Portrait Painting Free Mi Um New

Portrait Painting Lessons Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Technique Techniquess

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S ■

Know Your Subject: An Excerpt from Expressive Portraits by Jean Pederson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

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Painting Skin Tones: An Excerpt from Vibrant Children’s Portraits by Victoria Lisi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

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Quiet Reverence: Inspired by the human experience, Dongfeng Li paints his subjects with emotion and dignity dignity by A rtist, Meredith E. Lewis ( Watercolor Artist, April 2012) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

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Brush With History (The Artist’s Magazine, Jan Januar uary/F y/Febr ebruar uaryy 2013) 2013) . .27

MORE RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Portrait Portra it Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques Techniques |

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know your subject B

ecause our faces are so similar, our minds want to exaggerate the small nuances that distinguish one face from

another. As artists, we try to paint what we see, rather than what we think we see. If we observe carefully how light falls on the different planes of the face, we see shapes instead of features. I keep these ideas in mind when I begin a drawing. Regardless of where you are in your artistic journey, a solid foundation in the structural relationships of your subject will give you the confidence to draw and paint with freedom. It allows you to understand the figure and to observe your model’s distinct features as they deviate from the standard. Sometimes our drawings go awry, but with this foundation, we can identify problem areas and adjust them appropriately.

resist the urge to exaggerate proportions Because this model is so physically fit, it would be easy to draw his muscular upper body larger than it is. But if we look carefully at the proportions of the figure, we’ll find that they generally fit into the standard guidelines for an adult male.

self assured

watercolor, gesso and India ink on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper 30" x 22" (76cm x 56cm) collection of the artist

Portrait Painting Lessons: Learn How to Paint a Portrait With These Professional Techniques |

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notice relationships among facial features The key to becoming adept at drawing and painting many different faces is to see their similarities first. No matter how much individual facial features vary from person to person, we are strikingly similar in the relationships of our features. The closer a face corresponds to the average relationships of facial features, the more “comfortable” that face will appear. Most of us have facial relationships that diverge slightly from the norm, giving each of us our own unique look. When you create portraits, considering some standard relationships will help you develop a “comfortable” face as a foundation before making any adjustments to accommodate the uniqueness of your model. You will learn to spot individual differences among your models and adjust angles and distances to gain an accurate likeness.

With practice and experience, you’ll be able to draw and paint a portrait through shapes and relationships and then use the “comfortable” face as a guideline if something doesn’t seem quite right. By comparing it with the standard facial format, you’ll discover where your drawing is out of balance in its relationships.

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the “comfortable” face

In general, this model’s features and facial relationships are proportional. This standard is seen globally as what a “comfortable” face should be. All ethnicities would see this as a comfortable face.

transfixed

watercolor and gouache on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed paper 11" x 15" (28cm x 38cm) collection of doris lehodey

ill-placed features On my computer, I separated the model’s features and rearranged them on her face to illustrate just how similar we all are in our facial relationships. If we draw these relationships without considering average proportions, the face becomes odd or less comfortable. You can see how slight changes to these proportions change the appeal of the simple face, which in turn can significantly affect the success of your portrait.


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make a three-dimensional face reference

Create your own inexpensive reference tools that will help you understand general characteristics of facial features and the relationships among them. Refer to them as you draw and paint. You need a standard eggshaped balloon and a felt-tip marker for this one.

balloon head

Mark the guidelines and standard relationships of the comfortable face (see pages 26–27) on your inflated balloon. The “comfortable face” measurements change because we cannot see the hidden side of the face; however, the lines that mark positions don’t change. Mark the guidelines and standard relationships of the comfortable face on your inflated balloon. Refer to the balloon to help you evaluate what relationships may be out of proportion in your portrait. If you “tie” your balloon by wrapping the end around a pencil, it can be deflated and saved for future reference.

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CHAPTER FOUR

SKIN The range of skin tones is vast. Buying a tube of paint marked “flesh” is completely inadequate. Look at the enormous array of skin tones available at a makeup counter. Some companies even offer customized blends. Racial ancestry plays a significant role in skin tone. Some children are multiracial with both strong and subtle influences on skin tone. Careful observation is crucial. What color is the skin undertone? Pink, blue, olive, yellow, purple? All sorts of beautiful subtleties exist in skin colors of all races. The skin also changes hue on different parts of the face. Thinner skin, such as at the temples, tends toward more cool tones. The tip of the nose, cheeks and forehead tend toward warmer, rosier hues. This holds true for all races. Lighting also affects skin tones. Skin color changes dramatically depending on the amount of light falling on it. A strong light lightens the areas of skin where it falls, while low light can darken the skin tones. Even a very light-skinned child will look dark if the light is insuffici ent. The color of the light also has an influence. The skin tones of a child on a cloudy day or standing in the shade will look cooler. Furthermore, different light sources give different results. Cool northern light gives a cooler bluish hue. Low evening or morning sunlight is pink or orange and affects skin tones accordingly. If you make a skin chart of all the potential skin palettes, you’ll be in a much better position to select appropriate colors.

