εїз My Artistic Process εїз

"Self Portrait"

December 2014

Acrylic and Oil 

Paint on Canvas

12" x 12"

$1000

Fellow artists and students often ask me about my artistic process. Just this morning my website received a request from a student asking, "How do you make a perfect artwork?" My work is very smooth, very detailed, and very crisp due to the order in which I do my steps. So rather than continue to answer each inquiry individually, I thought I'd write a nice detailed post that I could refer people back to when they're curious to know what I do. Definitely feel free to share this post with anyone looking to learn how to do realistic portraiture. :) 

Step 1: The Drawing

Just the other day I had a friend and fellow artist ask how I get my drawings onto the canvas and I gave him a rather quick answer and was disappointed with the way I explained myself. I use different methods depending on the amount of detail. I always start with a sheet of white paper (for smaller pieces) or a sheet of Kraft paper (for larger pieces). On this paper I will create my to-scale drawing based off of my reference image(s). To make sure my lines are correct I will use a sight stick and/or a ruler to measure everything out. I am not the type of artist that just lets my drawing flow, or at least not very often. If the reference image is complicated I may use the grid system over certain areas for example in the jewels you see above. The drawing is done on a separate piece of paper, rather than drawing it directly on the canvas, because your final surface should be free of any unnecessary impressions. A pencil mark on a canvas, even if done very lightly, is likely to appear under the paint as a little ridge. Once I am pleased with the drawing and can only imagine minor changes it is transferred over to the canvas (or painting surface) using the carbon method. Whatever drawing is copied onto the canvas can now be altered ever so slightly but the lines will be imprinted so make sure you are very pleased with your drawing before doing the transfer. 

Step 2: Background

My next step is to paint in the background. It has always been my natural inclination to paint in whatever is furthest away first, working my way to the items that are closer and more detailed. I find this ensures that items in the foreground overlap those in the background, as they should. Many artists underestimate how important the order of their layers is to achieving realism and perspective. 

Step 3: Layering The Flesh

For Oils:  I LOVE oil paints! Especially when I'm trying to capture smooth well blended skin tones! When I'm using oils I will start with an initial layer that covers all flesh and determines where the lights and darks will go. You should try to capture the skin colour but know that this can be altered in the second layer. The shadows are most important in the first layer because they need to dry before they are built up in the next layer. Allow the first layer to dry completely. Then apply another layer deepening the shadows, brightening the lights, and getting more details with shimmer, beauty marks, etc. If necessary, allow this layer to dry completely before applying another layer. Do so until you are fully pleased. 

For Acrylics:  While I do enjoy working with acrylics, creating smooth well blended skin tones can be very challenging. How I go about achieving that look is something I am asked very often. Because acrylics dry very fast, blending is difficult. I pre-mix large portions of ALL the skin tones I will require and I make sure I have a wide range of tones (both light and dark). Remember, it is always better to have made too much of a colour than too little when it comes to acrylics. Once you start this painting process there will be no time to stop and mix more. Once I have all of my paint colours prepared on multiple palettes (lights on one, darks on another) I like to plop a bit of retarder onto each colour blob. This will help lengthen the drying time. With everything set, get painting! Paint in the skin tones, blending as you go, starting from one end to the other, as quickly as you can. When you've covered all the flesh allow the layer to dry completely (VERY dry, the smallest amount of moister could be catastrophic). Then apply another layer, blending as you go, very quickly, from one side to the other. Once you've allowed this to dry you can apply another layer if you wish but I wouldn't do many more after that. 

Step 4: First Layer on Hair and Colours

This step if pretty simple and sometimes a nice break after working on the flesh. I simply do a basic layer on the hair and other colours I see in the piece. I might do some minor shading or detailing but nothing too complicated. I also DO NOT touch the facial features until I'm ready to get detailed. 

