How to Paint a Portrait in Oil – Part 1

12/3/2015 How to Paint a Portrait in Oil – Part 1

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How to Paint a Portrait in Oil – Part 1by Will Kemp

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How to paint a black & white portrait in Oils

Have you been practising your portrait drawing for years yet making the jump to oil portrait paintingalways seems to end in an underwhelming finish?

Or do you walk around portrait galleries in awe with the question, ‘How do they do that?’

Maybe you’re frustrated by your process and don’t know how to change it.

Portraits can seem like the toughest subject to crack and you can easily be disheartened by your efforts.One wrong brushstroke can cause a subject to suddenly look ‘wrong’, panic sets in – your pencils getsharpened, charcoal out and you don’t come back to painting for a while.

But you don’t want to draw anymore, you want to paint.

So where do you begin?

A Step by Step approach

Materials



Why oil portraits?

They dry slowly, and for portraits time is essential.

Lets start at the beginning.

I’m going to keep things simple.

3 easy techniques to learn.3 basic paints to use.

Oil paint – for this series of demonstrations I will be using Artist quality oil paints.

Raw umberIvory blackFlake white (or Titanium White)

Oil paints are made by mixing ground pigment (the colour) with a drying oil. Most artist quality paintsare mixed with cold pressed linseed oil. Whites often are mixed with a different oil, walnut or poppy oil,as they are less yellowing than the linseed oil.

I’m using Artist quality paints which have a higher pigment quality than student grade paints, you canread about the differences (see the 8 key differences between artist & student grade paint)

I am using a mixture of brands including Michael Harding, Old Holland & Winsor and Newton.

Support – ( what you paint onto)

For oil painting, you need to use a support or surface that has been correctly sized or primed. If you areusing raw canvas you will need to apply a coat of size. (this protects the canvas fibres from the corrosive

http://willkempartschool.com/what-is-the-difference-between-artist-quality-vs-student-grade-acrylic-paints/

http://willkempartschool.com/the-trouble-with-oil/



nature of the oil) you can also work on board.

A 5 or 6mm thick piece of MDF can be a great starting point. Prepare the surface with an acrylic gesso,sanding inbetween coats, see here how to apply gesso.

Pro tip: Make sure to give all sides of the MDF board a coat of size, especially the edges which can bevery absorbent to moisture.

Many portrait artists prefer to work on linen rather than cotton as you can get a finer weave but for thisdemonstration I am using a preprimed canvas. The actual canvas is a Belle Arti Cotton Canvas.

Brushes – For this demonstration I’ll be using:

Rosemary & co Ivory Filbert – size 4, 2 & 10 (size 6 & 8 are also very handy to have)Rosemary & co Kolinsky Sable series 33 Round – size 3Rosemary & co Kolinsky Sable series 66 Filbert – size 8

To learn more about brushes see a quick way to understand brushes

Coloured ground

Oil paints increase in transparency with age, even thick opaque colours. To test for yourself, make a fewpencil or pen marks on a piece of scrap canvas or board, paint over them opaquely and then take aphotograph to see the coverage, check back the next day and then the next week to see if the opacity haschanged.

For a tonal study a coloured ground is a must, it helps you to establish the extremes of the painting, thedarkest darks and the lightest lights. It also makes it much easier for your to judge tones and is a lot moreforgiving than a white canvas.

Pro tip: you can of course experiment with a pure white ground for creating an underlying glow to theskin. The PreRaphalite painters were fond of this method. Traditionally, the white ground has been used

http://willkempartschool.com/the-trouble-with-oil/

http://willkempartschool.com/how-to-prime-a-canvas-with-gesso-for-an-acrylic-painting/

https://www.rosemaryandco.com/index.php?cPath=269&osCsid=cq63toth5sbmlf3om21fi1cq80

http://willkempartschool.com/getting-started-a-quick-way-to-understand-brushes/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pre-Raphaelite_paintings



to illuminate the transparent layers of oil colour.

Acrylic or oil for the ground?I have used acrylics in this example. It is a mixture of raw umber and titanium white, notice how it hasbeen applied quite thinly, with some of the white gesso showing through. This is for 2 reasons:

1. I don’t want to loose the ‘tooth’ of the canvas. The tooth is the grain, and texture of the canvas andhelps to pull the paint off the brush. If you paint on a smooth prepared board you will notice thedifference with the paint feeling like it is ‘sitting on top’ on the surface.

2. You don’t want to create a seal with thick acrylic, you still need the oil to be able to adhere to thesurface underneath, so always add water to your acrylic mixture.

You could also use quick drying oil paints which are sometimes called Alykds.

Or establish a tone just with raw umber and turpentine (or odourless mineral spirits) or standard rawumber and quick drying white.

White pigments dry more slowly than the raw umber which is an earth colour and dries fairlyquickly (which is why I recommend a quick drying white above).

If you have an underpainting that has too much oil in it you will be breaking the number 1 rule of oilpainting – fat over lean

What is fat over lean?

A new Paleo diet plan?

No, fat over lean is the expression painters use to make sure you prevent your oil painting from cracking.

It basically means that each succeeding layer of paint should have more ‘fat – oil’ than the precedinglayer.

It’s all to do with how oil paints dry.

Turpentine or odourless mineral spirit (OMS) dries by evaporation.Oil dries by oxidation – it absorbs oxygen

For this first stage, we will be using OMS or Turpentine mixed with the oil paint so it has a ‘lean’underpainting which will dry quickly.

When we get the next stages of the portrait painting we will be mixing linseed oil with our oil paint andthese layers will be more oilrich, hence ‘fatter’ and will take longer to dry.

Palette layout and tone

For this first ‘blocking in’ of the painting, we will be painting with raw umber only.

For further paintings and for a darker finish, a mix between raw umber and ivory black will be used,however, a great deal can be learned by just using raw umber and white.

The choice of palette colour can be a deciding factor in your success.

http://willkempartschool.com/glossary-for-oil-painting-terms-the-essential-guide-for-beginners/



The image below shows the different optical effects that happen to the colours depending on the colouror tone of the palette they are placed on. If you were working on a very dark painting – a black palettewould be very useful as beginners have the tendency to never go dark enough when they first startpainting.