Margaret

oil on canvas 14" × 11" (36cm × 28cm) collection of Jane Maday 47


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DETERMINING VALUES The next step after drawing is establishing the correct values. Value is the degree of lightness or darkness. It is more important to get correct values than correct color. A black-and-white photo is an arrangement of values from black through white with all the grays in between. A person in a black-and-white photo is still recognizable. Imagine looking at the same photos with no values—only colors. The subject probably wouldn’t be recognizable. There are a number of tips and techniques for getting correct values.

Using Gray Scales to Mix

Using Gray Scales to Test Mixtures

A gray scale has eight to ten values,

Laminate your gray scale to try this

ranging from pure white to black. Lay the gray scale on your reference and painting (only when the painting is dry!)

handy trick. Place a mixture of paint directly on the gray scale to see if it matches the reference. Wipe off the

to compare the values. Keep it near

paint with a paper towel once you’ve

your palette when you mix your colors.

established the correct value.

ARTIST’S TIP Here are a couple of tricks that will help you see values: 1. Squint at your reference or painting. This allows you to see value more distinctly. Make this a habit. Don’t try to paint while squinting though. 2. Hold a sheet of acetate or undeveloped film close to your eyes like a pair of spectacles, then view your painting and reference through the colored film. This will remove much of the color, and you will see the values better.

Isolating Values Punch a hole in two pieces of card stock. Lay one piece on your reference and one on the corresponding area of the dr y painting. This will isolate the area so you can better judge value. This technique also works well for selecting colors (see page 59).

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PLACING VALUES Weak values create a weak painting. Strong values draw

As a general principle, apply dark colors thinly and light

attention. With children, the values should be subtle and

colors with more paint. The idea is to let the light of the canvas

change gradually or they will look too harsh.

shine through the darks. The light colors will reflect light

Mix a sufficient number of values. I use at least five, but

automatically.

no more than nine. When establishing values, it’s better

Place the center of interest in the light area o f the painting.

to use more opaque colors. Mix white into all of the lighter

Use contrast (such as a black pupil with a light glint) to draw

mixes. Titanium White is very opaque.

the viewer’s attention to the center of interest (usually the eye

Concentrate on the values early in the painting. Put the

angled closest to the viewer in a three-quar ter view or the eyes

darkest color down as soon as you can. It will be a key to

in a front view). Avoid extreme value contrast at the edge of

determining values in the rest of the painting.

your painting, as it leads the viewer’s eye off the page.

Clarifying Value and Color

Using Sepia Photos

To separate value from hue (color), it can help to make a black-and-white and a color print of your reference photo.

Sepia closely emulates Burnt Umber, which is often used for the underpainting in oils, so it can be helpful for determining

Use the black-and-white print for the underpainting stage and the color print for the color stage.

the values in underpaintings. Use photo editing software to manipulate and improve your photos to make them more suitable for painting.

ARTIST’S TIP Black is a controversial color. Some artists never use black from a tube. Instead, they mix dark colors with their complements (colors opposite each other on the color wheel). This creates a black that is more vibrant than pure flat black, which can suck the life out of a painting. Try using tiny amounts of Mars Black at the center of interest. Mix the rest of your darks with complements, such as French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna, or Permanent Alizarin Crimson and Winsor Green.

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BLENDING Many artists don’t advocate blending, preferring a looser, more

than transparent ones. Don’t try to blend colors that have

painterly style. This approach can look great on portraits of

begun to dry out. You’ll have a streaky mess. Use a good

adults, but painting the smooth skin of a child calls for blending.

brush with the right level of stiffness to apply paint, such as

Blending is easier with a properly primed canvas and the

a synthetic mongoose filbert.

right brushes, paints and medium. Opaque colors blend better

Soft, Rounded Brush

Fan Brush

Practice Blending

Once you’ve applied the paint to the

Fans are also good for blending.

Select three colors from one of the skin tone palettes (see pages 53–56), and

canvas with a filbert, use a soft,rounded brush, such as a mop or glazing brush,

lay them out on your palette. Thoroughly mix a drop of medium into each color.

for blending. Always use a clean, dry brush.

Mix nine values from light to dark and place them side by side on your canvas (see left bar above). Use a glazing or fan brush to blend, creating a blended bar that goes smoothly from light to dark. It usually takes two coats to get it really smooth (see right bar above). If you have trouble, make sure you take enough time to mix the paint. You may not have mixed enough values, or the paint might be dried out. It should be buttery, not too liquid or too stiff.

Toddler Skin

Toddler Skin, Blended

I applied the paint with a no. 2 short

Here is the same image after I blended the paint with a no. 6 glazing brush. The

filbert. I didn’t blend the paint after applying it.

skin is much smoother.

