Time Lapse of a Three Person Oil Portrait.
This time lapse follows part of the process of creating a three-person oil portrait, from the first loose sketch to about half way done. The painting moved through several clear stages: drawing, color blocking, refinement, and finishing details. Each stage changed the mood of the piece, and each one carried its own set of challenges.
Starting with the initial sketch
Before thinking about detail, I mapped the main shapes. I looked for the tilt of each head, the spacing between shoulders, and the overall movement across the canvas. In a group portrait, small spacing problems become more obvious later. If one head sits too high or one figure leans too far forward, the entire painting can feel uneven.
Blocking in color and skin tones
The color stage began broadly. I mixed large piles for general skin tones, clothing, and background rather than chasing small color shifts from the start.
For the faces, I worked with a limited range of warm and cool notes. Skin is not one color. It shifts with plane changes, light direction, reflected color, and blood flow beneath the surface. The cheeks needed more warmth, the jaw areas needed cooler notes, and the shadow sides needed color rather than plain brown or gray.
Finished Product.
Final portrait was delivered and I was very happy with how it turned out. Hope you enjoyed some of the process.
Comments