And when you see the raw umber on the white palette you can soon see why, the raw umber looks black.

For this painting tutorial I will be using the mid tone option. A sheet of perspex (3mm thick) that I havejust laid ontop of the coloured ground canvas (raw umber & white).

Please note: Even though there is white on my palette this is just to illustrate the differences in using atonal palette. I don’t use white at all in the first section of the painting.

Pro tip: When painting in the studio I have a larger sheet of glass that I can adjust the tones underneathdepending in the subject matter. The tones could be a sheet of grey paper, a piece of black card or asection of canvas painted to a mid tone.

Reference Photograph



I have chosen a self portrait, as when you’re first starting you’re more forgiving of any mistakes onyourself.

The key points to notice are:

a wide tonal range from the bright white of the t shirt to the dark black of the hair.a single light source so you get a strong cast shadow this can help to create the illusion of depthand interest in your painting.a dark background so the lights on the face will stand out

Drawing out portraits



Accurately representing the human face has been an obsession with artists for years and there is stillsomething amazingly compelling about portraiture.

For this series I will be concentrating more on the technical approach using Classical Painting techniquesrather than using this as a series on a Portrait Drawing course.

Usually the initial issues stem from a lack of knowledge of drawing.

If you have studied drawing, or are aware of the powerful tricks your brain can play with you whentrying to record something accurately then you are at an advantage for the initial drawing out stage –however, if are more interested in learning the painting techniques then just take your time and sketchas accurately as you can.



I’ve drawn out thebasics of the portrait painting onto the canvas with a 2B pencil and notice how I also draw in the shadowline.

The shadow line is where no direct light hits the subject, so the darkest darks. It should be a simple linedrawing.



I gently rubbed over the initial pencil marks with a putty eraser just to leave the faintest of lines. The lessgraphite you have to mix into the paint the better. Some artists prefer to draw in charcoal, or if you areworking on a very photorealist finish a permanent marker with a fine tip can be used. Try to find a brownpen rather than black, as it is more forgiving.

The first mix is rawumber diluted with the odourless mineral spirits – OMS. Pure gum turpentine is traditionally used and‘cuts’ through the oil easier, but if you are working in a confined space with poor ventilation thenodourless mineral spirits are a great option. ‘Zest it’ is also nice to use and has a citrus scent.



For this example the reference photo is the same size at the painted image.

This approach and technique is associated with the sightsize method and can be very effective when youare first starting portraiture.

You don’t have to set up a cast or model from life, just print out your reference image the same size asyour canvas and practice working 1: 1. This way you can quickly and easily judge the tones and shapesin your painting, by flicking your eyes between the two images.

Step 1 – Block in the background

Working between a number 2 and number 4 (Filbert Ivory brush) I begin to block in the background. Thepaint mixture is thin, yet opaque. I dip my brush into the OMS, when I say dip, I mean 2 mm. Just areally tiny amount. I then squeeze the brush tip in some kitchen roll so the brush is damp but not wet.

I apply the paint with a scrubbing motion, working between the smaller brush for the details, thenswapping to the larger brush for the larger areas.

http://willkempartschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/portraitscumble.jpg



The initial ‘scrub in’ is quite loose, just to get a feel for the tone on the canvas. I then work over it with alarger brush to smooth out the tone. We are trying to keep the tones flat and simple so I work over anythicker areas of paint so the surface is more like a stain, rather than thick paint.

Step 2 – Block in the darkest darks

http://willkempartschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/portraittutorial11.jpg



I now establish the darkest area in the painting, still just using the raw umber. As I know some of theseareas are even darker than the raw umber I can feel confidence to work with slightly thick paint. Again,not using too much of the OMS, it should feel like a dry brush effect and the more you ‘scrub’ the furtherthe paint will go.

Areas where the tones are very close are kept as one single mass tone. The tendency will be to want to goin and add all the little subtleties and details you are beginning to see.

Like chocolate on a diet we have to learn to resist!

Step 3 – Dry brush in the shadow line

Notice how when I am applying the paint to the inner parts of the portrait I’m keeping the edges verysoft. This is key when building up a portrait with this method. Hard, sharp edges are tough to cover overwhen you are working with thin layers of oil paint so try and keep your edges soft in these early stages.

The tendency now will be to try and grab some white and ‘get painting’ but again this is unwiseremember start slow, so you can finish quick.



Check the drawing on your painting and check your tones are going along the right lines. You can squintyour eyes at the subject which is a very effective method of simplifying tonal values.



Now have a look at the edges between the background and the edge of the head, notice how the hair andthe ear are blurred. The photograph as been taken to mimic how the human eye sees, so soften the edges.

If we look at Velasquez’s self portrait notice how soft and blurred the edge of the hair next to the face is.They blend into each other so your gaze is focused on his gaze.

Step 4 – Soften the edges



To blend an edge take a dry brush (or a brush with a very little OMS if the paint is beginning to dry andyou still need to blend it) and gently brush over the line. I often use sables for this, as the softer hairsenable a smoother blend. The Ivory filberts are slighly softer than a pure hog brush so are still very usefulwhen blending, you just need to use a lighter touch.

I sometimes also use a piece of kitchen roll (ideally lint free) or a cotton rag to take the edge off. Andsometimes only a finger will do just to get that subtle blend (If you like the effect of using your finger forblending then make sure you apply barrier cream before you start your painting session. Be aware towash your hands. I know I sound like your mum, but the lead used in some of the paints can bedangerous if persistently having skin contact.



Step 5 – Add more shadow detail

I now put some more of the shadows into the portrait using the smaller round sable, at this stage I’mconcentrating on the areas that would receive no direct light.

It is important to identify what falls into dark shadows and mid tones and it is not as easy as it sounds.Really study your reference image and say to yourself :

‘If I could only paint in pure black and pure white, what would I choose ?’

Everything that falls into the black category is what we are concerned with at this stage.

So even though some areas on my cheek are dark, I don’t put those in yet because they are halftones andwill come as the portrait progresses.

You want to try and keep your darkest shadows one dark tone so when you come to put in the halftonesyou will have more scope to model the form.