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GLAZES Glazing produces rich colors with luminosity and depth. It

Practice glazing transparent colors over dried opaque

is a wonderful technique for finishing the painting process.

ones to get a sense of what this technique can add to your

Glazing is done with only transparent colors. These allow

work. Mix a drop of fine detail medium in your glaze color.

light to pass through the paint film and bounce off the paint

Paint the transparent coat thinly, spreading it with your glaz-

underneath, almost like a sheet of stained glass or acetate

ing brush or fan.

overlaid on the painting. Because oils dry slowly, it’s usually

See the list of transparent colors below. Of course there

possible to apply only one or two glaze layers per painting.

are more transparent colors than these. Many manufacturers’

It’s best to use opaque colors in the early stage and trans-

tubes are labeled opaque, transparent or translucent. If not,

parent colors in the later glazing stage. If you try to use only

there’s a simple way to test colors. Draw a black line with a

glazing colors at the beginning, you won’t get coverage and

marker on canvas. Paint color swatches over it. Opaque col-

your work will look streaky. A glaze will make an area darker

ors will cover the line better, while transparent colors will let

in value.

the line show. The colors that are in between are translucent.

Permanent Magenta

Indian Yellow Deep

Red Rose

Green Gold

Rose Madder Genuine

Winsor Green

Permanent Alizarin Crimson

Winsor Blue (Green Shade)

Burnt Sienna

French Ultramarine

Transparent Red Ochre

Violet Deep

Transparent Maroon

Winsor Violet Dioxazine

T R A N S PA R E NT COLORS FROM MY PALETTE Burnt Sienna French Ultramarine Green Gold Indian Yellow Deep Permanent Alizarin Crimson Permanent Magenta Red Rose Rose Madder Genuine Transparent Maroon Transparent Red Ochre Violet Deep Winsor Blue (Green Shade) Winsor Green Winsor Violet Dioxazine

Glazing Chart Make your own chart once you know which of your colors are transparent. Paint an opaque flesh strip using any of the skin tone palettes, and let it dry. You can use fast-drying medium to save time. Then, mix transparent colors with a thin, fast-drying medium and apply them over the flesh stri p. This will give you an idea of how skin colors might respond to various glazes.

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SCUMBLING Scumbling is the opposite of glazing. To scumble, take a

change, such as turning blond hair greenish. It can produce

lighter opaque color (usually white or an opaque color mixed

beautiful pearly skin tones when done properly. You can

with white) and paint it over a darker area. It changes the

alternate glazes and scumbles at the end of your painting for

temperature, producing a cooler, more bluish color. Scumbling

a really beautiful finish.

is a little tricky because it can cause an unexpected color

Cadmium Yellow Hue + Titanium White

Bismuth Yellow + Titanium White

Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Titanium White

Transparent White*

Titanium White

Naples Yellow Light

Prescumbled Skin Here is a painting before scumbling. See how the skin is a bit too orange.

Opaque Colors Useful for Scumbling Skin Using scumbling and glazing properly can take a relatively lackluster painting a nd add dimension and mystery. Scumbling and glazing are best used at the end of the painting process. To experiment, paint opaque swatches of different skin colors and let them dry. Add fluid medium to a lighter opaque color and scumble it over the skin tones. Spread the lighter opaque scumble coat very thinly, creating a thin veil of color. Observe the change in temperature. *Transparent White is more transparent than Titanium White. It is useful if you want a very delicate scumble. Even though it’s called “transparent,” it will create a scumble rather than a glaze.

Scumbled Skin Here is the same painting after scumbling. Notice how the skin is cooler and bluer after scumbling. This is an optical effect created by applying light over dark.

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LIGHT SKIN TONES Light skin tones range from pearl through peach, olive, beige

So will different proportions of paint ratios. On some children

and brown. Some have freckles. Children of Northern European

the areas of thinner skin will require some blues. Mixing a

descent often have more pink tones while those of Souther n

blue with an orangey red and white can also yield light tones.

European descent may have more olive. White, red and yellow create a generic light skin tone. Different reds and different yellows produce different results.

Opaque Chart of Triads Here are some combinations with each mixture including two pigments and

A

Titanium White. The ratio of the other two colors changes the temperature.

B

The amount of white changes the value. White always cools and grays the colors it’s mixed with. Titanium White makes transparent colors opaque.

C

D

E

F

A. Permanent Magenta + Cadmium Yellow Hue + Titanium White B. Yellow Ochre Pale + Permanent Alizarin Crimson + Titanium White C. Yellow Ochre Pale + Transparent Maroon + Titanium White D. Indian Yellow Deep + Terra Rosa + Titanium White E. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + French Ultramarine + Titanium White F. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Blue (Green Shade) + Titanium White G. Green Gold + Rose Madder Genuine + Titanium White

G

Glaze and Scumble Chart Cadmium Yellow Hue + Permanent Magenta + Titanium White

Here is a chart with strips of opaque light skin tones that have been further modified with glazes (Transparent Red Ochre

Yellow Ochre Pale + Permanent Alizarin Crimson + Titanium White

and Rose Madder Genuine) and a scumble (Titanium White). Notice how each affects the colors.

Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Blue (Green Shade) + Titanium White

Transparent Red Ochre

Rose Madder Genuine

Titanium White

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DARK SKIN TONES Mixing complements (colors that are opposite each other

There is a wide range of dark skin tones. Colors can range from delicate mochas to golden honeys to rich mahoganies.

on the color wheel) makes interesting dark skin shades. Varying

Some areas, such as lips, may have a deep rose, a soft pink

the ratio will help give nuance and life. This is a better strategy

or a subtle violet cast. Palms and soles are often lighter than

than simply using paint from a brown tube, which can look flat.

other areas.

Opaque Chart of Triads Here are some combinations you can use. Dark skin benefits from colors with strong tinting strength and less white in some areas.

A

B A. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Winsor Magenta

C

D

+ Titanium White B. Venetian Red + Violet Deep + Titanium White C. Winsor Blue (Green Shade) + Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Titanium White D. Green Gold + Winsor Magenta + Titanium White E. Venetian Red + French Ultramarine + Titanium White F. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Violet Deep + Titanium White G. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Green + Titanium White

E

F

G

Glaze Chart After you have painted dark skin tones opaquely,

Cadmium Yellow Hue+ Permanent Magenta + Titanium White

enhance the colors with transparent glazes. Transparent Maroon is one of my favorite glaze

Venetian Red + Violet Deep + Titanium White

colors. It’s particularly effective on dark skin. Purples and magentas can be effective in selected areas such as the shadows and lips.

Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Violet Deep + Titanium White

Winsor Violet Dioxazine

Permanent Magenta

Transparent Maroon

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WARM SKIN TONES Warm skin tones range from palest cream through deep honey to rich browns. There can be a subtle underlying golden hue. Try mixing various yellows with reds or magentas.

Opaque Chart of Triads Mixing different yellows with different reds and purples yields believable warm skin tones. Yellow and red make

A

orange, and yellow and purple make a neutral brown. Adding Titanium White

B

to these mixtures cools them and makes them more suited for flesh tones. A. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Rose Madder

C

D

Genuine + Titanium White B. Yellow Ochre Pale + Transparent Maroon + Titanium White C. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Blue (Green Shade) + Titanium White D. Indian Yellow Deep + Terra Rosa + Titanium White E. Naples Yellow Light + Burnt Sienna + Titanium White F. Bismuth Yellow + Venetian Red + Titanium White G. Green Gold + Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Titanium White

E

F

G

Glaze and Scumble Chart Naples Yellow Light + Burnt Sienna + Titanium White

Glazes or scumbles can work well over warm skin. Here are some examples. Notice how the yellow glaze warms and the white scumble cools the

Bismuth Yellow + Venetian Red + Titanium White

underlying colors.

Cadmium Yellow Hue + Rose Madder Genuine + Titanium White

Indian Yellow Deep

Burnt Sienna

Transparent White

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BROWN SKIN TONES From warm amber to cool olive and deep umber, there is an enormous variety in brown skin tones. Any number of combinations might work: reds with greens, yellows with reds or blues with orange-reds.

Opaque Chart of Triads Stronger colors work well with brown skin tones. Children with Latin heritage will tend toward olive while those with

A

Native American heritage will have a redder skin tone.

B

A. Bismuth Yellow + Permanent Magenta +

C

D

Titanium White B. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + French Ultramarine + Titanium White C. Green Gold + Permanent Alizarin Crimson + Titanium White D. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Venetian Red + Titanium White E. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue + Winsor Green + Titanium White F. Cadmium Yellow Hue + Permanent Alizarin Crimson + Titanium White G. Yellow Ochre Pale + Venetian Red + Titanium White

E

F

G

Glaze Chart Determine if the under-

Bismuth Yellow + Permanent Magenta + Titanium White

tone is red or green when selecting glazes or scumbles for brown skin tones. If the child has olive tones, Green

Cadmium Yellow Hue + Permanent Alizarin Crimson + Titanium White

Gold is a good choice. If the undertone is more red, Permanent Alizarin Crimson would work well. If the skin is neutral, Burnt Sienna will work.

Yellow Ochre Pale + Venetian Red + Titanium White

Green Gold

Burnt Sienna

Permanent Alizarin Crimson

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MIXING In the initial stages of a portrait, mix a sufficie nt number of

I usually mix many values and hues of paint for a portrait

flesh values, at least five but not more than nine. You can mix

in the early and middle stages. It’s time consuming, so I keep

more than nine skin tones, but the difference should be in hue

the paint in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator

(color) rather than value. Mix colors with a palette knife. Use

between sessions.

more drying medium in the white paint, but a consistent amount in the other colors. The one exception is Burnt Umber, which does not need drying medium.

Skin Tone Mix Chart

I used five colors to create twenty mixtures varying in value and hue. Cadmium Yellow Hue

Permanent Magenta

The top two rows contain Cadmium Yellow, Permanent Magenta and Titanium White. The top row contains more Cadmium Yellow Hue than Permanent Magenta, making a slightly more yellowish skin tone, while the second row contains slightly more Permanent Magenta than Cadmium Yellow Hue, making a slightly more pinkish skin tone. The bottom two rows contain Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue, French Ultramarine and Titanium White. The third row contains slightly more Cadmium

Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue

Red Scarlet Hue than French Ultramarine, making a more reddish skin tone, while the fourth row contains slightly more French Ultramarine, making a bluer skin tone.

French Ultramarine

In all the rows, as you move toward the right, each mixture has progressively more Titanium White. You can mix many more shades from these colors. This would be a minimum.

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COLOR VARIATION OF FEATURES All skin tones have areas that are more reddish or more blue.

child has produces deeper skin tones. Cadmium Red Scarlet

Creased areas such as the inside of ears, nostrils and between

Hue is particularly effective for redder areas.

fingers reflect light, which gives them a reddish hue. The thin-

Highlights are important as they give skin dimension and

ner skin of the temples, eyelids and wrists often has a bluish

describe the form. It may be necessary to warm the Titanium

or violet cast because blood veins show through transparent

White highlight color with Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue or Cad-

skin layers.

mium Yellow Hue.

Cheeks, fingers, noses and ears are often more pink or red due to weather exposure. The amount of sun exposure a

Lips Before Blending Before blending, it is easy to see the separate colors: Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue and Transparent Maroon in the shadows, and Titanium White with a touch of Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue for the highlights.

Blended Lips After blending, the Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue, Transparent Maroon and Titanium White are still visible, but they are softly blended in.

Ears Before Blending The same process works with ears. Here they are before blending. Cadmium Red Scarlet Hue is in the creases. Titanium White is in the highlights. Use miniatures in the tight areas.

Blended Ears After blending, the colors have been softened. A no . 6 glazing brush works well for this.

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Quiet

Reverence

Inspired by the human experience, Dongfeng Li paints his subjects with emotion and dignity. By Meredith E. Lewis

Extraordinary Quietude “Te subject in Under the Eaves, Soft Touch of the Sun [watercolor on paper,

30 x22]

is my mother’s still-living childhood

friend,” says Li. “I tried to present her quietness and her ordinary life in the rural village through her pale face and typical country-house door curtain. Te soft afternoon sunlight touches her face through the tree leaves, conveying my feelings for my mother.”


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umility, grace, dignity: these are the hallmark s of Morehead State University professor Dongfeng Li’s watercolor portraits. Choosing to paint people from a variety of places, ages and life experiences, Li works to imbue each subject with poise and disti nction. “Their different backgrounds can create interesting contexts,” he says. “I’m curious about these differences, so it’s one of my primary motivations in creating my work.” Li’s style is real istic, although diffuse, muted and atmospheric color washes—trademarks of his chosen medium—augment the transition from foreground detail to background abstraction. “My work is primarily realistic, though it can va ry, depending on what I want to achieve with a piece,” he says. “With watercolor, I can often create detail that rivals that of oil paint, though sometimes I like to pursue a more simplistic approach, such as in the painting Joe [on page ��], which relies more on color washes.”

H

Solitude “Te subject in Living Alone [left; watercolor on paper,

26 x38 ]

lives by himself

without any children,” says Li. “His face, skin and wrinkles tell his history and experiences.”

Vivid Life “In Pikeville Sun [below; watercolor on YUPO, 38 x26],

I spent a great deal of

time on the reflections and on alternate brushstrokes on his facial hair, to allow his face to reflect vivid sunlight,” says Li.


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Mystery Man “In Joe [opposite; watercolor on YUPO,

38 x26],

I tried to

approach the idea of ambiguity and the obscurity of the subject’s identity,” says Li.


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Contrast and Harmony Li completed his undergraduate studies in China, where he studied Chinese watercolor and oil painting, as well as drawing. He credits this early training to his success with watercolor and with realism, noting the similarities between the Western watercolor tradition and the Chinese school. “There are some similarities between watercolor and Chinese painting, such as washes, brushstrokes and paint bleeding effects, as well as their typically summarized and simple nature,” he says. “Both contain a simplified approach to color by creating multiple subtle layers of glazes. Chinese painting and watercolor are focused more on design and composition above all else, as well as how the economy of the brushstroke is used to create structure of form.” In college, Li was also preoccupied with sport s. Soccer, volleyball and table tennis were his favorites, a nd he spent a great deal of time outdoors or in the gym. “Many of my professors told me that I should attend a sports academy, rather than studying art,” he says. “This has influenced my work today, and is part of the reason why I’m interested in plein air painting, as I love being outdoors, surrounded by nature.” Li’s paintings explore color contrasts, color temperatures and hues, elements that a llow him to capture the personalities and moods of his sub jects in t wo-di mensiona l space. Emotion arrives through composition and through his use of light and dark values, color washes, texture, brushstrokes and color work. “Contrast and harmony are based on my design purpose,” he says. “If I need more attention, I’ll use more contrast; when I want elements to seem unified, I’ll do the opposite.” Painting from life, photographs and reference material, Li strives to achieve authenticity in each painting. Life painting is his favorite way of working. If he chooses to work from photographs, he often changes the color scheme and various personal elements to complete and unify a composition. Working and teaching in a variety of environments—from the studio to en plein air and travel painting—gives him flexibility and virtu-

Life Lived “In Coalminer [watercolor on YUPO , 38 x26], I explored the effects of dripping rain and the feeling of being wet with color blending and washes.”

bridging traditions Dongfeng Li prefers to paint with both soft- and hard-hair Chinese brushes, because both c an be smoothed to a point, and the soft brush can hold a great deal of water. His palette of watercolors has more than 20 wells with a casket seal, which prevents the paints from drying out. His favorite colors are: blue-green, ultramarine blue, sap green, rose madder and alizar in crimson from brands such as Rembrandt and Da Vinci. Additional materials include liquid soap, for mixing with paint; a spray bottle; and a sponge.


