Portraits are a challenge for all artists. Humans are especially critical of the images they make of themselves because they are the most capable of recognizing the inconsistencies and errors. Portraits can also be the most rewarding subjects to paint because they are such a great challenge; when a portrait is painted successfully, the artist knows she has truly done well.
Before Beginning to Paint
Choose a subject. Live subjects may be difficult for first-time portrait painters because subjects can only sit for limited periods of time, they may shift positions between sittings, and because lighting conditions are difficult to replicate from one sitting to the next. Live subjects may provide a feeling of authenticity to the experience for the painter.
Portraits may also be painted from photographs. Photographs are convenient because they do not force the painting to be completed in a specific location, and they provide a subject who will hold a pose consistently from one moment to the next.
Study the subject before beginning the portrait. Do quick drawings of the subject. Try to capture gesture and expression. You may want to do some longer, more detailed studies of the subject as well.
Choose your pallet and medium. Watercolors can be difficult to control and provide limited possibility for alteration or correction of mistakes. However, watercolors have a soft, luminous quality that can be very favorable for portraiture. Acrylic paints are straightforward, water-soluble and intuitive for painters to use. Acrylics are also fast-drying, which can be frustrating for an artist trying to blend colors on a canvas. Finally, oil paints may appear similar to acrylic paint when the product is in the final stages. However, oil paints dry very slowly and are excellent for blending. Oil paints may require a little more training and study than acrylics. The process of painting with oil involves the use of chemicals like turpentine, and the artist must keep in mind rules like "fat over lean."
The Pose
If you are painting a live model, choose a pose that allows the model to be comfortable, and that the model will be able to hold for long stretches of time. Do not allow the model to raise her arms above her heart, or she will be more likely to faint.
Also when painting a live model, choose the lighting conditions carefully. Natural light like sunshine will look nice, but will require you to more strictly limit the amount of time of each sitting, because the light will change as the daylight passes. Additionally, if you are reliant upon natural light, you will only be able to paint at times of the day when that quality of light is available, unless you're prepared to paint your subject without duplicating the lighting conditions from one sitting to the next.
If you are painting from a photograph, do not choose a photograph that is too small, or lacking in picture quality. When you are painting your portrait, you will want to have high-resolution, large images to work from.
The Process
There is not one specific way to make a portrait. Some painters begin with an eye and place all other elements of the face relative to the eye. Some painters map the location of all elements of the face before painting anything at all.
Most artists will agree, however, that the most crucial part of painting a face is to capture the shape and look of the eyes, as well as the overall symmetry of the features. Flick your eyes back and forth between the painting and its subject. The most accurate portraits will not have notable differences of shape or color between the subject and what has been painted.
If you are still unable to get the painting in a state to your satisfaction, walk away from the piece and come back to it later, when you can look on it with fresh eyes, or try looking at the painting in a mirror. Seeing the painting as it exists in reverse will help you identify what is wrong or asymmetrical about the figure.
