Portrait Underpainting Workshop
We jumped back into the studio for another 2-day portrait workshop. Students worked to create their underpainting using just one color: raw umber.
We added this paint and also wiped it away to create the illusion of three dimensional forms. Students enjoyed how this method gave them deep shadows and bright highlights.
Some students did joke in this class that they wished we could use white paint to make the highlights really stand out. I challenged students to only use one color, but using thin layers of white is also not a bad method in some other underpainting methods. If we had used black and white paint, we would be creating what is called a “grisaille.” It is also a viable method for starting a painting. Maybe I could teach another workshop on this!
While painting today, this dedicated group worked hard to study the model and build strong proportions. Some tricks we worked on:
Stepping back from the canvas: We work hard on our painting and this means we can get right up close to the canvas, but checking the proportion means stepping back. I shared a story about the famous portrait painter John Singer Sargent. They say Sargent wore out a rut in his studio floor because he constantly moved back and forth from his easel. I reminded students to step back and compare their work to the model. It also helps to squint your eyes so you only see shadows and light without any identifyiable feature.
Checking angles: We held our brushes out with a straight arm to mark the angles of the model’s face with out brush. We then kept our arm straight and steped back to the canvas to see if our marks matched.
Comparative measurements: The are tricks to make sure we have everyting in proportion. I gave students a handout with printed guide for these. For instance, our face is always divided into equal thirds. Our eye is the same size as the empty space between our eyes.
I think each student creatd a beautiful underpainting that will set them up for success tomorrow’s session.
This is our last underpainting session for February, but our Alla Prima workshops start next week. Sign up for the first session, or the next, or all of them! Just click the button below:
