Tuesday, July 12, 2011

"Perplexed" A Step By Step Watercolor Portrait


'Perplexed' 10" x 10"
watercolor by Crystal Cook

Sometimes I just get an itch to paint a simple portrait. I am endlessly fascinated with expression, especially the eyes. I took this photo on a cloudy day, when me and my three boys were at the park a few years ago.  While the two oldest boys ran around the playground, my youngest and I sat under a pavillion where that soft, diffused light bounced off the cement on the ground and back onto his face. 

He was about six months old, and by this point was pretty used to me taking pictures of him a million times a day. But still, he gave me this confused sort of look. Like, why in the world are we sitting in this pavillion taking yet more pictures when we could be out sliding and swinging? Hmmmm?

Suzanne Berry asked me what moves me to paint a specific subject and I guess it's almost always those two things: lighting and expression. Lighting is something I absolutely will not compromise, it has to be inspiring to me or else I will hate the painting process and then the painting will be. . . eh, *shrug*, so-so. Which is really not what I'm going for. ;)

Suzanne also asked me what my feelings are prior to the first instant I put brush to paper. I would say, excited. Because that's when I still have a perfect image in my head of what I want this painting to be, I'm still having all those giddy feelings that prompted me to start the painting in the first place. I can't wait to get started and put all those images, thoughts, and feelings into this piece.


Step One: This is the most important step. I start out by painting the lightest values in the darkest areas. In other words, I start by painting the shadows that give the face shape and contour, but I use a very light value to do it. Here I've used burnt sienna because it has a long range of values that's easy to adjust to just about any skin tone. This is where I flesh out my line drawing and start to develop a likeness.

I go over the burnt sienna with a neutral grey color that I mix out of either burnt sienna, cobalt blue, and permanent red, or brown madder, raw sienna, and french ultramarine. So basically all I'm using to make this grey are three primary colors in varying strengths and intensities. I want this to be a neutral grey, neither warm nor cool, so that later, near the end, I can push the shadows one way or the other.

Then I block in the basic shapes of the lips, eyes, and hair, paying attention to color temperature shifts.

The two main things I'm thinking about right now are: color temperature and facial structure shapes. If I get those two things right then I've already got a head start on the two most difficult aspects of painting a portrait (at least for me).


Step Two: Once I have step one done I tend to relax and play a little bit more. This is probably my favorite part, strengthening the color and picking out areas that I want to exagerate, like the blue on the sides of his nose and between his eyes. Every color that I lay down now will show through in the end (at least to some degree) so this process is a little bit like chess, thinking ahead to my next move and how that will affect the next move and on, and on to the end.

The colors I've used for the skin tones are permanent rose, raw sienna, rose madder, pthalo red, and cobalt blue.

I like to get the eyes finished right away so that I know I've got them right. It motivates me to finish it and to pay attention so I don't mess it up!



Step Three: This is pretty much the same as step two, just taken even further. I'm darkening the values and refining the shapes. I'm being extra careful to just get in and get out when I lay my brush down. So far this has been painted wet on dry paper, softening the edges with clear water just slightly after I lay the color down.



Step Four: The finish! This part takes the most time because there are all those little things that need finishing. And because I set the painting up and step back and look at it about a hundred times to see what else it needs.

I finished the hair with some lifting (I use a stiff oil painting brush that I've cut the ends off of so that it's kind of a little stub) and then some pastel for a few highlights. The colors in the hair are brown madder, burnt sienna, cobalt blue, raw sienna, and sepia.

Something that I'm thinking is important lately is to paint quickly, confidently, and then to not go back in and fuss around. Ok, ok this is something that I've always thought is important, but working with acrylics has helped me understand this even better, and has given me the practice I need to really be able to do it.

So, while there are some things I would have liked to have turned out better I restrained myself from going back in and touching it up because I knew it would lose that sparkle and freshness and I knew that I wouldn't make it any better, possibly worse.

And I like it like this anyway. That's my baby, looking perplexed at something his strange mother is doing. :) I hope you guys aren't getting tired of seeing his portrait, because I'm not going to be stopping anytime soon.

That's my portrait painting process in a nutshell. Hope you liked it. :) 

Huzzah!! 

31 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, you are SO GOOD! I always think this when I see your work, but those eyes!!! I took a watercolor class in college - boy do I wish I had a teacher like you. Portraits have always been a favorite of mine, and yours area always just so beautiful :)

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  2. I painted portraits when I was young and would have loved to have had a teacher like you. This was a great post and makes me want to try my hand at portraits again. Now if I could only find models or subjects as adorable as you have to inspire me. I love your work.