Step 5: Eyes

No matter what medium I work in I always do my eyes in the same way. I start with shading and minor detailing around the eye, brow bone, and the lid. Then I move onto the eyebrow by first filling in the shape of the eyebrow with an all over colour (the one most seen in the reference). Then I go back in doing strands with flesh tones and lighter brow colour tones. Then I go back in with some darker brown strands and even some black depending on the person. Within your eyebrows you should see a little range of lights to darks. My next step is to fill in the eye whites using an all over off-white colour (the colour most seen in the reference) and then adding in some shadows in grey, brown, pink, and peach. Sometimes, because of reflections, there are blue shadows in the eyes. Once I am pleased with the look of the eye whites I move onto the irises starting first with an all over colour (the mid tone of the eyes) and then adding in light details and dark details. In my experience I have found that there is a darker ring around the iris which gives the eye more definition and life. Once all the details are in place I fill in the pupil and then the white eye shine. Eyes generally always have a little shine in each eye. This also gives them life. But keep in mind the shines can be different from each other. One may be bigger than the other or even shaped differently. Make sure to capture what you see in the reference. At this point I prefer to allow my eyes to dry if time permits. The next step would be to define the lines around the eye using a variety of colours and shades. Notice where there are shines and shadows and include black eyeliner if it's present in the reference. When all looks good, apply the lashes using a very small long bristled soft brush.

Step 6: Nose and Lips

The nose is generally an easy task achieved using first lights and darks to add shines and shadows. Then apply faint lines where necessary to give the nose definition. The lips are achieved using far more steps. First I go around the lips applying shines and shadows where I see them in the reference. Then I apply my dark middle line that separates the lips. I like to put this line in first to help me maintain the shape of the lips when I apply the all-over colour (the colour most seen on the lips in the reference). Then layers of darker colours are placed on the lips to show detail and shadow. Once the darker shades are in place, lighter shades are applied to give the lips more dimension. Finally the lip shines can be placed on, usually on the bottom lip, but sometimes the light reaches the top lip as well.

Step 7: Hair

The hair step is by far the most tedious for me. Using a variety of shades and colours, create strands throughout the hair. While some artists opt for sections of light and dark in order to save time, I can't help but put in the tiny little strands. I think the results are far more impressive in the end. 

Step 8: The Final Details

In the final layer I go through all of the jewelry or areas of clothing and add the appropriate shading and details. Though this stage is the final one it can often be one of the most time consuming and can make you're piece extremely impressive. Once the facial features are in it sometimes feels like the portrait is complete, making the final details seem a little tedious.  But if I know that will be the case I will save the facial features last to keep my anticipation high. Once the final lines go in the piece will look polished and alive! 

I hope you enjoyed this Art Tutorial! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below or direct them to me on ... 

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August Is Artist Appreciation Month

Artists That Inspire Me

Acrylic and Oil Paint on Canvas by Toronto Portrait Artist Malinda Prudhomme

1) Sandro Botticelli 

"Birth Of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli

Botticelli has been my favourite artist since I first discovered him during art class in secondary school. He was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance which was later referred to as the "golden age". The mythology depicted and the smooth realistic style achieved interested me greatly. I always aspired to create such smoothly blended skin tones. 

www.SandroBotticelli.net

2) Mandy Saile

"Black Cherry" by Mandy Saile

Mandy Saile is an incredible artist and bunny lover who I had the pleasure of encountering during my minor in Visual Arts in North Bay at Nipissing University. As part of my school work I was required to visit some galleries and write a review about an artist I had enjoyed. At first the task seemed daunting until I came upon Mandy's whimsical coloured pencil series depicting the beauty, grace, strength, etc. of women. Her style and her ability to capture this message in such an emotional way really captivated me and I am still a fan of her work today! Seeing her success and ambition was in part what inspired me to delve into this challenging career myself. 

www.BijousWhimsy.Blogspot.ca

3) Michelangelo

"Delphic Sibyl" by Michelangelo

I have always greatly admired the work of Michelangelo. I hadn't experienced much of his painting and mostly knew him as a sculptor until I visited the Sistine Chapel and saw his work for myself. If you're not aware Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance who extorted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. He is considered the greatest living artist of his lifetime and is considered by many to be THE greatest artist of all time. I absolutely love the softness seen in his blending and the amazing detail and realism achieved in his depictions of fabric. So inspiring! 

