Realistic Watercolor Portraits: How to Paint a Variety of Ages and Ethnicities

208 Pages·2011·8.97 MB·English

by  Suzanna Winton

Realistic
WATERCOLOR
Portraits
How to Paint a Variety
of Ages & Skin Tones
SUZANNA WINTON

DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to my loving brother Buckley, who died March 31, 2008,
during the process of writing my book. He was also gifted with art and had a
creative and giving spirit. He touched many lives in his time here on earth, and I
miss him dearly.
I also dedicate this book to my wonderful husband and friend, Sam, for
supporting and encouraging me over the years; my two sons, Cooper and Reese,
of whom I am very proud; my father Charles Reese; my mother Kay Cromartie;
and my brother, Cody Reese. I love you all.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
STEP-BY-STEP DEMONSTRATIONS
DEMONSTRATION ONE
Light-Skinned Blonde Girl
DEMONSTRATION TWO
Dark-Skinned Brunette Girl
DEMONSTRATION THREE
Light-Skinned Red-Haired Girl
DEMONSTRATION FOUR
Light-Skinned Brown-Haired Teen
DEMONSTRATION FIVE
Medium-Skinned Dark-Haired Man
DEMONSTRATION SIX
Light-Skinned Dark-Haired Man
DEMONSTRATION SEVEN
Medium-Skinned Woman with Highlights
DEMONSTRATION EIGHT
Light-Skinned Medium-Haired Woman
DEMONSTRATION NINE
Dark-Skinned Elderly Man
INTRODUCTION
Watercolor is a fun medium that doesn't have to be difficult. While it can be
unpredictable, you have to learn to embrace the challenges it gives you. The
more you work with it, the more familiar you'll become with what it does and
learn how to control it by the amount of water you use.
Watercolor is often more about correcting mistakes than it is about painting. If
you simply say, “I can fix this problem and work through the challenges at
hand,” you're more likely to succeed. If you ask yourself how to fix the problem,
the answer will come. Don't be afraid of the white of the paper. It's just paper,
and you just need to cover it with color. Besides, if you mess up, you can always
paint it again. Many times, you have to fail before you succeed. I know I
certainly did.
I began my career in watercolor by painting a lot of different subjects. But
after I decided to paint my children's portraits, I finally discovered my passion
— watercolor and people, young and old.
I was on fire. But there was a small problem. I could get the drawing and the
expression right, but the colors were not exactly what I wanted. I painted and
read everything I could get my hands on for several years. Through failure and
success, I found a method that worked for me and is easily broken down into a
formula.
In this book, I share that formula with you. I hope to help make the portrait-
painting process easy to understand and achieve, and that the soulful portraits
you desire to paint will be great successes.
Together, we will walk through the portrait painting demonstrations in this
book, step by step. The subjects are all of different ages, male and female, with
different skin tones. And I will share with you the tips I have learned over the
years through trial and error. I hope this information will prepare you and
provide you with the knowledge you need to make sound decisions about
painting portraits.