PortraitsPortrait Workshop
Please print this document for future reference. This information
applies to both people portrait and pet portrait classes. People
are four days and pets are typically three days.
CLASS DEPOSIT: To register for a class, go to the website,
www.paintwithdarla.com, click on painting classes, scroll down to
the portrait class you want, click on “book.” Fill out the
information. Depending on the date of the class, you may have to
pay the entire fee if the class is less than 30 days away. Date
that are several months, you will need to pay the deposit to hold
your spot. The deposit is 50% of the class fee. If you cannot use
PayPal, you will need to contact me so you can send me a check. The
remaining balance of the class will need to be paid in full 30 days
prior to class. If you are signing up late and it’s less than 30
days, you will receive an PayPal email for your balance to be paid
immediately. There are no exceptions to this policy. If your seat
is not paid for 30 days before the class date AND you have not
contacted me/replied to my email, your seat will be given to the
first person on the waiting list and you will not get a refund or
fee forwarded to another class.
REFUNDS: If you have to cancel, you have to cancel before 30 days
prior to the class date. In order to get a refund minus PayPal
fees. If you cancel less than 30 days from the class date, you will
not get a refund but the deposit will be applied to a future class,
whether it be a regular class or portrait class. If it’s less than
two weeks, the deposit will not be applied to future classes.
GUARANTEE: There is no absolute guarantee that your painting will
be 100% finished at the end of class. Each portrait is different. A
lot of times, the final details like whiskers are not applied until
after the painting has dried a few days. If you are not happy with
your portrait at all, I will keep the painting and you will get a
refund minus any PayPal fees.
PHOTO: Once I get an email that you have booked a seat, I will send
you an email with a document that you need to read. The document
outlines the best picture to use and how to get it. You will need
to email the picture you want to use as soon as possible. You can
send it via text (386-302-8885) or email
(
[email protected]). The photo must be approved prior to
class. Many people think any photo will work and that is not the
case. The image must not be blurry at all. A close picture in the
natural light is best. We are looking for a head and shoulders type
of photo. This applies to both people and pets. Keep in mind that
you will not be painting any detailed backgrounds in this class.
Detailed backgrounds are for more advanced classes.
DAILY SCHEDULE: Portrait Classes are typically from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. (times may change depending on the location of the class). You
need to arrive early to set up your work station. Occasionally, it
may be later than 6 p.m. if the student needs additional help. We
will break for a 1-hour lunch. It is recommended that you bring
your lunch and drinks, but there are food establishments nearby.
Other breaks are taken as needed.
PORTRAIT CLASS FEES:
Provided by Instructor: Students Need To Bring:
1. Paints/Medium 1. 14x18 canvas 2. Palette (borrow for the day)
2.. You must bring a 5x7 (or larger) Black and White 3. Small
disposable cups for medium a 5x7 (or larger) Color Photo 3.
Cleaning solution called Awesome 3. Brushes* to include a small mop
brush, small dome 4. Projector/watercolor pencil blender and small
detail liner brush 5. Hairpray 4. Q-Tips and Swisspers (pointy
Q-tips – cosmetic
5. Viva Paper Towel 6. Notebook and pen (for taking notes) 7. Easel
– small portable 8. Apron 9. Palette Knife
* Students will need to have their own brushes prior to class. I
sell brush sets by Scharff and Valerie Stewart brushe but do not
have all the brushes. Please text me or email if you are interested
in buying brushes from me. You can order a set and get them at the
class. If I don’t have the Scharff brushes in stock, I highly
recommend that you order them online. I recommend the flat shaders
and flat brights.
Here are the essential brushes:
1. Flat or Bright Brushes – sizes 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and ½ wash 2. Dome
Blender – size 4 or 6 (medium size – you do not want a large) 3.
Small Liner Brush – for detail 4. Small Mop Brush
FIRST TIME STUDENTS: Yes, you can paint portraits. You just have to
have the desire. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to prep the
canvas or get the image sketched on the canvas. The supplies needed
to do all that and the projector will be available at class. You
will be shown how to mix the acrylic color with white gesso and
apply it to the canvas. Darla will have her portable projector and
tripod at the class. You will be shown how to use the projector. A
watercolor pencil (dark brown) or graphite pencil is used to sketch
the image onto the canvas. Hairspray is used to seal the sketch so
it don’t get rubbed off.
