If at all possible, I highly recommend you paint your portraits using a live model as opposed to a photograph. There is simply no substitution for painting from life.

Painting a successful portrait is all about how you observe the subject. You want to study the subject as a whole. Study the bone structure and try to see shapes and planes. Do not try and paint every little detail exactly as you see it.

For beginners, it is probably best to start out with a lighting effect where light and shadow are in high contrast. This will make for a much easier painting.

Focus on one section at a time. Finish each section before moving on to the next.

Keep the darks of your portrait at a thin consistency while your lights should be painted on thickly.

Many beginners struggle with mixing flesh tones. I know I did when I first started painting. Remember that skin comes in a variety of colors & textures, so there is no specific formula for mixing flesh tones in portrait painting. You will have to experiment and practice, until you find the right color mixtures for any particular subject. Never purchase any pre-mixed flesh colors. When mixing your colors be careful not to over mix, which can deaden a color.

Try and repeat the colors and values in your painting to create balance.

When painting hair, don’t try and paint every individual strand of hair. Look at the hair as one object and then paint the lights and darks. Paint the hair in the direction of the shape of the head.

The muzzle area of the face (the space between the nose and mouth) is generally the same color as the flesh but cooler.

When painting backgrounds, don’t make them too detailed or busy. If you do, you will draw focus away from your portrait.

Add bits of color where the shadow meets the light in your portraits.

Fleshier parts of the face are generally warm and bonier parts of the face, like the chin for instance, are generally cool in color.

The white in the eye is not white. To get an accurate color for the white in the eye you can take the subjects basic flesh color and then lighten it with a gray made from black and white.

I hope these portrait painting tips & techniques have helped. Portrait painting can be difficult, possibly even frustrating in the beginning. Never give up and keep practicing. You will get the hang of it.

A good receptionist asked the necessary fact finding questions to determine what made the subject unique. When done properly, such
information was invaluable in the camera room. Simple words or phrases elicited genuine smiles and that all important sparkle in the eye. The person’s true self (soul) was then captured. With the aide of a proof book, each client enthusiastically engaged in the “show and tell” process proudly showing their images to friends and relatives. Word of mouth combined with the visual aspect of proof books was a sure way to build business. The subject’s enthusiasm blended well with the selling process. Portrait sitting averages were commonly high because wall portraits were usually ordered. That was the way it was.

Today, digital photography has created a new culture based on “speed” which has led to far too many “turn style” studios. As a result, those photographers in many cases may have lost sight of what portrait photography with emotion is all about. Low sitting averages are not always attributed to the economy. Missing the heart in the camera room can often lead to minimal orders, plus making the selling process very difficult.

Many times, relying on the “8×10 package” formula saves the day, but the profitable wall portrait and frame sale then becomes more of a rarity. In the end, each subject (senior) or family may become a clone of all other sessions: lacking in soul.

Also, when one is forced to become a technician and software specialist overnight, losing sight of the emotional aspects of good portraiture can easily happen to the best of photographers. A good photo lab can easily take on the “technology” burden to free up valuable time needed in the camera room where revenue is actually generated.

Ignoring the heart results in lost revenue. Losing sight of the fact that the lens must be “shooting for the heart” can be detrimental to the livelihood of any studio. Simply stated: A professional portrait photographer must connect with the subject whether an adult, senior or baby. The photographer’s persona and personality are also crucial and critical factors to a successful and profitable photo studio, but only when combined with the ability to elicit emotions from the subject. This combination will 9 out of 10 times produce more revenue. And this process can be totally natural and need not be staged. Emotions do matter when building or maintaining a successful studio. Good portraiture capturing the true essence of the human being is still in demand.

The portrait artists are specialized artists who are experts at creating the portrait paintings. Whether you want, photo portraits or live portraits, these artists can create them, for you. These artists create these portraits by incorporating elements that provide them with a real world look that is truly unique. This is because these artists study every detail of the subject closely. They work very hard to give the portraits a perfect look.

The most important trick to get the best portraits for your self is to select the right portrait artists. The portrait artists you choose should be very meticulous about details. Also the artists should have a considerable experience. This is because the more portraits they have drawn, the fewer mistakes they will commit and the better they will make the portrait. Apart from selecting the right portrait artists, it is important that you select the right photograph. After all, the quality of the portraits is fully dependent on the quality of the photographs that you want to be converted into portraits. There are certain qualities that a photograph must have in order to get a portrait made from it.

The photographs that you should select for creating portrait paintings should be bright enough. Also they should have been taken in proper lighting conditions. Always keep this fact in mind that the photographs taken in natural light are much better than the ones that are taken with the help of a loud flash. These types of pictures usually have much more clarity. The clear pictures help the artists to judge the right colors and use the perfect brush strokes that will help to give the portraits a real world look.

Finding the portrait artists is a very easy thing these days. Here are some ways that can help you. If you have seen a portrait in a friend’s or relatives’ home, you can ask him or her about the artists. This type of reference is always helpful as this way you always have the results in front of your eyes. Another way is to look for artists from any of the portrait schools. There is a lot of information on these schools available on the internet. These schools have many young artists who can make your portraits in a fast and inexpensive way.

The popularity of portrait paintings specially grew in the European countries. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, painted in the 1500s, became the most famous and demanded oil painting portrait. Some of the most famous oil paintings were created in the European countries during the 18th and 19th centuries by famous artists like Rembrandt and Gainsborough. Some of these beautiful oil painting portraits are preserved in the National Portrait Museum in Washington.

The portrait painting of oil color, created ages before, tell stories of that time. Each portrait, whether they portray an individual, a group of people or anything else, are beautifully created by artists which take people to another world. The popularity and demand for oil painting portraits are on a rise even today. People are very eager to get the portraits of their loved ones made. People also commission a portrait from their favorite photographs. Portrait paintings have become the best decorative pieces for decorating homes and offices. With time these portraits have proven that they are a valuable asset and no other art form can ever take their place.