Paint Better Portraits: Realistic Skin Tones

Class Preview

Mix, blend and paint true-to-life skin tones for more realistic portraits.

Selecting a Reference Photo

Meet your instructor, portrait artist Brian Neher, and learn how to identify the difference between warm and cool lighting. Next, practice Brian’s methods for setting up and shooting a reference photo that captures daylight beautifully and depicts your subject in the most flattering way possible.

Mixing Warm & Cool Colors

Learn about the best paints and tools for portraiture, how to set up a palette that you can use daily, and Brian’s professional methods for mixing colors for warm and cool skin colors. Next, learn how to identify temperature changes that will bring striking realism to your work.

Gray Matters

Did you know that grays can be one of the most important elements in your portraits? Brian shows you how to identify and mix a range of grays as you train your eye to see value with more complexity. Explore ways to transition from warm to cool hues by mixing complementary colors with confidence.

Application to Canvas

Take your paint from palette to canvas as Brian demystifies the challenging block-in phase of portrait painting. Explore ways to draft the major elements of your subject as you learn paint application techniques that will help you control your brush, working from dark to light in the process.

Blending on Canvas

Blending can be very challenging to master, but has the power to transform a painting into a professional work of art. Brian shares step-by-step demonstrations for blending wet into wet, and shows you how to artfully mix paints using a finger or a dry brush.

Finishing Your Portrait

Discover ways to revitalize dull areas and add more contrast to the value range after your nearly-finished painting has dried. Brian shares ways to work over dry paint as you push shapes and hues toward a richer, more dimensional look. Next, learn how to add final details that add amazing realism.

Variations: Skin Tone, Age & Gender

Learn how to apply the techniques you’ve learned so far to any subject’s skin color. Brian explains how to mix paints that will create a wide range of rich warm or cool hues. Finish the class by exploring paint and brushstroke methods that will help define the age and gender of your subject.