I’m still keeping a flat tone and a dry brush so the effect is very soft.

Step 6 – Using a smaller brush



More detail, checking the drawing and adding dark to the eyes, lips and collar bone.

Step 7 – Refining shadows

I now step back from the painting and squint my eyes, I flick my eyes between the reference photo andthe painting and adjust any hard edges and drawing.

Step 8 – Checking edges and having a cup of tea







It is really important when painting oil portraits to give your eyes a break, go and have a cup of tea, comeback and make your final tweaks and leave this stage to dry overnight.



Tweet Ibahagi 13

Brilliant, our first stage is done.

Happy painting!

You might also like:1. How to Paint a Portrait in Oil – Part 2

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112 comments… read them below or add one

Gunner Dave April 5, 2012

Will, what can I say, another great post!

I’m really looking forward to seeing how the painting develops. The source photo is wonderful – awork of art in its own right IMHO, and it will be interesting to compare the photo with the finishedpainting.

When painting portraits, is it your ambition to replicate the photo as best as you can, or does theprocess of painting allow you to ‘add something’ to the image? In other words, do you feel likeyou are somehow in competiton with the perfection of the machinemade process of photography,or do you consider that painting, with its handson human touch, has something extra about itwhich puts it in a different league?

Please forgive the amateur philosophy, but this is something I often ponder when working fromphotos …

All the best, Dave.

Reply

Will Kemp April 6, 2012

Hi Dave,

You haven’t been reading Walter Benjamin have you?

When painting portraits, is it your ambition to replicate the photo as best as you can,or does the process of painting allow you to ‘add something’ to the image? In otherwords, do you feel like you are somehow in competition with the perfection of themachinemade process of photography, or do you consider that painting, with itshandson human touch, has something extra about it which puts it in a differentleague?

I never feel in competition with the photograph, for me a painting would always ‘win’

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If you had 10 photorealist painters and the same image they would all come out differently,you can’t help your expression as a painter developing in the work.When using a photograph, you’re working with it’s imperfection because all you have is aflat 2D image rather than a fantastic, living, breathing energy of a person.

When I paint a portrait from a photo reference it is a ‘guide’ albeit a good one, to develop aportrait that embodies the character of the sitter.

In a perfect world I would choose to paint from life but due to the amount of hours a sittingtakes it is nearly always out of the question, however, I would always meet the sitter andtake the reference photographs myself to try and capture what I’d felt when I met them.

Everybody has their own quirks, the way you hold yourself, the unconscious movements –that as an artist, you see.The painting will always have an extra energy, something of the artist and the ability to holdthe viewers gaze much more than the photograph will ever do as Walter Benjamin puts it,the artworks ‘aura.’

Having said all of this, when you are first starting to paint portraits, using referencephotographs are a fantastic aid.They don’t move or talk, the light is always constant, you can change the scale and makethem black & white – as dealing with colour and skin tones is a whole new challenge!

Hope this helps,

Will

Reply


Will,

Very interesting to hear that even though you are obviously a great photographer yousee painting as a superior way of making an image.

Unlike you, I often do feel in awe of photography, but find it too impersonal, since itcould be said that the engineers who designed the camera are as much responsible forthe quality of the image as the person who points and shoots (pro photographers maydisagree!) With painting on the other hand I literally make every mark on the surface,good or bad …

Don’t think i’ve read the Benjamin book, must check it out.

Thanks,

Dave.

Reply






Hi Dave,

I love photography portraits, just check out Jane Bown’s work and I don’tnecessarily see painting as a superior way of making an image, but when I ampersonally capturing the character of a sitter through a portrait then yes, for meas a painter, my painting will always express more than my photography can.

You can read Benjamin’s essay‘Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’, itmight interest you.

Will

Reply


I totally agree, its about finding a medium which works for you and givesyou pleasure rather than one medium being inherently better than another.

Oil paint has a special status because of its long and distinguished history,but in the end its always ‘horses for courses’.

Okay, enough deep thinking for one weekend, where’s the easter eggs …?

Cheers Will,

Dave.

Palak December 31, 2013

I agree.. that’s so well said.. ”Everybody has their own quirks, the way you holdyourself, the unconscious movements – that as an artist, you see.The painting will always have an extra energy, something of the artist and the abilityto hold the viewers gaze much more”Thanks for the great tutorials

Reply

Will Kemp December 31, 2013

Cheers Palak.

Will



http://design.wishiewashie.com/HT5/WalterBenjaminTheWorkofArt.pdf







Reply

Mario Rodríguez April 5, 2012

Hello Will.Excellent post.I’m looking forward to start!Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and for the task you are doing on this blog.

A greeting from Spain.

Reply


Hi Mario,

Looking forward to working with you, glad you enjoyed the first post.

Will

Reply

ML April 6, 2012

Looking forward to part 2!

Reply


Great to hear it,Will

Reply

David A. April 12, 2012

Hello Will,

I am a 12yearold artist ,and have been reading your post for while now. They have helped memuch.

Have a few questions about painting. I heard that the older and more beat up a brush is the softer it












is. Does that make them better? If so how do you get them like that ,and what type work best likethat?

I also would like to know if Princeton Art & Brush Co. is any good for brushes.

David A.

Reply


Hey David,

Great to hear the posts have been helping your painting.

To answer your questions,

I heard that the older and more beat up a brush is the softer it is. Does that make thembetter?

In my experience, if you’re working with Oils the older and more beat up the brush, theharder and more brittle it becomes. Due to working with the turpentine, it kinda eats away atthe brush fibres so makes them shorter and less flexible, so harder to work with if you’retrying to get a smooth blend.

Even if you’re working with Acrylic paints the brushes as they age, still become stiffer dueto tiny residues of paint building up over time.

The brush will be softest when you first buy it and the softness is dependant on the hair thatis used. E.g: Hog hair from a pig is coarse and rough, sable from a mink tail will be supersoft and springy.This post about understanding brushes might interest you.

I also would like to know if Princeton Art & Brush Co. is any good for brushes.

I personally haven’t used these brushes but having a quick look at their website they lookfantastic. The synthetic sable looks a really useful brush to have, are you working in Oils orAcrylics?

