Please note: The Gift Bag is no longer available and was part of the first e-course

Lesson Description:

One of my favorite painting subjects has been painting portraits in watercolor. I have especially enjoyed painting my grand daughter Rachael over the years.

Portraits are not that difficult. I have formalized a simple process for painting a successful portrait. In your gift bag is a plastic that defines the facial features. This is one approach to drawing your own portrait. I have also enclosed a step by step listing of how to paint a portrait.

Please follow along with this hand out as I paint Fritz. As you paint your own portrait, reread each step before you proceed. There are proportions that are similar in every person. For example, this scale is great. I included a sheet of lined acetate for you to follow along. There are certain relationships in portraits that are almost the same in every person. The eyes are in the center of the head/. The eyes are one eye apart. The ears start at the eye line and nose line. The lips are as wide as the center of the eyes, etc. Put the clear plastic over Rachael’s face and show proportions.

I learned a different way to proportion a head. I divide the head in half and divide the lower half into thirds. This is the proportions I used to draw my friend Mary Beth. I place the eyes in the center of the head and then divide the lower half into thirds. The center of the nose is one third below the eyes. The center of the mouth is two-thirds below the eyes. This has worked for me forever.