www.Michelangelo.org

4) Sunny Choi

"Marilyn, A Moment" by Sunny Choi

Sunny Choi has been inspiring me since I first discovered her upon moving to Toronto to start my career. I was very excited to find my beautiful little studio in the Art & Design district where Sunny had a stunning gallery. I would walk by the gallery every day and admire the piece in the window. On weekends I would venture into the gallery to admire each piece one by one. I love that she depicts women, like myself, but I also love the texture and looseness she has when applying her strokes. It makes her work very unique while still remaining realistic. 

www.SunnyChoiGallery.com

5) John William Waterhouse

"A Mermaid" by John William Waterhouse

John William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working in the Pre-Raphaelite style several decades after the style had ceased to be popular. I had absolutely no idea of his work until a University Art trip to Montreal to see his exhibition. I was blown away! The style, realism, and technique was truly something to behold. On top of that I absolutely loved his subject matter which was generally women from both ancient Greek mythology and Arthurian legend (two of my greatest interests)! 

www.JohnWilliamWaterhouse.com

6) Brian Viveros

"Baroness" by Brian Viveros

Brian Viveros' work, which depicts strong, powerful, defiant women, truly speaks to me. I LOVE seeing women being portrayed as powerful in any setting, particularly art. But it isn't his message alone that inspires me but also his smooth blending and precision. His is a self proclaimed "perfectionist" when it comes to his work and so am I therefore I can relate and admire him for that. His creations are truly gorgeous. 

www.BrianMViveros.com

Special Note: 

It was the lovely daughter of artist Patience Brewster who reminded me about Artist Appreciation month! Patience is an incredibly talented ornament artist! I absolutely LOVE seeing a woman who has built her company from the ground up as an artist, all while maintaining her stylistic integrity. Check out her work!

SOUNDTRACK To My ART!

When people picture their idea of an artist working in their studio they likely see an avant-garde carefree person flinging paint and enjoying their favourite tunes. While this is certainly fun and something I like to do on occasion, it is not how I work. The type of work I do (you'll see examples throughout this blog post) is not "carefree". I create extremely detailed and perfectly proportioned portraits using very fine brushes. In order to achieve my balance of realism and bold crisp lines I need to focus on the task at hand. With a mind that is constantly racing with thoughts, I find focusing almost impossible with music alone. I either add the lyrics to my list of continuous thoughts making things even worse, or I'll start to sing which isn't good for my fiance talking with clients in his office next door. SO, I listen to TV shows! I absolutely love stories; books, TV, and movies are dear to me. Best of all, when I listen to a television show my mind is occupied in following the story, so it stops racing, and I can focus on my work. I have quite a few favourites that I go back to time and again but I thought I'd start with my TOP 10 TV Shows! 

#1 Xena: Warrior Princess

Xena: Warrior Princess is my all-time FAVOURITE show! I have watched/listened to it over and over since I was a little girl. There will never be a time where I don't connect with this show! If you don't already know, it's about a young women with an evil past who spends her entire life doing good in hopes of redeeming herself. Her best friend and life partner starts off as very innocent but over time becomes a warrior herself and is continuously questioning life and our purpose. It's serious, it's kick ass, it's emotional, and I particularly like when it's SILLY! But most importantly it teaches women to be their own hero. To be fierce AND kind. Listening to this show is inspiring with almost any project! 

#2 Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is another incredible show which I could watch or listen to over and over again, no matter what project I'm working on. It follows an aristocratic family residing in Yorkshire in the early 1900's. You get to see the very eventful lives of all the family members and staff. You quickly realize that all people, rich or poor, have their problems to deal with. I love the drama and the heart warming moments. The characters are so lovable, even the nasty ones! Even though I only discovered it a few years ago it is a big time favourite of mine. 