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Memories of Home “In Pack Rat [opposite; watercolor on paper,

38x 26],

I characterized my

subject through her aging skin and I imbued her

osity with the medium. It also allows him to demonstrate a wide var iety of pai nting methods to his students.

with a very quiet feeling,” says Li. “She reminded me of my mother and aunt.”

Vivid Forms Composition takes two forms in Li’s process. The first is brainstorming. He spends time with his subject, watching the model or examining the photograph for clues. “Often, after a period of time, I’ll have a vague idea of the theme,

color, light design and composition,” he says. “Then come the thumbnail sketches and black-and-white value study, or color studies.” With this preliminary work in place, the second stage of Li’s process sees him developing his final pai nting according to the road map set out by his initial thoughts and studies. For the painting Pack Rat (on page ��), Li first completed a black-and-white drawing and


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quick color design study—elements th at allowed him to edit and perfect his composition. With these references in place, he drafted his drawing in pencil on his watercolor paper. He then blocked in the lightest colors and, where gestural strokes were required, he worked additional colors into these areas while they were still wet. He designed and glazed the background before he went to work on the face and detail areas. When he finally launched into the facial planes of the work, he began by creating the value and blending in cool and warm colors, before achieving depth in detail areas. Throughout his process, Li takes

care not to overwork any particular area of t he painting. “My process of watercolor isn’t that different from many other artists,” he says. “However, I do emphasize the idea of ‘lost and found’ in my work. I use this tool to pro vide emphasis in certain are as of the face and details, allowin g less emphasized areas to subtly blend into the background. It’s key to making the form of a portrait more viv id.” In addition, he “counts white as black,” he says, and allows some areas of his paintings to be busy and tight in contrast to quieter areas with less detail. “These are both well-known theories in Chinese painting,” he says. “T hey

Off Guard “In Cat’s Cradle [opposite; watercolor on paper,

22 x30],

I tried to capture the confused

expression of the girl and the coo l light ing cast upon her, which was challenging in classic transparent watercolor,” says the artist.


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Fond Recollections “What I depicted in Loess, Light Misty at the Village [below; watercolor on paper, 30 x22] is the accumulation of my feelings and memories of China,” says Li. “I tried to present all that I saw and know about this senior in my parents’ hometown.”

Workaday “I tried to create the idea of a miner exiting a coal mine at the end of a workday, tired and exhausted, in Morning Relief [watercolor on paper, 38x26],” says Li. “Tere are certain risks involved in deep mining, and his expres-

sion shows a sense of pride f rom his job—as well as relief f rom having safely completed a day of work.”

describe the use of positive and negative spaces. I also sometimes look for more abstract shapes in both spaces.”

New Vocabularies For Li, who enjoys the quiet dignity of the human face, the challenge is to remain open to new ways of working with and exploring a subject. He admits that he’s often dissatisfied with his initial painting efforts, and it may take weeks of additional work and assessment for him to arrive at the finish line.

“In giving myself this time,” he says, “I can explore new and interesting ideas that I can later add to the piece that I wouldn’t have explored in itially.” Success in painting ca n be elusive, but exploration—the search and the investigation itself—is key. “Explore your own visual vocabulary and use your heart and

soul when creating your art,” he says. “Always look for new vocabularies, exploring new and innovative processes.” MEREDITH E. LEWIS

is a freelance writer and editor

working in Central Pennsylvania. She’s a frequent contributor to Watercolor Artist, The Ar tist’s Magazine and

Pastel Journal .

To see more of Dongfeng Li’s watercolors visit www.artistsnetwork.com/

medium/watercolor/dongfeng-li-gallery.


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A 70-year career has taken Everett Raymond Kinstler from inking cartoons to illustrating books and magazines to painting thousands of portraits of America’s most celebrated.

brush with

HISTORY BY LOUISE B. HAFESH

S

SIING COMFORABLY in

the antechamber of Everett Raymond Kinstler’s Gramercy Park studio in Manhattan, I felt an overwhelming sense of the significance of the place and its current inhabitant’s contribution to the art world. After all, we were in not only an historic New York City landmark, the National Arts Club, but also the former studio of the American Impressionist and prominent teacher Frank Vincent DuMond (1865–1951). What’s more, this is the st udio where Kinstler had painted what amounts to a pictorial who’s who of over 2,000 portraits, including those of ony Bennett, Katharine Hepburn, om Wolfe, countless business leaders, more than 50 U.S. Cabinet members and seven U.S. presidents. Like a kid in a candy store, I scoured the place, taking everything in.

