Experimenting with Faces

I think faces are a challenge for every artist. Getting the depth and personality can be very difficult. My shading has been hit or miss in the past. I really want to achieve depth and texture in my faces since I'm not going for realism. I went through my Paint Your Story videos again and played in my sketchbook. I decided to write down the steps I took to hopefully achieve the look I wanted.

I started with a head shape and then scribbled in my shade colors with pencils.

Then I used my favorite paint colors with some GAC 100 (this helps thin the paint) and tapped it onto the face with my fingers. Pretty scary looking, huh?

Then I used a bristle brush and scrubbed white gesso over the whole face. Not so scary now, is it?

 

I kept repeating the process adding heavy body white paint into the mix as I added more layers. I also used my Neocolor II crayons. By the end of the process I was using my paint brush instead of my fingers to apply paint.

Here are some details of the face.

 

 

I really like the texture and the depth of color I achieved. I need to keep practicing and find the methods I like best. I want my faces to each be unique and filled with personality. The more I practice the better I will get.

If you haven't checked out Mindy Lacefield's E-course, Paint Your Story, you really should. It has really helped me blossom as an artist. It's the best course out there to help you find your style.

 

 

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