29
Jul

How to Paint a Little Boy’s Portrait Tutorial

   Posted by: Barb Hartsook   in Art Works, Digital, Painter Tutorials, Paintings

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I originally posted this tutorial — portrait of a little boy, painted using Painter X software and a Wacom Tablet — in the doodle threads at Painter Talk, a digital painting forum online. Not because it was a doodle, but because I wanted the company of friends who were in and out of that forum during the day, every day. Their encouragement got me through to my deadline on this commissioned portrait, and the tutorial helped portrait artists among them as well.

boy-equalized-signed-sharp

The texture I used is the thick hand-made paper in Painter’s default papers. It’ one of my favorites for adding just a bit of depth. I printed this out on printer-watercolor paper and the painted texture came out perfectly.

This tutorial is brief and concise, and while it doesn’t show every detail for a newbie to the Painter program, it gives the general direction of getting from a photo to a finished portrait, and is for the artist who is a bit familiar with Painter’s default workspace.

Of all the paintings I do, I am most fulfilled when I paint a person… there’s so much behind the surface that seems to come forward. At some point, the person moves from a two-dimensional drawing with colors brushed on, to having personality and mischief, or a secret hidden just behind the eyes, just under the subtle curve of a grin, and you interact with him/her as you finish up creating the form — that third and maybe fourth dimension. I fall in love as I finish each one… Silly me, I know — but I’m talking to people who have had photos and/or paintings done of their loved ones, and you know what I’m saying.

In my tutorial, I hope to show the principles and steps of painting from a photo reference, and let others do their own images based on those steps — breaking free and doing what artists do best — making the paintings their own!

This commissioned work has a grand ending… the client’s pleasure was my reward — though she did pay me too. Yippee!

Enjoy the tute…

Little Boy Painter Tutorial

We haven’t had coffee for a while — the weather’s warm, but there’s a nice breeze, and conversation over coffee is always good……………. So come on in, and even if you don’t paint, you can talk about your favorite photo of your child. The one you have framed and sitting where you can see it every day. Thanks for coming.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pm and is filed under Art Works, Digital, Painter Tutorials, Paintings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

18 comments so far

bev langby
 1 

Barb this is wonderful work and a great gift to all digital artists and just like u to share your method , i so admire your work in portraits , so i know i will learn from this ..

I have your blog linked to mine lol so i can keep and eye on u lol

your aussie friend Bev

July 30th, 2008 at 12:23 am
bev langby
 2 

P.S i just happened to be updating my blog lol so im lucky im first in lol

July 30th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Barb Hartsook
 3 

Hi Bev! I just spent the last half hour in both your blogs… what fun! Your new paintings are so full of personality and color. I’ve put Bev’s Big Brush in my Blogs to Visit. Love the music……

July 30th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Marilyn Sholin
 4 

Barb…this portrait painting is fantastic. I love it so much! The tutorial is wonderful and you are such a natural! Do more for us! Thank you so much for sharing this and making it look so simple and yet with your touches it’s how you use the brushes that make it magical.

July 30th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Barb Hartsook
 5 

Thank you so much, Marilyn. Your comment encourages me to keep writing… I love this Painter stuff!!!

Hoping you will be teaching your wonderful class again at DAA, too. I’ll put everything else aside when you do……………….. :)

July 30th, 2008 at 10:25 am
sliloh
 6 

Always look forward to your posts Barb and you sure didn’t disappoint! An excellent tutorial, you make it look so easy ;)

July 31st, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Barb Hartsook
 7 

Thank you Sliloh. They don’t all go as well as this one did — I put the tutorial together after the painting! :)

It’s good to see you again, my friend…

July 31st, 2008 at 5:57 pm
bev langby
 8 

Hi Barb, im so honoured to be listed in your blog roll, thanks so much ……….

hugsbev

August 6th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Nita Mata
 9 

Your sensitivity continues to show with each portrait you do, whether it’s a person or someone’s prized pet. This one is exceptional, Barb….to look into this little one’s eyes is to want to gather him up and snuggle with him. You’re the best, dear sister….thanks for introducing him to us….anyone who loves children will “adopt” him. And thanks for the wonderful tutorial…..it’s going into my “Tutes” notebook!
Love you, sister….
Neets

August 6th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Barb Hartsook
 10 

You’re very welcome, Bev… it’s a treat to visit your blogs! :)

Thanks, Neets. It’s amazingly wonderful how each painter sees differently and so paints differently. The tutorials serve well to introduce new styles and another way to see and express, yet always the artist brings her own brush to the canvas. Watching several people paint the same subject, or even different subjects using the same technique, just tells me many perspectives are allowed, welcome even! Perhaps we’d have a happier world if we just recognized that one fact alone… I truly appreciate you, my sister and best friend ever, who always knows when I need the occasional phone call… :)

August 6th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Susie
 11 

Oh I love your stuff. This tutorial looks awesome and I’m going to play just as soon as all my office is put back together - never move office and reformat at the same time, okay? LOL…just updating all my blog links and delighted to see this….coffee’s so much better with art to view;O)

August 7th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Bean
 12 

Wow! Wow! Wow!
A beautiful portrait, an excellent tutorial AND a well written blog post. All three are exquisite and well done.
Bravo!

August 10th, 2008 at 3:02 am
quirkyartist
 13 

This is wonderful. I really admire people who can do portraiture. It is so specialised. I have had two students who were portrait artists in my class since I’ve been teachign acrylics, and they were so good! I really couldn’t help them much at all, except for general sort of stuff, but not with the portraits.

August 23rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Pam Lefcourt
 14 

Wow Barb!
Thanks so much for sharing your work and your tute. I’ve printed it out and will be looking at it while I walk Ralphie this morning. I really need to start painting more. Thank you again. Pam

August 28th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Barb Hartsook
 15 

Thank you so much, Susie.

Bean, your comments mean a whole lot, since you’re my blogging instructor past and present. I wouldn’t have one if it were not for your class at LVS. Thank you.

Ms. Quirky Artist, I think it’s fun to take classes for the techniques and then do our own paintings — or collage or collographs, etc — from the images inside our heads. I love painting faces, but I am always open for new ways to say what I feel about them. I’ve never tried an acrylic portrait, but I have painted cartoon kids with acrylics on wall murals — and the mixing and blending are the same as on canvas and/or Painter canvas. I’m sure your portrait-painting students learned a great deal from you about how to use this medium for their purposes. Having just come from your blog, I’d love to try doing one using the printing method in your collograph post. Cool!

Thank you Pam. I look forward to seeing more of your work at Painter Talk, now that we’ve finished this session of Open Studio at DAA. You’re a wonderful painter… Hope Ralphie didn’t mind your reading along the walk. :)

August 28th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Viki Nygaard
 16 

The little boy portrait is so beautiful, Barb! Just precious! You’ve got me interested in Painter X now, but I know I don’t have the time to devote to learning it right now. Maybe someday…

Hope to see more of your work soon!

September 6th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Sherry
 17 

You are blessed to be so talented. Your art and your writing are amazing.

September 6th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Marcia Fasy
 18 

Barb, this is an amazing portrait of the sweet little boy. As you know, you are one of my very favorite artists. Thanks so much for sharing your tutorial for this painting, You are a born teacher.

September 7th, 2008 at 1:50 am

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