LEFT: Avon Books had asked Kinstler to create a cover

illustration for the detective novel The General Died at Dawn, which was based on a 1936 movie of the same name. Avon never used the illustration but, in 2012, the painting, Untitled (Couple) (ca 1958; oil, 18x14), became the cover of the catalogue for his retrospective exhibition, “Pulps to Portraits.”

ABOVE: Intimate Confessions #4 (1952; pen and ink,

17½x13¼) is one of hundreds of illustrations Kinstler created during his six-year association with Avon Comics.


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ABOVE: Kinstler’s

studio at the National Arts Club in New York City was once the studio of Frank Vincent DuMond, Kinstler’s early mentor. Photo by Louise B. Hafesh

Studio Mementos

“Not a day goes by,” says Kinstler, “that I don’t think of Mr. Dumond, who was my teacher at the Art Students League.” It was at that school that Kinstler himself would later teach full time from 1969 to 1974 and give weekend workshops through 2010. “I loved the old man,” continues Kinstler. “He used to call me his ‘boy’ and, taking me under his wing, helped secure my first studio at the National Arts Club. After his death, I moved into his larger space (above).” And what a space it is! Bright and airy (20x30 feet) with an 18-foot ceiling, one entire wall of north-lit windows plus a grand balcony that stretches across another wall. Paintings, sketches and photographs lie scattered about, along with an eclectic assortment of props and resources, including an impressive private library and a life-sized seated mannequin affectionately known as Ms. Draper (bequeathed to the studio by portraitist William F. Draper, 1912–2003). o the right of Kinstler’s easel (originally owned by another mentor and friend, the illustrator

Materials Canvas: New York Central Art Supply #90 SP (single-primed) linen on Jack Richeson Best stretchers Brushes: Silver Brush Everett Raymond Kinstler Series— Kinstler’s most commonly used brushes are bristle filberts, sizes 2–12. Paint: Jack Richeson oils—sap green, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, burnt umber, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson, cadmium red light, raw sienna, cadmium yellow, ivory black and white Mediums: Kinstler Studio painting medium (very fluid; good for beginning stages, such as sketching and blocking in) and Kinstler alkyd oil painting medium (a thicker medium that expedites drying of the paint; used for glazing, detailing and other processes as the painting progresses); Kinstler directed the formulations of both mediums, which were developed through experimentation.


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James Montgomery Flagg, 1877–1960), a simple chair rests on a worn platform, while a hand-carved wooden screen is flanked on the right by a taboret on which rests John Singer Sargent’s actual palette. “Tat was a gift bequeathed to me from the New Jersey painter Paul Burns (1910–1990),” says Kinstler. “It had been part of Sargent’s estate sale in 1925.” Having already discovered that every nook and cranny holds some treasure and an opportunity for a personal anecdote, I try to appear nonchalant about this last revelation. I comment on a small, striking painting of Katharine Hepburn (whom Kinstler had

painted more than 40 times in the 1980s and 1990s). Kinstler confided that, at her sittings, the actress had insisted on overseeing every detail, dictating incessant instructions, often to Kinstler’s exasperation. “I final ly said to her, ‘Ms. Hepburn, I admire you so much, but your constant critiques are driving me crazy,” recalls Kinstler. “She thought for a second and then said, ‘You know what your problem is? You talk too much!’” When that particular portrait was complete, Hepburn declared (to Kinstler’s surprise) that it was her favorite and told the artist, “I like you—you do your home work.”

BELOW: Katherine

Hepburn (ca 1987, oil, 46x46), one of many portraits Kinstler painted of the actress, is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.


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Two Takes on Tom Wolfe Kinstler’s friendship with Tom Wolfe began in 1964. At that time, Kinstler was painting astronaut Scott Carpenter and Wolfe was writing his novel about America’s first space travelers, The Right Stuff. Kinstler first painted Wolfe in 1987 (at right). Then, in 2000, Kinstler revisited the subject (below). Of the second Tom Wolfe, Kinstler says, “I challenged myself to paint Tom in his characteristic white suit against a stark white background.” This “white” portrait is part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

ABOVE: Portrait of Tom Wolfe (1987; oil, 50x27) LEFT: Tom Wolfe (2000; oil, 56x44)

From Pulp to Portraits

My visit with Kinstler took place a week after the opening of “Pulps to Portraits,” the artist’s 2012 exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a retrospective that explored how illustration had

shaped the artist’s work and influenced his transition into portraiture. Still riding high from that celebration, he and I discussed his reaction to seeing his life’s work showcased in a significant place and in such a comprehensive way. “I feel a little like a Dickens character who’s transported by the ghosts of past and present and gets to view everything from a different perspective,” Kinstler said with a laugh. “It’s odd but quite rewarding to look back on a career that spans more than 70 years and see the progression of the work.” ime travel aside, it’s been quite a ride for the Manhattan-born artist who left school at age 16 to take a job drawing comic books, magazine illustrations and paperback book covers. His magazine and comic contributions, including the first Zorro comics and illustrations for the pulp magazine, Te Shadow , are often credited with influencing the Pop art school—a point reinforced by Roy


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Lichtenstein, who once told the artist, “You were Pop art before it even existed.” As an inker’s apprentice in the 1950s, Kinstler completed 180 comic strip panels each week. He credits this early work with helping him attract freelance pulp book and magazine assignments as well as honing his ability to tell a story visually, a skill he put to good use in his portraits. “When I began illustrating, I wasn’t aware that the field was disappearing,” he says. “Culture was chang-

ABOVE: Kinstler painted John Wayne (1978; oil, 44x34) from life for the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Saturday Evening Post picked up the portrait as an August 1979 cover illustration.

ing, photography was taking over, television was coming in and magazines were folding. And with the market and business starting to decline, I had to think differently.”