#3 Once Upon A Time

ABC's Once Upon A Time is so dear to my heart. I don't care if you think it's for a younger crowd. I can tell you with extreme certainty that it's meant for me. I LOVE fairy tales so much (especially the old grim ones) and this show really does a good job of transforming them and bringing them to life. It's like Disney movies but acted out and presented in a "realistic" way! Not only that, but the genius writers have found a way to interconnect ALL of the fairy stories! It's just absolutely amazing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I can be inspired with this show almost always but really like to pair it with an extra pretty or delicate project. 

#4 Game Of Thrones

Game Of Thrones has got to be THE most epic and shocking television series of ALL TIME! I love fantasy. My social situation as a teen wasn't great so I would often escape my surroundings by reading fantasy novels. Game Of Thrones being a medieval-esque fantasy made it an easy favourite for me. But it isn't the fantasy side of this show that makes it special, not by a long shot. You are able to view the lives and struggles of SO many dynamic characters that it is almost overwhelming at times. Twists and turns you would never expect pop up out of nowhere! And to sweeten the pie it features MANY strong powerful female characters which is something I am very drawn to and absolutely love seeing in modern media. A life time favourite for sure and something I can listen to while working on any project. 

 #5 Merlin

I've always been deeply fascinated with the Arthurian legends, Avalon, and Pagan religions. When I first spotted BBC's Merlin on Netflix I thought, "Well there's a show for me"! And I wasn't wrong! I absolutely love this series and, while it does have some deep moments, for the most part it is light and whimsical. I love how they transformed the original legend to fit a younger Merlin who is played masterfully by Irish actor Colin Morgan. The story is magical, fun, and heart warming. On top of all that, it really teaches you never to judge because you can never truly know someone unless they allow you deep into their soul. I absolutely love listening to this series when I'm working on a particularly pretty piece or custom baby and pet portraits. 

#6 Spartacus

Knowing how much I've always loved ancient Greek and Roman history/myths my life-long friend Kayla suggested I give one of her favourite shows a try. I held off for a while because I had other things occupying my time but once I gave it a go, WOW was she ever right! I LOVE this show! It reminds me of one of my favourite movies, 300, because of the way it's filmed and the way the gore is captured on screen. Very cool! The fighting scenes are very well done and extremely intense! It's like watching UFC but during the "olden times". To make matters even better, Lucy Lawless (the actress who plays Xena) has a large role in the series! If you haven't heard of the story of Spartacus he was a gladiator and captured slave who begins an uprising throughout Rome. Right up my alley! It's perfect for getting me reved up for a detailed or challenging task! 

#7 Vikings

I'm a history nerd! I generally focused my interests on ancient Greek and Roman history but have delved into Norse mythology from time to time. I have always found the old religion very interesting and the people extremely fierce. SO when it came time to try out this partially Canadian show I had high hopes. While I found the first season started off a tiny bit slow it has zoomed into excitement since! While the Vikings sack Britain and France looking for gold and jewels, I like to paint in beautiful shades of gold and adhere sparkling jewels to my paintings! I find the two go together perfectly. 

#8 Mad Men

Mad Men is a great inspirational show for when I'm painting. Again, history! Based during the 1960's in a hip Manhattan ad agency, we get to see the lives of many of the employees and watch the company evolve over time. One of the aspects I love about this show is how it portrays women breaking free from the shackles which were placed on them at this time. Women began to divorce. Women began to have careers and slowly be seen as equal to men (though not always acknowledged).  The feminist in me LOVES that one of the main characters, Peggy, starts off meek and submissive but quickly grows to be a powerful and talented person who demands respect. I also absolutely love the character Joan and the actress, Christina Hendricks, who plays her. She is one of the first women to break through the rigid ideals of female beauty and prove to the world that larger more curvaceous bodies can be extremely sexy too. While we can't all look like this beautiful hourglass I still think she took our media to a new and progressed state. I find this show calms me and while I would usually keep it for more feminine projects, it is something I could listen to during any task. 

