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.
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…
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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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
P.S i just happened to be updating my blog lol so im lucky im first in lol
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……
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.
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………………..
Always look forward to your posts Barb and you sure didn’t disappoint! An excellent tutorial, you make it look so easy
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…
Hi Barb, im so honoured to be listed in your blog roll, thanks so much ……….
hugsbev
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
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…
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)
Wow! Wow! Wow!
A beautiful portrait, an excellent tutorial AND a well written blog post. All three are exquisite and well done.
Bravo!
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.
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
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.
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!
You are blessed to be so talented. Your art and your writing are amazing.
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.
Great info. I haven’t yet used Painter, but your tutorial makes me want to give it a try this weekend with or without a tablet.
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Thank you Christopher. Having a tablet makes the process much easier, but I have seen work produced with a mouse that blows me away. I just prefer the feel of real media, so the pen — brush — and Wacom work best for me.
I’ll watch for your painted flowers — hoping you’ll announce on Twitter.
Thank you! I did announce them on twitter. I’ve tried to do some portraits using tools I’m used to in Photoshop. They look quite different, but I like them. I finally got a “cheap” drawing tablet. It was about 1000 pesos and wasn’t wacom but it is 6×8 work area, Acteck brand. The wacom was about 2500 pesos which is just outrageous. Now I just need to remember how to draw
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Hi Christopher. I am interested in how your new drawing tablet works out. As for doing portraits in Photoshop, there are some marvelous teachers at the Digital Art Academy who teach various processes. Susi Lawson has DVD’s for portraits using PS. There are others I’m just not thinking of at the moment.
As for drawing — I’m starting a class taught by Tim Shelbourne at DAA on drawing. I take as many classes as I can fit in to my days… always something fun to learn.
I’m so glad you found this post — and thank you for stopping by.