One of the most popular things to create in visual arts is a portrait. The hardest thing about portraits are the details. If one little line is off, it could change the way someone’s face looks completely.
I recently have been very inspired by old Hollywood. I have been painting “legends”. I’m going to share my tricks on making a face look like the person you are looking at!
When you start, make a rough. The point in this is that you need a “sloppy copy” to work on. After making a quick sketch with mostly shapes flip the reference photo and art piece upside down. When you do this, you will see the shapes and not the person’s face as a face. You will also see the major mistakes that you have made in the proportions.
After you feel like the face is working flip it back to the normal view. At this point you can add personality to the face. After doing this, when you think the face looks perfect, double check one more time to see. Go to a mirror and look at the art piece in the reflection. Sometimes when you look at the artwork for too long you don’t realize there are any mistakes. When you look at the reflection you will notice if there is anything else wrong.
When it comes to artwork you can work on it as much or as little as you want. Another method you can use is to put your piece away in a place where you can’t see it. Sometimes, I will work on something then put it out of sight and then start on it again a year later. I then notice things that I would like to improve on.
I hope these tips are of help. If you would like to share some tips of your own, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you have to say!
Best of luck to you!
Photo Credits
All photos by Adriana Raby – All Rights Reserved
Guest Artist Bio
Adriana Raby
Adriana Raby has a BFA from Ringling College of Art + Design. She uses an array of mediums in her artwork. Currently, she is based in Los Angeles, CA. The city of stars brings out her creativity. The plethora of museums gives Adriana inspiration. The diverse people + landscape give her subject matter.
She is on all social media as AdrianaRabyArt. You can find her children’s book “Witchy Witch” on Amazon or Kindle . Also her mini art is for sale on Ebay for 99 cents! You kind find the fun at EBay.
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