Painting Watercolor Portraits
Art • June 10th, 2006If I have ever painted a decent watercolor portrait, any of its goodness can mostly be attributed to the lessons I’ve learned from “Painting Watercolor Portraits That Glow”
I’m not a professional artist, so whenever I paint I need photographic material as a reference. One of the key lessons I got from understanding the artist’s painting technique is to always try to work from photos that have been taken outdoors, or if indoors, next to a light source, so that light can create natural shadows on the subject. It’s the contrast between light and shadow that makes a portrait, or any painting, truly beautiful (at least for me)… just like these gorgeous paintings by Jan Kunz demonstrate:
So, if you’re looking to commission the painting of a loved one to an artist, and he or she asks for photos… Whatever you do, do not let that evil Flash fire.
And if you’re an aspiring watercolor artist, or just an enthusiast like me, I humbly recommend you to learn from one of the best watercolor teachers in the U.S. Ms. Kunz has written several books, and as I’ve happily discovered today: She’s also made some great instructional videos. As much as I love and have learned from my book, I have always wanted to see the actual painting process and not just snapshots of the intermediate steps. Watercolor portraits are not easy, but with the right instruction they are completely doable, and so much fun. I can’t wait to see Ms. Kunz’s brush in action: “A Simple Approach from Photo to Finish”, soon you will be in my hands…
For any readers in the DFW metroplex (hint hint)… Jan Kunz will be giving a workshop in Fort Worth in mid October, 2006… I’m turning moss green with envy!