Hope this helps,

Will

Reply

David A. April 13, 2012

Hi Will,




http://willkempartschool.com/getting-started-a-quick-way-to-understand-brushes/




Thanks for answering my questions. The understanding brushes post has helped me.

I am painting with Acrylics but am very soon about to buy the Oil colors for paintingblack and white.

David A.

Reply


Hi David,

Glad the post helped,Will

Reply

Reinhard May 8, 2012

Hi Will,in my ‘colourquest’ (colour bias) I have stumbled across your videos on youtube and hence ontoyour proper site. What a blessing!!!!!! Many thanks.

I have my base in graphite (photorealism), want to move to colour, and have decided to giveacrylics (Lascaux) a try. Am still sitting scared here looking at the still closed bottles but found somuch on your site that all I can do is attempt to start. Since my love is the human face, a portrait itwill be. I know that your portrait tutorial here is for oil but I think it might be helpful for acrylics aswell.

Just wanted to thank you for your inspiration and help.

Cheers, Reinhard

Reply

Will Kemp May 8, 2012

Hi Reinhard,

Just starting is the best thing you can do, you really will learn loads through the process.Even if it is just a nose, or a pair of eyes!You can apply similar techniques with the acrylics but might need to work on smallersections at a time if you want that photorealist look.

The jump from graphite to painting can seem like a tough one as often the process can seema bit back to front. There are some amazing painters that work in acrylics to get a










photorealist finish. They often have a very methodical approach. Andrew Tift is a greatexample for inspiration of what can be achieved photorealist acrylic painter. Here is anotherpost that looks at some of his methods Just take your time, with the same approach, and havea go!

Love to see your results,

Thanks,Will

Reply

Mario July 11, 2012

Hi Will.Excellent advice on the brushes Rosemary & Co.I am using the Ivory Fibet ones. And I love them.In addition, the treatment of the company was excellent, and they sent brushes super fast.

Thank you very much.

Reply

Will Kemp July 11, 2012

Hey Mario,

Nice to hear from you, great to hear you are enjoying the brushes.

Thanks,

Will

Reply

Rick September 18, 2012

Hi WillGreat PostI have a question, I have never tried acrylic and I am wondering how do you make this tonal for theraw umber I mean darker umber for hair and lighter umber for the background? is it possible withwater, or do you mix raw umber with white acrylic?ThanksGreetings from Turkey :)

Reply

http://www.andrewtift.co.uk/kitty-triptych.shtml

http://www.andrewtift.co.uk/portrait-artist/art/sequence-for-alan-garner-portrait/









Will Kemp September 18, 2012

Hi Rick,

To make the tonal background I mix raw umber with titanium white ( you’ll only need a bitof raw umber as it is quite light) dilute the acrylic mix with water and brush onto the canvas.

You can just use raw umber and water but the colour will be darker and warmer in tone.

As we are looking for a neutral black amd white the raw umber & white makes makes acalmer grey for the underpaintng.

Thanks,Will

Reply

wanda October 31, 2012

Hi Will:Thank you SO much for putting all this together:)I am done with Part #1. Can’t wait until it dries to continue tomorrow!!. This has been a veryuseful excercise in values which is something I have had a lot of trouble with.I love painting portraits but struggle a lot with the colors and values. This course is awesome!!!!

Reply

Will Kemp November 2, 2012

Hey Wanda,

Really pleased to hear it.

Let me know how you get on with the rest of the course,

Thanks,

Will

Reply

a November 22, 2012

OM to de G that is good

Reply











Ghada January 7, 2013

So interesting!!!!

Reply

Jane January 20, 2013

At last, information I can understandJust lovin your workAddicted!!! Have already started to paint a portrait following your stepsCan see where I have been going wrong alreadyOnly joined you on Friday ,Thank you so much

Reply

Will Kemp January 20, 2013

Cheers Jane, really pleased you’re finding the articles helpful.

Will

Reply

Kieran March 30, 2013

Hi Will.

Fantastic tutorial. It’s answered so many questions.

Just a quick question though: I am using the oil raw umber for the first stage and it is looking quitedifferent to your image at this stage. I have been using the raw umber straight out of the tube,without mixing it with any medium. I dip my brush in the OMS, squeeze it out on kitchen roll andthen get a small out of the raw umber on my brush. Am I missing something here? Will it be “lean”enough?

Thanks again for the great tutorial.

Kieran

Reply

Will Kemp March 30, 2013











Hi Kieran,

Thanks, pleased you’ve found it helpful to your painting.

Yes, that’s right, just dilute the raw umber with the OMS, you can add quite a bit of OMS tothe mix, to apply it as thin as watercolour if you want to, I just reccomend squeezing into thekitchen roll so it isn’t too liquid or the mix will run down the canvas.

Often, you’re aiming for the first consistency to be a bit thicker than milk and then the nextlayer similar to single cream is a good starting point.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Will

Reply

Kieran March 31, 2013

Thanks Will. That’s a great help. I may have further questions as I go, which I hopeyou won’t mind answering too ;)

Kieran

Reply

Nader April 15, 2013

Hi Will,

I downloaded your Oil course videos and they are great, it helped me do big steps in my education.

I have a question: I want to slowly start introducing colours to my oil portraits, what do yourecommend for a start? which colours to use?

ThanksNader

Reply


Hi Nader,

Thanks for dropping by, really pleased you’ve found the oil portrait course helpful. Forstarting to introduce colours it can vary depending on the model/lighting etc but a nice basic



http://www.etsy.com/people/NaderShenoudaArt

http://www.etsy.com/people/NaderShenoudaArt






palette is Titanium white, Yellow Ochre, Light red, English red, Raw umber, Ivory black.You can read this article about a more extended portrait painting palette.

Cheers,Will

Reply

joan solomon May 13, 2013

What an instructive tutorial. I’ve been struggling with portraits for so long feeling frustrated andstuck! Now I feel like starting all over again.

