Step by Step watercolor and gouache portrait painting tutorial : They keep me company
After my drawing is done, I start to apply a first layer of yellow (Da Vinci Ochre). I leave the background as it is for now. Because I am using only a few colors in my layering I focus a lot on edge quality.Yellows are usually layered first because they are generally less transparent than most of the reds and blues.
The second layer is done with 2 reds, Alizarin Crimson (Da Vinci), a pinkish red, and Permanent Red light(Rembrandt), a more orange red. When layering I use most of the time two shades of the same color, one on the cool side, one on the warm side.
Here I am working on the background. I use the watercolor in a much more fluid and less controled way than I would do on the face.
This is the finished painting, I added some blues: the warm Ultramarine(Da Vinci) and the cooler Prussian blue (Da Vinci). At that stage I start some color correction with some tertiary colors (browns, oranges and purple) from my Yarka pan watercolor set. I added some blue on the background as well as a layer of gouache. I left on purpose a tiny edge with the red outlining showing.
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Same palette of traditional colors the great masters used a century ago. Liquid-poured means semi-moist pans respond instantly to a wet brush. 24 pans in plastic case. Also individual pans. – Master Set
Originally from France, I have been living in North Vancouver, Canada for the past 20 years.
My work has been collected and exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally. I am also part of the Art Rentals and sales program of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Many of my paintings have been published in Art books and magazines (Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, Acrylic Magazine, International Artist Magazine). I wrote 2 art instruction books with North Light/F+W Books.
I have been writing for the last 5 years for my blog: paintingdemos.com, that has a mailing list of about 10 000 subscribers and about 20 000 visitors per month.
I am an active member in the community, as a co-founder of the North Shore Art crawl, a co-founder of a weekly life drawing group, a board member of the North Vancouver Arts Council, and have been invited as a juror for public art, art grants and juried exhibitions. You can read more about my collaborations here.
Comments (2)
Susanne
Great information on using warm and cool reds, among other techniques that you use! Thanks!
Sandrine Pelissier
Thanks Suzanne!