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As I indicated in my previous article, mixing the proper
color for a portrait is much more of an art than a science.
However, for the sake of brevity, and to avoid lengthy forays into the
abyss of abstract color theory, I will address the problems of painting a
“conventional”, representational portrait.
Mixing the exact color that you want starts by laying out
your oils on a proper surface or palette. By
using a large enough palette, you will avoid the constant cleaning and clearing
that goes with a smaller surface. 16”
x 20” would be a suggested minimum size, but utilize the largest size that
your workspace will allow and
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Detail
from "The Black Dress" oil on panel
by Robert K.
Roark
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that you feel comfortable with.
Unless you have a particular preference for wood, or just like the jaunty
look of a board lying across your arm, I would recommend choosing a sheet of ¼ inch plate glass for your mixing surface.
Secure a sheet of neutral grey paper to the underside of the glass and
place it on a support that will not jiggle when you are mixing.
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Click on this image for a larger one.
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In order to avoid endlessly searching for the color you
want, remember to lay out your dollops of paint in the same sequence each and
every time. Have your mixing
medium, brushes and paint rags all within easy reach.
Place your model on eye-level and have a clear, well-lit view of her.
You are now ready to begin.
The idea here is simply to “paint what you see”.
Observe your sitter carefully and try to get a “feel” for her general
skin-tone – pinkish?, olive?, ruddy?, bluish-black?
Let’s start with a “typical" Caucasian subject. A good mix here would be cadmium red light, yellow ochre and white – |
more red if the subject is pinkish, more ochre if the subject is olive.
Remember, it’s an art, not a science!
Burnt umber is a rich, reddish earth color that blends well
with the “basic” skin-tone mix for fair-skinned subjects.
It will produce pleasant halftones and can also be mixed with a bit of
ultramarine for an intensely black color that is good for eyelashes and very
dark hair.
The halftones and darkest shades of the face tend to be
somewhat “cooler” than that part of the face which is in full light.
To cool those areas, add viridian along with your burnt umber to the
basic mix. To warm the shadow
areas, try adding a little cadmium orange or burnt sienna.
Keep in mind that shadow areas tend to be grayer or less intense in color
than areas that receive the full light. It’s
this contrast of the warm, lighted areas against the cool, shadowed areas that
helps to create the illusion of a 3-dimensional object on a 2-dimensional
surface.
Members of Negroid race have a range of skin-tones as
extensive as Caucasians, if not more so. These
tones range from a velvety cool black to a light, warm tawny color.
Keep in mind that, although the skin-tones of Negros tend to be darker
than that of Caucasians or Asians, the same color theories of warm and cool
apply.
As all of my gentle readers have now begun to suspect, the
color permutations that we are discussing here are endless.
Which is precisely why it is important that portrait painters learn to
“look and see” the colors presented by the model.
Even though you may start out with a “standard” mix, your eye must
learn to discern the subtleties within the subtleties.
Unless you are approaching your painting in a particular
manner (such as applying an initial underpainting), I would suggest that you try
to hit the mark as accurately as possible from the very first brush stroke.
That is, make your first “spot” of color as close to what you are
seeing as you can. Don’t forget that all the elements of the portrait must
work together: the background must be correct relative to the clothing; the
clothing must be correct relative to the hair and so on and so forth.
Even though the theories are not rocket science, the application can
become somewhat vexatious at times.
My strongest suggestion to any portrait painter would be to
practice and experiment unceasingly. Try
as many color combinations as possible and don’t hesitate to include new and
unusual colors – and, most importantly, remember, “When in doubt, rub it
out!”
Good luck, and don’t forget to send in any topic
suggestions for future articles! |
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