Reply


Good one Joan, pleased to hear it,

Will

Reply

Dan May 30, 2013

Hi will I was just wondering if there was a big difference between the cadmium colours, ? Say cadyellow light,? Cad yellow? Or cad red light or a cad red.? Many thanks

Reply


Hi Dan, not a great deal of difference, the Cad yellow light is brighter so is a good yellowbecause by adding a touch of permanent Alizarin crimson you have a colour that is prettyspot on for a cadmium yellow medium, and by being very bright you can always ‘dull’ itdown. Equally, if you have a cadmium red medium and add a touch of cadmium yellow lightyour colour will be very close to a cadmium red light.

Hope this helps,Will

Reply

joan solomon May 31, 2013

http://willkempartschool.com/how-to-choose-a-basic-portrait-painting-palette-for-oils/












I was also wondering about the cadmium lights. That was most helpful. Thanks.Joan

Reply

Will Kemp June 1, 2013

Good one Joan

Reply

Dan May 31, 2013

Thank you will

Reply

bahareh August 3, 2013

hi will, yesterday i began the painting woman beside sea, its the first portrait i try, i wish it wouldbe what i want to be….:) tnx for your nice article

Reply

Will Kemp August 3, 2013

Hi Bahareh,Nice to hear from you, so please you’ve been inspired to paint your first portrait, and reallyhope the article has helped.

Cheers,Will

Reply

Melva September 30, 2013

Hi, Will,thanks for the info. I’m new and started a oil painting of Christ I read about the black &white,checked it out with my phone and it showed it in bw very neat. I’ve never drawn a portraitand I’m amazed of what I’ve done. All free handed. I just hope I can paint it to look perfect. Hopeto keep up with your help. Thank you.Melva














Reply

Will Kemp October 3, 2013

Hi Melva, really pleased the article has helped with your black and white painting.

Cheers,Will

Reply

Marcy Sharit October 21, 2013

Hi Will. This is a great website. I am like so many others. I would love to do portraits but, I haveonly drawn them. I have used watercolors and acrylics. I have a set of oils for a bird painting bookI have. When I draw someone, I erase and redraw to try to get the eyes, lips, etc. just right. Howcan I do this in oils? I mean, do I get the drawing just right and then proceed to the oils? I doesn’tlook like you do a lot on the drawing itself. Being a beginner, I would like some advice.Thank you,Marcy

Reply


Hi Marcy,

You’re right, when I’m painting a portrait, I draw in the basic shapes and underlying formthen build the painting from there but still rely on my ability to draw a portrait when I’madjusting the oil paint further along in the painting.

Some artist’s do draw the portrait in more detail before starting, others do even less than me,it’s what level you feel comfortable with, try a few with the drawing at different levels andsee how you get on.

Hope this helps,

Will

Reply

Tom A December 9, 2013

Hi Will,

Great tutorial, I will definitely be trying these techniques!









http://www.tomattewell.com/

http://www.tomattewell.com/



I was wondering how you care for your brushes; how do you clean them and where do you storethem? Also, do you use the same brushes for acrylic and oils?

Thanks

Tom

Reply


Hi Tom, I clean my brushes using Masters brush cleaner, it also helps to preserve them. I tryto use different brushes for oils and acrylics. I store them flat to start with after washing sothe water doesn’t gather in the metal ferrule of the brush, then in an old jug, bristle up.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

Tom A January 7, 2014

Hi Will,

Thanks for the advice. I bought some Masters brush cleaner and it works a treat!

After a decent first stab at your self portrait tutorial I feel like I am ready to try andimprove on my first efforts with a friend or relative, and was wondering about the useof oil or acrylic for grounds. Do you have a preference? I know that acrylic driesquicker and tends to be more opaque (if that is desirable), but are there any otherconsiderations to take into account?

Thanks again,

Tom

Reply


Good one Tom, pleased the Masters worked well. An acrylic ground can workfine as long as you keep the mix thin enough so the subsequent oil layers can‘grab’ onto the surface. I switch between the two depending on ground colour(for example I would use a acrylic black if I wanted a dark ground as ivoryblack in oil painting is a slow drying pigment)




http://willkempartschool.com/how-to-clean-an-acrylic-paintbrush/







Hope this helps, good luck with your next portrait.

Cheers,Will

Reply

Kryssy Read February 16, 2014

Hi Will,You probably won’t remember me telling you I had started up an art group here in France where Ilive and we are all very long in the tooth but keen to learn. Anyway, we are two weeks in and Ihave watched many, if not all, of your tutorials and have started a portrait of my husband. Firstever!! I have put on the raw umber layer and it is drying nicely in a quiet corner. I shall carry onwith each stage and perhaps when it is finished – good or bad – you could take a look. I havejoined the 21st century and opened a Flckr account to keep track of how I go and will try to figureout how to get the link.Just one thing though….. hubby has seen me studying your tutorial – which I printed out – and hasasked that I make him look as good looking and young in his portrait as you are in yours. Fatchance!!Thank you for all the hard work you have put into your tutorials here and on YouTube. I aminspired.

Reply

Will Kemp February 16, 2014

Hi Kryssy, Yes I do indeed remember your email and really hope your art group is goingwell. So pleased to hear you started your first portrait and your husband sounds like a greatchoice for subjects (think I owe him a bottle of wine!)

Good luck working through the different layers of your portrait, looking forward to seeinghow the final painting turns out.

Cheers,

Will

Reply

Sonja Feldt Pedersen May 13, 2014

Hello Will Kemp,I enjoy your free lessons

– but most of all I enjoy your good mood and happiness.






http://sonjafeldt.dk/

http://sonjafeldt.dk/



I am going to start a new portrait and as usually I go round and round not able to put the first painton the canvas. What color to use and so on..Then I find the artschool of yours and do something like that to start with…Thanks for the artschool

Best regardsSonja

Reply


Good one Sonja, really hope you enjoy trying a more methodical approach to your portraitpainting.

Cheers,

Will

Reply

Sharon June 9, 2014

Morning Will!Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge and personal perspective about how topaint, draw, mix paints, and so on. I’ve been hiding from my charcoal and paint brushes for years.I’m learning so much more from you than I did when I studied fine arts/studio painting 30 yearsago at my university.