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  3. Crystal,
    Thank you so much for this.. I just loved it.. The WIP pics gave a good insight to how well you work. And your play with colors brings out the facial features and expressions so well. I mean that hint of blue near the nose really pushes the cheeks forwards. And those eyes and lips capture the expression so well. You are inspiring me.. But I know when I finish doing one I would have demoralized myself. :)

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  4. Hi, Crystal,
    Thank you for the process and interesting post. Always your blog gives me something wonderlful!!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  5. Okay, Crystal, I'll be printing this out so that I have an official "Crystal How To" guide. You in my opinion are the master of portraits. They are always glowing and beautiful! Seeing your process is such a treat and thank you for talking about your color combinations. And you talked about Suzanne in your post, like the cherry on top. Suzanne and Crystal in one post, two of my all time favorites:) Beautiful portrait, once again, such a beautiful little boy!

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  6. Wow Crystal!! what a wonderful painting and description...you never disappoint. Thank you SO much for sharing.

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  7. Thank you so much for showing your process! Its acutally been on my mind about just how you get your watercolors so bright. Side note, taking your suggestions from FB and gathering all sorts of books/reference materials so I can continue my education. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Stunning portraits. something that I just haven't conquered yet. Love the highlights and the expressions. Also thank you for your kind comment and for visiting my blog.

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  9. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY can do a child's portrait like you! Gorgeous values, eyes to die for.

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  10. Wow! Love the step-by-step but I still wouldn't be able to do what you do! lol! Oh my, it's fabulous!

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  11. To be able to see step-by-step just how you acheive such amazingly, exquisitely, adorably, heart-melting portraits is so helpful. One day I would love to have a go at a watercolour portrait and I know just which post I'll be coming back to when I finally pluck up the courage. With your portraits I am always drawn in to the eyes which look utterly full of life. I would love to see a close up of the eyes one day :0)

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  12. Absolutely breath-taking! I LOVE works-in-progress and yours is especially enlightening, Crystal. Thanks so much for sharing all that.

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  13. Thanks for sharing the WIP pictures, Crystal..your son is adorable and I am sure nobody minds seeing him again and again :)
    This is a wonderful portrait, sparkling eyes and great expression!

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  14. WOO-HOO!!! just what i've been waiting for. i'm going to study this, i'm so interested to observe your process, thank you so much for sharing it...amazingly beautiful portrait, as always. amazing!!!!

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  15. Crystal, I am so glad Suzanne asked you about your motivation and technique! WOW!!! As you know, I love looking at processes, and this one is great! As always, your stories about the boys are so intimate and wonderful. Thank you so much for this post, Crystal.
    P.S. - thank you for the good word on my backlighting experiment. Hugs to you and the boys.

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  16. Fascinating to follow your step by step. Thanks so much for publishing it. The end portrait is fabulous :) xx

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  17. hi crystal it's a treat to see your step by step here .... love rising dust

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  18. This is a truly beautiful portrait! Of course, he's a beautiful baby, but your work is amazing. I loved seeing and reading about your process. The differences as each step was completed are really fascinating. Thank you!

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  19. What a lovely demonstration. The expression is captured perfectly. And I dont think I am ever going to grow tired of these beautiful portraits you make of your boys. They are beautiful and you do them justice.
    Thank you for the lovely tutorial

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  20. I just love how you capture expressions in your portraits! You are the most amazing artist! :-)

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  21. Wonderful seeing your process...and the end result is fabulous...as well as your horse below....just love your work!!

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  22. Well, how could we ever get tired of seeing a face like THAT? : )) Crystal, you are so skilled! Thanks for sharing that step-by-step post. I am fascinated by artists' processes. What you spoke about - painting confidently and not fussing about - is so true. I can always see it in my work. The ones where I "got in and got out" as you say are always fresher. It's something I need to post above my easel as a daily reminder. Thanks for sharing your always fabulous art!

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  23. Gosh, you really do put a lot of work in with your paintings Crystal, and the end result shows that it is definitely worth it.
    Thanks for the tip on doing the hair - something I often struggle with in portraits.

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  24. Hi Crystal!
    It is very wonderful part of this step by step, his art is spectacular
    A big hug

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  25. I'm saving this post. It will come in handy when I give water color a try.

    It seems you do the eyes and such first. I like that. I do too - when I do my pencil drawings. :)

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  26. Nice works!
    And thank you for your comment on our blog!

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  27. You are incredible Crystal!!! This step by step is so interesting and helpful. Even though I work with pastels, the process still works.. You put a lot of love in your paintings...with your handsome little models.

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  28. While your portrait shows your talent , it's your willingness to share your expertise with others that makes me say you are a true artist in every sense of the word.
    BJ

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  29. Thanks for sharing your process!! As always such a beautiful painting. You are so right about the light being right. Thanks for your continued inspiration—truly amazing work.

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  30. Your work is amazing and your son is just beautiful. Once again I am shocked you can do this kind of work with watercolors. Have a great day

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  31. Great W I P and a wonderful portrait! Thank you for showing us your thinking and painting process :) Those eyes, cheeks, hair and expression are so tenderly painted - I think this is what it means to paint what you know and understand!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment they really do mean so much to me! Because not all bloggers have their email enabled so I can reply directly through email I will try to reply here in the comments. If I don't please forgive me, life must have been hectic that day! :)) Huzzah!!

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