#9 Sex And The City

I have liked Sex And The City since I was a late teen. I know a lot of women used to say, "Which Sex And The City character are you?" and I never knew what to say. To be honest, I don't really see myself as any of these women. But that doesn't mean they aren't characters worth admiring. I love that Carrie is creative and generally very caring of her friends. I love that Charlotte is into art and has such a sweet soft character. I love that Miranda is tough, highly intelligent, and usually doesn't subscribe to what women "should" look like (i.e. comfier clothing, not high fashion, etc). And I LOVE that Samantha is SO true to herself. She does not care what anyone thinks! So I find this series to be light and sometimes you just need something light! I find it goes great when I'm working on female portraiture but any commissioned work would go nicely as well. 

#10 Scrubs

I used to see this show on TV all the time and I'd quickly fly past it. A show in the medical field seemed dull and depressing .... oh how wrong I was. It has its sad moments, granted, but for the most part this series is lighthearted, silly, and straight up funny! It starts off with the main characters as med students and follows them along their careers. It's a great show when I'm feeling bogged down and need a pick-me-up! I particularly like listening to it while I work on commission requests. 

What do you listen to while you create? 

What are your favourite TV Shows?

Please leave a comment below!

How To Paint Lips With Acrylics

New Blue Indian Bride Portrait In Progress

4 ft x 5 ft ~ Acrylic Paint on Canvas

I thought it might be fun to go through my process for painting in the beautiful lips of my current work in progress. I often get asked for advice on how to paint and master artistic skills. While I am very confident in my work and absolutely love my personal style, I would never pretend to be "perfect" or all-knowing. I can only share my own techniques and ways in which I achieve my style. Want to know what colours and steps I took to achieve that pink pout? Keep reading! 

NOTE: I'm planning to video tape the eye painting process! Stay tuned to my FB Page or YouTube Channel! :) 

Here is my palette with all of the colours I used for the lips. 

Left to right: Titanium White, Naples Yellow Red Light, Cadmium Red Deep, 

Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Umber, Mars Black, and Dark Burnt Umber.

 The lips pre-paint.

Start by defining where the lips meet. I did so using a mixture of black and dark umber. I also did a bit of shading in the corners of her mouth to give her a bit of a pout.

 Then apply the basic layer of pink all over the lips. This colour should be the mid-toned colour. In this case I used a mixture of Alizaron Crimson, Cadmium Red Deep, Naples Yellow Red Light, and Titanium White.

 I used thin washes of Cadmium Red Deep where the lips are more red than pink.

 I then applied thin washes of a redder version of Burnt Umber I have. This is put in where the shadows appear in the lips.

 Taking a break from the darks, I created a light pink with Cadmium Red Deep and White to begin adding shine. Apply this thinly where the light touches the lips.

 Mix more white into the light pink and do another layer of thin washes where the light touches the lips. Also add some lines, particularly in the lower right area where the lips aren't covered by the shadow of the veil.

 In this stage I used thin layers of Naples Yellow Red Light to add more shine and lines on the lower and upper lip as well as in the corners and outline.

 Using washes of my darker Burnt Umber I pumped up the shadows in the corners of the mouth making it seem a little more puckered. I also added more to the shadows and middle line. This colour was also used to outline the lips in the shadowed areas.

 Very carefully I used a bit of Mars Black to deepen the shadow between the lips and redefine the corners of the mouth. More shading was applied to the bottom of the top lip however this was removed in the next stage because I wasn't fond of the textured look.

 In this stage I softened and lightened the shadows on the lower part of the upper lip and used some Burnt Umber to add some minor defining lines.

 In this stage I finished outlining the lips with Naples Yellow Red Light and White. I also added more shine lines and little shine dots on the lower and upper lip using White.

In the final stage I re-added the Naples Yellow Red Light trim along the veil and this really finishes off the look. Beautiful pink pouty shiny lips! :)