Back then, the focus was to paint in the abstract and only in oils. Acrylics were frowned upon(isn’t that strange since most painters then were using acrylics and even house paint!).

I can’t thank you enough for helping me get back to painting and drawing. Watching you paintmade me really miss putting brushtocanvas. Reading about how to paint and draw just isn’t thesame as watching an artist work.Warmest regards from the US to you!

Reply


Hi Sharon,

Great to hear from you, and thanks for your kind comments. Fantastic that you’re feelinginspired to get creating at the canvas again, so pleased you’ve been finding the articles andlessons of help.










Have a lovely day Sharon,

Cheers,Will

Reply

Dee July 4, 2014

I am soooo, so very happy that I came across your wonderful website! I’ve been playing aroundwith oil paints at home without any real knowledge or direction and have been consideringthrowing in the towel (or oil rag) – but after reading through some of your helpful tutorials I feelthe nag to keep pressing on and explore the medium further. Not giving up yet!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all! :)

Reply


You’re welcome Dee, pleased you’ve found the lessons helpful.

Cheers,Will

Reply

terry hand July 21, 2014

Hi Will,

Thanks for such comprehensive guide to oil painting. I really appreciate you sharing thisknowledge.After a lifetime of using watercolour and gouache, followed by ten years of working digitally, Iwas really struggling with oils. I just couldn’t find a way into the medium at all. This is exactlywhat I needed.

Is the full course in a format that I can save on my computer?

Oh, and the Rosemary and Co. brushes are excellent!

Terry

Reply



https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dee-Anand-Art/237090336347611?ref=br_tf

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dee-Anand-Art/237090336347611?ref=br_tf





http://www.terryhand.com/







Hi Terry, pleased you’ve been enjoying the lessons, yes, the full video course is a series ofdownloadable videos (alongside a 10,000 word pdf guide) Pleased you’re enjoying thebrushes!

Cheers,Will

Reply

terry hand August 11, 2014

Hi Will,

The video course is excellent – a really good basis for getting into this deceptively difficultmedium.

Just a couple of small small questions – I apologise in advance if the answers are much morecomplicated than the questions!

Having taken the painting to a finished stage in black and white is it possible to apply colouredglazes on top to create a coloured painting. Or is it wrong to apply coloured glazes on top of white?I’m sure I read this somewhere, but there seem to be so many conflicting opinions, on this subject.Would this involve a completely different process? Obviously, fat over lean is going to come intoit.

There are a lot of techniques that I have heard of, but don’t really understand, like scumbling, forexample. Would it be possible for you to explain this in a few words?

ThanksTerry

Reply


Hi Terry, pleased you enjoyed the lessons and I’d be pleased to answer your questions:

Is it possible to apply coloured glazes on top to create a coloured painting.

Yes, you could add coloured glazes over the black & white portrait, but the lighter toneswould probably be too dark. If you were aiming to create the black & white portrait as anunderpainting for colour glazes you’d usually have the lights left a couple of steps lighter inpreparation for the colour glazes ontop.

Would this involve a completely different process?

Yes and No, I’d use the same initial start to the portrait but not add as many subtle layers ofglazes in the black and white, then go straight into the colour earlier on but then use differenttechniques, such as scumbling, (applying broken colour with a dry brush) with quite subtle









colours. As a note of caution most beginners go in way too bright too soon.

There are a lot of techniques that I have heard of, but don’t really understand, likescumbling

You might find this Glossary of oil painting terms helpful

This technique shown is more for creating a finished black and white study rather than as anunderpainting for coloured glazes, as getting your black and white painting right is 90% ofthe success of the painting.

Hope this helps Terry,

Cheers,Will

Reply

Ron Evans August 15, 2014

Will,

Your five part black and white oil painting instruction is superb. It teaches!!! Thanks you,. Onequestion: Why do you use raw umber as an undercoat, if the final objective is black and white?

Ron

Reply


Hi Ron, working with the raw umber means you can establish the form quickly and it addssome subtle warmth to the shadows, this is a key skill to learn if you then move onto colourportraits as the warm shadows will juxtapose nicely with cooler highlights. Also it is a fastdrying oil paint in compared to ivory black and titanium white so you can work over the topof it.Cheers,Will

Reply

Gerrie September 15, 2014

Hi Will, came across you by accident, I am loving your YouTube videos and now your website. Istruggle with drawing, any advice for me so I am able to move forward ? Thanx Gerrie

Reply

http://willkempartschool.com/glossary-for-oil-painting-terms-the-essential-guide-for-beginners/










Hi Gerrie, pleased you have been enjoying the YouTube videos and articles, the absolutebeginners drawing course is the best foundation to understand how drawing works, and thenyou can specialise from there, but it depends what you are struggling with in your drawings.Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

Sam October 12, 2014

Hi Will,I understand that in “How to Paint a Portrait in Oil – Part 1”, from Step 1 through Step 8, you usedraw umber only, no black, no white.But, at the end of Step 8, some areas are darker than other areas. For example, the hair is darkerthan the eyebrows.How did you achieve different darkness with one color and medium, without black or white?Thanks,Sam

Reply


Hi Sam, its just a case of changing the consistency of the paint. The thicker the paint, thedarker it will look in it’s ‘masstone’ when it is painted thinner the ground colours showsthrough and gives the appearance a lighter look.Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

Sandi October 31, 2014

Hi Will,

I would like to follow your step by step guide to painting monotone portraits. Can you tell me whatwould be the optimal size of the canvas to use please.

Reply













Hi Sandi, when you’re first starting portraits having your reference image the same scale asyour painting will make it much easier for judging shapes and tones, so depending on yourprinter size I would choose a canvas size to suit that.Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

jody December 28, 2014

Hi,Loved reading, looking and learning re portraiture. It certainly is captivating. I love to paint, butcan’t particularly draw. Do you think it’s cheating to project a face to paint? I always think I amcheating and would love to draw well. I think above all, I simply enjoy it.

Look forward to any comments.

Reply


Hi Jody, I would always advise to learn how to draw first, as it will help so much in yourportraits.Will

Reply

jody January 1, 2015

Happy New year and thanks for taking the time to reply. I’ll have to keep practicing.Watched a prog on Caravaggio recently and they seemed to criticize his techniquesand didn’t mention any freehand drawing. What a fab artist so ahead of his time. I dofeel ‘awkward’ when I project an image but it’s the painting and finished result Ienjoy.