CANVAS PREPARATION: There are several ways to prep your canvas. It
depends on which underpainting technique you are going to use.
People portraits – use the Skin Tone method. For animals, use the
White Canvas method.
Skin Tone Gesso - There are several flesh color acrylic paint
colors that you can use and mix with white gesso. Some people use
Terra Cotta in the DecoArt line or something similar. You can find
this product at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s. You want the color to be
a nice flesh color. I use a red cup to mix them. I use a chip brush
(very flat and smooth bristle brush) or a foam brush that you can
get at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or Home Depot. You apply the paint
using long strokes the length and width of the canvas. Make sure
there are no heavy lines of paint on the canvas. Keep going over it
with the brush lightly until it looks even. There should be no
“teeth” showing on the canvas which means every nook and cranny
should be covered on the canvas. Let the first coat completely.
Apply a second coat the same as above. Let dry.
White Canvas – You don’t need to put any tinted gesso on this
canvas. You need to add two thin coats of white gesso to the
canvas. Follow the directions above as the white gesso is applied
the same as the skin tone gesso.
TRANSFERRING THE IMAGE TO THE CANVAS:
Most of the time, the sketch will be provided for the students or
it will transferred onto the canvas in class.
IMAGE PLACEMENT ON THE CANVAS:
1. Place the top of the person’s head 3 inches from the top of the
canvas on a standard “bust” portrait. If it’s an animal, it depends
on the size of the animal. Normally, we don’t like the subject of
the portrait to be bullseye in the center of the canvas. 2. The
nose should never be lower than halfway down on the canvas. 3. Do
NOT make the subject larger than life. 4. Use either graphite paper
or a projector to get the image onto the canvas.
GRAPHITE PAPER: If you do not have a projector, you need to have
the picture printed the size of the canvas. You then use graphite
paper to transfer the image. You do not need to trace every single
line, but you need to make sure you have all the critical aspects
of the picture like the eyes to include the pupils, mouth, ears,
hairline, eyebrows, mouth creases, nose (especially the nostrils),
neck, clothing, collar, pocket, buttons, etc. Make sure you trace
any teeth that may be showing.
PROJECTOR: The other way to transfer an image to the canvas is
using a projector. There are several projectors that work great – I
use a small portable one on a tripod that uses an adaptor for my
iPhone. Works best with the lights off. Trace the eyes first. Do
not press too hard on the canvas as that will distort the image.
Make sure to get the pupils. Trace around the hair, head, ears,
nose, mouth, neck, shoulders, arms, and any clothing features. If
the person wears glasses, trace those too. Jewelry is also traced.
If the person has an open mouth where teeth are showing, trace the
teeth.
Understanding The Value Scale
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The shading process and underpainting stage of the painting is like
a road map to the finished painting. Any subject has a wide variety
of shades or values with any one color. For example, a blue shirt
may have 10 or more shades/values depending on how much light is
shining on it and where. When looking at the blue shirt, you will
find your darkest blue which can even appear blackish. When look at
the lightest blue, it can even appear almost white. Look at the
darkest blue as #10 and the lightest glue as #1. Any shades/values
in between would vary between 1 and 10 according to the strength of
its color.
In this workshop, we will be using Burnt Umber to complete the
underpainting process. When the Burnt Umber is applied, we are
looking at the shadows and highlight from the photograph and
painting each area according to the value you see. Remember, you
don’t paint what you think you see, you paint what you see using
the photograph. That ensures the best likeness of the finished
painting to the reference picture. You will get a likeness to the
person or pet you are painting simply by shading each feature and
detailing accurately. The more refined the shading is, the more
three-dimensional the painting will become.
Your painting should look like a finished painting in one color.
The time and effort put into this stage will show in the quality of
your finished paintings.
If your finished underpainting looks cartoonish, it means there
isn’t enough shadow variety in the painting. Study your photo and
make adjustments before adding color.
Underpainting Stage: The underpainting stage is an Old Masters
technique. We use the Brunei (brown/burnt umber) monochromatic
underpainting technique for ease and simplicity. It is very easy to
do and simplifies the painting process which then makes it easy for
students to learn. The underpainting stage uses the value
scale.