Portrait Painting Process Oil Painting Demonstration

Painting Process 2. Faces of Children

This is the second step of my process when painting a portrait. I reviewed all the reference material and spending some time sketching and cropping for composition. I narrowed the reference material down to four head and shoulder photographs that will work well as paintings. I then ask Mom for her thoughts. Mom felt one in particular captured her daughter best. I am now ready to begin painting. On a 9 by 12 linen canvas toned with light grey I begin to wash in the darks with thin burnt sienna and ultramarine blue oil paint. I keep a black and white photograph at the easel as a reference for this stage. I also use a black mirror to check my drawing.