How to paint portraits
Proportions, skin tones and capturing a likeness.
How to paint
The eyes sit halfway down the head. The bottom of the nose is halfway between the eyes and chin, and the mouth a third of the way from nose to chin.
Mix skin tones from red, yellow, white and a touch of blue or green rather than using a premade flesh color.
Block in the big shapes of light and shadow before any features — likeness comes from structure, not eyelashes.
Related guides
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- Oil painting basics
- Watercolor techniques every artist should know
- Color theory for painters