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ABOVE: Kinstler has drawn life portraits of each presi-

dent of the Screen Actors Guild who has come to office in the last 20 years. Mike Hodge, President, Screen Actors Gui ld (2012; charcoal, 20x15) is the latest of these portraits. LEFT: In Portrait of Will Barnet (1977; oil, 50x40), Barnet

sits in front of an abstract painting that he was working on at the time in his National Arts Club studio. This portrait is now part of the collection of the Butler Institute of American Art, in Youngstown, Ohio.

A Painter of People

ing out that spending time with the subject to get a sense of what he or she is like, looking for significant characteristics and being selective about certain traits—along with sincerity and passion for what you’re doing—are integral to the process.

Out of necessity, the young illustrator began to look for more viable outlets for his art. “Painting people was always what I enjoyed most,” Kinstler explains, “so making the transition into Anatomy of a Portrait portraiture was a natural shift.” Suffice to say, Generally Kinstler works from life, although he portraiture was also something he was excepdoes take photographs for secondary reference. tionally gifted at. Signing on with Portraits, He begins on a bluish-gray toned canvas and, Inc., a gallery that specializes in securing poronce his model is posed to conform to prelimitrait commissions, he soon established himself nary sketches, places a few rough indicators for as one of America’s top portrait painters. composition before delving directly into paint“It’s been stimulating to paint people,” he ing alla prima . “I feel a responsibility to capture says. “I’m a storyteller; that’s my journey. What both the spirit and likeness of the people I paint, I value most are imagination, feeling and the and so I prefer my sitters to be animated rather skill to communicate—those qualities have than motionless,” he says. “Carrying on a lively always been the measure for me,” says Kinstler, conversation as I work helps. In so doing, I also who ranks capturing a person’s essential charget to see other facets of my subject that I can acter above all else. “Painting a convincing perhaps incorporate into the portrait.” portrait is not always about getting a likeness,” Concluding our visit, Kinstler remarked: he says. “Naturally, that helps, but often it’s “I was recently asked an intriguing question: ‘If about getting a point of view.” o that end, he you could paint anyone in the world, who would recommends doing advance life studies, pointthat be?’ Almost immediately,” says Kinstler,


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Artist Interprets Actor BY EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER

Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer is an actor I admire, as well as a good friend and neighbor. Of course, I’d seen him on stage and in films through the years, but before picking up the brush to paint his portrait, I again watched at least a half dozen of his movies. Eventually, I decided to base his portrait on his most recent success, his role as Prospero in Shakespeare’s Tempest . His 2010 stage performance of this play had been filmed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada to create

C Y N , b u l C s r e y a l P e h T o t n a o l

a 2012 feature movie. After countless drawings and color sketches, as well as discussions with Plummer, I arrived at a concept for the portrait. Plummer’s input helped shape my interpretation, and I greatly appreciated

n o , t s i t r a e h t f o n o i t c e l l o C

getting his reaction to my ideas. He posed for me in my Connecticut studio (above). LEFT: Portrait of Christopher Plummer as Prospero

(2011; oil, 50x42)

“names like Sir Laurence Olivier and Winston Churchill came to mind—mostly people who were or are larger than life. After further thought, though, I realized my subjects are not just well-known personalities, but rather people from all walks of life. A nd since everyone in his or her own way has a story and what I most enjoy about the process is capturing the essence of a person’s character, you could say that I’m already painting the very people whose essences I most want to interpret!” ■ LOUISE B. HAFESH is an award-winning artist and writer and a contributing editor for The Artist’s Magazine. You can see examples of her work at www.louisebhafesh. com and www.paintersportal.blogspot.com.

Meet Everett Raymond Kinstler Everett Raymond Kinstler, who dropped out of high school and abandoned a formal art education to take a job inking comic books, has been awarded honorary doctorates from Rollins College (1983), outside Orlando, Florida; Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts (2002), in Old Lyme, Connecticut; and the Academy of Art University (2010), in San Francisco. For five decades he taught at the Art Students League of New York. Kinstler has painted seven United States presidents from life, and his paintings of President Ronald Reagan and President Gerald R. Ford are official White House portraits. Kinstler’s work is part of the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, among others. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has acquired more than 100 pieces of his works and, in 1999, awarded Kinstler the Copley Medal, its highest honor. Visit his website at www.everettraymondkinstler.com .


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Portrait Painting Free Mi Um New

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