Kind regards.J.

Reply











Archana January 3, 2015

Hi Will,

Excellent work. Could you please clarify to me from this post, if you have used Raw Umber“Acrylic” as the foreground, instead of Oils? As your post says so. And do you still use OMSmixture with the Acrylic? What would your general suggestion be, for best results – go withAcrylics underground colors or Oils?

Also – please could you tell me if it is a good idea to simply work with just1 layer of background –say, with a shaded effect of Raw Umber (Oil) with a pinch of Linseed oil? Or would i be wrong inthis approach.

Would appreciate your response. Thank you,Arch.

Reply


Hi Arch,

If you have used Raw Umber “Acrylic” as the foreground, instead of Oils? As yourpost says so.

Yes, that’s right, Acrylic for the coloured background.

And do you still use OMS mixture with the Acrylic?

No, just diluted with water

What would your general suggestion be, for best results – go with Acrylicsunderground colors or Oils?

With the acrylics you can paint the next layers within a few minutes, with the oils you canachieve the same result you’d just have to wait for the ground colour to dry for longer,usually the next day.

Also – please could you tell me if it is a good idea to simply work with just layer ofbackground – say, with a shaded effect of Raw Umber (Oil) with a pinch of Linseed oil?Or would i be wrong in this approach

You could do that, as long as the next layer has progressively more oil in the medium.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will






Reply


And another question.

The best proceudre would be to have the OMS / Linseed oil in a separate container and slightly usethem to damp the brush and then touch on the paint?? Or Add the drop of OMS or Linseed Oil tothe paint blob of squeezed out paint itself?

Reply


Again, you can do either, but its often best to start with the mediums in a separate containerso you can learn about the different consistencies when manipulating paint.

Reply


Appreciate your responses soo much Will. Thank you. Have a couple of questions though..

So, if I have to devotedly follow your course, so, I would let the foreground colors dry overnight(as the post says).. and the following layers (Step 2 – Step 5), I could go ahead and keep painting..So, I do not have to wait for any drying time?

I might sound dumb – but please tell me. Why do you dilute the Acrylic with water? Is it to preventcracks again?? (I am concerned ‘cos most of my earlier works I used Artists Acrylics straight,without diluting. :( )

For Flake White or Titanium White, can I use Linseed oil?? (Or should I not use them in case ofWhite?)And is a siccative must for mixing with white?

Sorry for keeping you bothered with so many questions. And thanks again for the wisdom shared!!:)

Reply


Hi Archana,

To answer your question:











I might sound dumb – but please tell me. Why do you dilute the Acrylic with water? Is it toprevent cracks again?? (I am concerned ‘cos most of my earlier works I used ArtistsAcrylics straight, without diluting.

Acrylics are diluted with water to thin the consistency, just like mineral spirits and linseedoil are used to dilute oil paints. Your earlier works with acrylics won’t crack.

For Flake White or Titanium White, can I use Linseed oil?? (Or should I not use them incase of White?)And is a siccative must for mixing with white?

Again, you can use linseed oil, but I wouldn’t advise it as this stage for this technique ofpainting.The oil is the slow drying part of oil paint, at this stage I want the paint to dry quicker, soadding linseed oil would extend the drying time.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply


Appreciate your assistance and you taking the time to respond, soo much Will. Thankyou once again.PS: Special thanks for including the tips and tactics, which we might not find in otherweb sites. Thank you :)

Reply


Will, last question. Sorry. So, I am using Flake White. I have only OMS (Turpentine Oil) andLinseed with me. I have not been able to buy the siccative. So, your advise would be to use Flakewhite just as it is, or mix with OMS?? (As you have advised against using Linseed with white)

Reply


Hi Archana, yes that’s right, just OMS.

‘Mixing White for this layer

You’ve got 2 choices, if time isn’t an issue, mix your white as we did before in








Part 1 with a little OMS, this way it will take a little bit longer to dry.

Alternatively, if time is an issue you can add a siccative.’

Cheers,Will

Reply


What is a siccative please? Sorry for my ignorance.

Many thanks.

Reply


Hi Jody, a siccative is a drying agent that speeds up the drying time of oil paint.Will

Reply


Thank you very much Will. God bless you.

Reply


Hi Will,

Your work and time out with advice is fabulous. Can you advise me if you sell portraitureDVDs? Do you think most people can draw a portrait in time ?

Regards.

Reply


Thanks Jody, I have a number of downloadable video lessons on the site, from drawing to


http://notapplicable/





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_drying_agent










portraits, just click on the thumbnail images on the right hand side of the side bar to learnmore about each course. And yes, anyone can learn how to draw a portrait.

Cheers,Will

Reply

RM January 9, 2015

Hey there Will,Great work. The end result is just FAB!!! Keep going..One Quick question – So through out your STEP 1 (all that’s containted in this page) you haveused Acrylic, is that right?and you have switched over to oils from STEP 2?

Thank you!

Reply


Hi RM, for this section that only acrylic part is the coloured ground, the rest is all oil paint.Cheers,Will

Reply

RM January 13, 2015

thank you Will. I appreciate u taking time to reply to each one of us..

Reply


You’re welcome.Cheers,Will

Reply

Kenneth Morgan January 21, 2015












Hi there Will,interesting stuff.I am working on a portrait now,Need some advice.I have color charts that were mixed without linseed oil,I’m using Photoshop to find my paletteThe Computer shows a semi dark green shadow on the face because of the atmosphere the womanis standing in.The color is a perfect match on the chart and when mixed in my saucer with linseed oil,it stillseems accurate.When i apply the shadow green to the canvas,it turns to a dirty mustard yellow.Why is there a difference from the saucer to the canvas?

