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5 Step Guide To Color Portraits PDF

The document outlines a 6-step process for creating more colorful portraits through painting. The steps include choosing lighting that creates clear shadows, starting with a brown base color, adding color variation to skin tones in light and shadow, keeping shadows darker and less colorful, using blues and greys to make colors appear more lifelike, and using saturated colors sparingly as accents. The document promotes a premium course for more in-depth training on using color.

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Subbiramanian Sivakumar
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183 views3 pages

5 Step Guide To Color Portraits PDF

The document outlines a 6-step process for creating more colorful portraits through painting. The steps include choosing lighting that creates clear shadows, starting with a brown base color, adding color variation to skin tones in light and shadow, keeping shadows darker and less colorful, using blues and greys to make colors appear more lifelike, and using saturated colors sparingly as accents. The document promotes a premium course for more in-depth training on using color.

Uploaded by

Subbiramanian Sivakumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5 Step Process for More Colorful Portraits 
 
#1. Get a Good Start 
Simplify  the  painting  process  and your life :) by choosing a reference  that has 
clear  and  distinct  light  and  shadow  shapes  and  a  good  ratio  of  light  to 
shadow.  The  most  common  and  simplest  lighting  is above and slightly to the 
right  or  left  of  the  model.  This  is  known  as  “portrait  lighting”  or  “Rembrandt” 
lighting, because it is used by the great master portrait artist.  
 
Lighting  from  above  and  in  front  is  also  simple  and  easy  to  work  with.  This  is 
known as “butterfly lighting”. 
 
#2. When in Doubt, Start with Brown 
A  simple  and  easy  way  to  start  is  with  a  shade  brown  as  a  base  color.  Start 
with  a  brown  at  medium  value  and  saturation  (about  50%).  Then  adjust  the 
value  and  hue  until  it  closely  matches  the  skin  color  of  the  subject. Once you 
have  a  base  color,  adding  more  color  variation  will  start  to  bring  the  color  to 
life. 
 
#3. Color Variation FOR THE WIN! 
To  make  color feel natural and life-like as possible, add plenty of color variation to the 
face  in  light  and  shadow.  Add  gradations  of  reddish  brown,  yellow,  or  even 
blue/greys  to  the  face,  hair,  individual  features  and  forms,  also  in  the  shadows  and 
shadow areas. 
 
#4. Keep the Shadows Boring 
If  you  want  the  face,  skin  and  hair  in  the  light  to  ‘pop’  and  feel  more  colorful,  keep 
the  shadows  flat  and  boring.  When  painting  the  shadows,  don't  add  too  much 
contrasting  colors,  saturated  colors  and  also  make  sure  to  keep  the  tones  darker 
than the face in light. 
 
#5. Don’t be Afraid of Blue or Grey 
It  may  seem  counterintuitive  but  blues  and  greys  will  make  skin  tones  feel  more 
colorful  and  lifelike.  Without  the  right  balance  of  blue  and  grey, the skin (or hair) will 
look too “orangey”. 
 
One  way  to  add  more  grey  is  in  the  shadows  or  parts  of  the  face  that  don’t 
receive  as  much  light  such  as  the  eye  sockets,  under  the  nose,  side  plane  of 
the  cheek  and  the  jaw.  Blues  can  be  added  as  dark  accents  in  the  dark 
shadow areas. Of course you can also add greys in the background. 
 
*BONUS TIP*       
 
 
#6. Save Saturation and Use it Wisely 
Pure,  saturated  colors  can  add  a  lot  of  ‘pop’  and  ‘spice’  but  only  when  used 
sparingly  and  with  caution  and  care.  Areas  that  receive  a  lot  of  blood  like the 
nose,  cheeks,  ears  and  the  pupils  of  the  eye  are  great  places  to  add 
gradations and accents of pure, saturated color. 
 
**************************************************************** 
 
DO YOU WANT MORE? 
For  the  most  in-depth  training  on  color,  check  out  my  premium  course  ​The 
Laws of Color. 

 
This  course  will  give  you  the  tools  and  techniques  to  start  using  color  with 
control and confidence. 
 
To learn more or to get started, visit: 
https://gumroad.com/l/color-photoshop-bundle 

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