Acrylic paints are fast-drying and versatile, making them perfect for portraits.
Portrait painting involves capturing the image of a person or group of people by painting their likeness on a canvas. Traditional portraits try to capture the exact image of the person while abstract or contemporary portraits may try to capture the spirit or mood of the person. Acrylic paints are useful when creating portraits since they dry fast, and they can be used with a variety of media, including fabric and canvas.
Getting Started
Begin by painting solid-colored spheres to get a feel for how the paint looks on the canvas (shades, blends, etc.) and to learn create shapes with the paint. Break up your canvas into a grid, making the grid squares as small or large as you think you may need. This will assist you in creating proportions, especially for features such as noses and mouths. Follow graph paper lines if you are unsure create a grid. Experiment with the acrylic paint to figure out how long it takes to dry. This will let you know how much time you have to paint each section. Only use a small amount of paint on your palette so you don't waste too much. Store unused paint in containers.
Using Acrylic Paint
Experiment with colors to find the right balance for your subject's skin tone. Use a watered down version of the flesh tone for the whites of the eyes. Use a cooler version of the skin tone for the chin and area between the nose and mouth. Paint dark subjects (such as backgrounds and clothing) thinly by mixing the acrylics with water. Paint lighter areas on thickly so that they will display against your white canvas. To do this, simply use the paint straight from the tube. Blot brushes after each use to stop paint from running. To create hard or straight edges, use a piece of masking tape and follow the line. You can easily detach the masking tape without hurting the painting. To create shades and tints, dip your brush into two different colors or shades of the same color. Or paint the base color and let it dry, and then add shades or highlights over it.
Techniques
Sketch your subject with a pencil either on canvas or on a separate piece of paper to figure out the required shading and shapes. Take pictures of your subject until you find the picture that you want to paint. People don't like sitting still for long, so this will give you more time to work with your subject. Using your grid, paint one section at a time. Do not move on to the next part until the first section is completed. Don't create detailed backgrounds, or they will take away from your subject. When painting the hair, first wet the paper on which you will be mixing the hair color; this will keep your paint from drying out. Paint the hair as a solid object with dark and lighter shades of the same mix.