Reply


Hi Kenneth, the colour will appear different n the canvas due to ‘simultaneous contrast’ thisis how different colours can change their appearance depending on what colours they areplaced next to. Leave the colour as it is and mix a few more colours around it, then reassessyour first mixture.Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

Terry March 15, 2015

Hi Will,This course has been invaluable to me. It gave me a method and a way into using oils. After alifetime of using water based mediums oil paint has been a revelation for me. I find that I love themedium.At the moment working in black and white has suited my purpose, but is there any chance that inthe future you would take the course a stage further and create a course on using coloured glazes? Iknow this is a big ask!Terry

Reply


Hi Terry, pleased you’ve found the lessons helpful, I haven’t got any plans for a colouredglazing series at the moment but I’ll add it to the list.Cheers,Will

Reply













Terry March 16, 2015

Thanks Will

Reply

R. Palesca March 30, 2015

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this wonderful tutorial!! I made the transition from paintingabstracts to more figurative work this year, and your guidance was just what I needed to get on theright track. Just excellent. I’ll be following from now on!

If you’re interested, I’ve been blogging about my experience, and my finished portrait is posted at:

http://rpalesca.blogspot.be/2015/03/portraitofisabella.html

Robyn

Reply


Hi Robyn, great work on your portrait, so pleased you found the tutorial helpful in makingthe transition to more figurative work, the burnt sienna underpainting has worked really welland love the vivid colours juxtaposed with the subtlety of the skin tones.Cheers,Will

Reply

Arch April 7, 2015

Hello Will,Such a great web site proving to be very helpful to beginners like me. A great service to Art !!!Keep it going…

I would also like to seek you for an advice. I had done a portrait with oils, about 2 months ago. Ihad not Varnished it (For reasons – lack of time and lack of material). However, i had let thepaining get sun dried for a week, following which, was made to dry inside a room for close to 2full months. Now, am back after travel and i see, dust accumulated on the surface of the paintingwhen i closely observe. It kind of worries me deeply and wonder what should i do, to remove ofthose minute dust particle which has found its way, though the painting was preserved in a room.What would you advise me? Please, suggest. I look forward to hearing you response.. Thanksmuch in advance.




http://rpalesca.blogspot.be/

http://rpalesca.blogspot.be/

http://rpalesca.blogspot.be/2015/03/portrait-of-isabella.html







Reply


Hi Arch, pleased you’ve been finding the site helpful, the painting will be fine, you can cleanthe dust from surface by softly brushing over it with a soft brush and then using a moist lintfree cloth.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

sylvia stack May 12, 2015

Thanks for the help – it is so easy to understand.

Reply


Great to hear it Sylvia,Cheers,Will

Reply

luke raftety May 29, 2015

Hi this is beautifully crafted articlE which I understood well and produced my own black andwhite painting that im incredibly happy with. My problem is moving on to colour. Every time I tryI destroy what is a great underpainting and feel utterly overwhelmed. Please could you add to this asimilar tutorial which is as logical and clear that deals with using colour without a massive paletteor esoteric language and ill explained processes that so many books and videos seem to use. Thankyou for what you have shown us here.

Reply


Hi Luke, really pleased you enjoyed the series, you might find the colour portrait course ofinterest that looks at developing subtle skin tone mixes with acrylics but can be easily















adapted to oil painting. I demonstrate with a limited palette and then slowly introduce a moreextending palette.Hope this helps,

Cheers,Will

Reply

luke raftety June 2, 2015

Thanks Will I am watching the colour portrait series righ now and it is excellent! I’mlearning a lot from it, thank you. I’m hoping to translate what I learn into oil painting.I know everything I’ve learned there will help me, im particularly excited by the Zornpallete. So many books suggest wierd and wonderful colours that lead me to completeconfusion. It is such a relief for me to find clear concise teaching that I can actuallyexactly follow.

Please consider a follow on from the Acrylic course to help translate this course tooils.

Also possibly a list of of uk suppliers that stock the materials you suggest. Neither ofthe two big art shops in Manchester have Golden Acrylics.

My main point is that I had got stuck and despondent and almost given up on usingcolour at all because I was ruining so many good paintings because I wasoverwhelmed, now i have a clear direction and I’m back on track. Thank you so much.

Luke

Reply


Oh good one Luke, pleased you’re enjoying the course. I’ve purchased Goldenpaints from Fred Aldous in Manchester, they’re on Lever street in the NorthernQuarter (they’ve got a sale on Golden paints at the moment)

Just try working through the portraits with a super limited palette, even just amonochrome in burnt umber can teach you loads and build your confidence toslowly introduce more colours into the palette.Cheers,Will

Reply

CHANDER August 5, 2015





http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/art-shop/art-supplies/acrylic-paint.html?cat=3905




Dear Will,I am dumbfounded at the simplicity, clarity and the beauty of this lesson in oil painting. I wish tothank you for this. I have always enjoyed your tutorials immensely.I know I am sort of a mixed up painter who gets pulled easily in all the directions and,consequently, gets no where.I don’t know what exactly is my medium!? I seem to keep getting in and out of these. Whenever Isee a nice painting or a sketch, I want to follow it, but soon enough, comes another nice paintingthat distracts me and I wish to follow that. And that is how it goes on with me. But, it is OK.Kindest regards!

Chander

Reply


Pleased you enjoyed the lesson Chander, just concentrating on one thing in your painting isthe best way to progress, working in black and white or monochrome can really help keepthe process simple.Cheers,Will

Reply

Honor September 14, 2015

Hey Will, I’m a 15 year old GCSE student and I just wanted to tell you how much this has helpedme. I had no idea where to start with oils but this guide is brilliant, I have improved so much fromwhen I first tried to paint a portrait a few months ago. Thanks a lot for helping me :)

Reply


Great to hear it, so pleased it’s helped with your portrait painting and you’re going to rockthat GCSE art!

Cheers,Will

Reply

Pacchiella December 2, 2015

I felt like your comments was about me, cuz it is exactly how I feel about being tired of making











drawing and take oil painting as a new challenge. It’s hard and more complex than I though. But Iwill not give up=)Thanks alot for all great advices!Best,Pacchiella

Reply


Good one Pacchiella, really hope you find the tutorial of help in making the transition to oils.Cheers,Will

Reply


Thanks Dave,

Bring on the eggs!

Will

Reply

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How to Paint a Portrait in Oil – Part 1