Watercolor portraits are a beautiful way to capture the personality and expression of your subject. But how do you achieve a realistic and lifelike result with this medium? Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Choose a good reference photo. Look for a clear, high-resolution image that shows the subject’s face in natural light and from a flattering angle. Avoid photos with harsh shadows, filters, or distortion. I like to use uxsplash, pexels, or pixabay
2. Sketch the outline of the face and the main features. Use a light pencil to draw the shape of the head, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, and the ears. Don’t worry about details at this stage, just focus on getting the proportions and placement right.
3. Apply a light wash of skin tone. Mix a warm and a cool color to create a natural skin tone that matches your subject. For example, you can use yellow ochre and ultramarine blue. Use a large brush and plenty of water to apply a thin layer of paint over the entire face, leaving some white spaces for highlights.
4. Add shadows and contours. Use a smaller brush and a darker version of your skin tone to paint the areas where the face is darker or more recessed, such as under the eyes, around the nose, under the chin, and along the hairline. Blend the edges with water to create smooth transitions.
5. Paint the eyes, nose, and mouth. Use a fine brush and more saturated colors to paint these features with more detail and contrast. Pay attention to the shape, size, and direction of the eyes, the curve and thickness of the lips, and the shape and angle of the nostrils. Use white or light colors to add highlights and reflections where needed.
6. Paint the hair and background. Use a large brush and wet-on-wet technique to paint the hair and background with loose and expressive strokes. Choose colors that complement your subject’s hair color and skin tone, and create contrast and depth by varying the value and intensity of your paint. Leave some white spaces for highlights in the hair.
7. Add finishing touches. Use a fine brush and dark colors to add details such as eyelashes, eyebrows, freckles, or jewelry. You can also use a damp cloth or a clean brush to lift some paint or create texture where needed. Don’t overwork your painting, but let it dry completely before you sign it.I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new.