailing
Focus on the Eyes: The eyes are the focal point of any portrait. Pay close attention to their shape, color, and reflections. Use small, detailed brushes to capture the intricate details.
Refine Features: Gradually add details to other facial features, such as the nose, lips, and ears. Use a combination of fine brushes and blending techniques.
Hair Texture: Paint the hair in layers, starting with a dark base and gradually adding lighter strands. Use a combination of brushstrokes to create texture and movement.
Blending and Smoothing
Blend Edges: Soften the edges between different areas to create a smooth transition. Use a dry brush or a soft blending brush for this purpose.
Glazing: Apply thin, transparent layers of paint (glazes) to adjust colors and enhance depth. Glazing can add a luminous quality to your portrait.
Final Touches
Adjust Values and Colors: Step back and evaluate your painting. Make any necessary adjustments to values (light and dark areas) and colors.
Add Final Details: Add any final details and highlights. Use a fine brush to add small touches that bring your portrait to life.
Sign Your Work: Once you're satisfied with your portrait, sign your name in a corner.
Drying and Varnishing
Allow to Dry: Let your painting dry completely. This can take days to weeks depending on the thickness of the paint layers.
Varnish: Apply a protective varnish to your painting. Varnish enhances the colors and protects the paint surface from dust and UV light.
Tips for Success
Patience is Key: Realistic portrait painting takes time. Don’t rush the process.
Study Anatomy: Understanding the underlying structure of the face will improve your ability to capture realistic details.
Practice Observation: Train your eyes to observe subtle details and variations in color and light.
Experiment with Techniques: Don’t be afraid to try different brushes and techniques to find what works best for you.
Seek Feedback: Share your work with others and seek constructive feedback to improve.
Conclusion
Painting realistic portraits with oil paints is a journey that combines technical skills with creative expression. By following these steps and practicing regularly, you can develop your ability to create lifelike and captivating portraits. Remember, each painting is an opportunity to learn and grow as an artist. Happy painting!
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