The distance from the forehead hairline to the bridge of the nose measures aprox., the same as the length of the nose ; the distance between the base of the nose and chin is the same measurement again; the distance between the eyes is the same width of the eye;the corners of the mouth are placed in line and directly under the pupil of the eye.
At this stage it is advisable to use a very accurate drawing or photograph of your subject , this will help establish your likeness. This is a most crucial step in your portrait and it enables you to work a slow pace and make alterations before applying paint.
Step 2: Using a pointer and soft grey or sepia, paint in your the features, NO HARD LINES, only soft suggestions. Depending on the size of your portrait, chose a brush suitable and place the shadows in with Grey or Sepia, keep the application soft and yet work in tone with your colour, dab with soft foam or silk to blend.
It is most important to use an open medium, so one can take time to blend and soften without the added frustration of paint druying too quickly. Turn your porcelain piece upside down and with a critical eye judge the placement of the features , Happy? You can now proceed and paint the hair, keep the edge very soft and wipe out highlights with a wipe-out tool.
Fire
The area around the eyes must be painted in a deeper tone so the eyes are recessed and not appear to be painted on the face. Blend Pompadour for the cheek colour, follow the planes of the cheek bones, bring out the highlights with heavier pressure as you dab, wipe back for the reflected light which appears at the side and jawline of the face, this adds contour.
The shadow line between the lips is very important as it depicts the expression of the individual mouth; paint this line with a fine brush, with Brown and Pompadour; softly suggest the lip shape with Pompadour; and highlight with a wipe out tool.
The colour of the eyes are painted in, wipe back the lighter tone of the iris,(only three quarters of the eye should be seen from under the lid.) Wipe out the whitest white of the eyeball and the pin-point highlight;
suggest the eyelashes with a fine brush and Brown, do not paint individual spiky lashes; place the pupil; feather strokes are best for the eyebrows, follow the bone structure of the brow.
If your subject is showing ears, shadow the folds with Pompa and Brown. Use your chosen colour and paint the hair , follow the flow of the strands, introduce darker tone and blend, when satisfied, then wipe out the highlights.
Try to maintain a softening and blending of tones.
As we are concentrating on a portrait head, I will not explain clothing etc.,
When you are confident with your result you can paint in a background colour, bring it to the edge of the hairline and then pull strands of hair into the background. Fire.
STEP4: We now accentuate detail; strengthen shadow areas and introduce a soft Green-grey shadow around the mouth and eyes area, deepen the lip colour and yet keep the lip-line soft; use Brown and Pompa, place the nostrils, remember they are shadow, not a line or dot. Be very careful to retain your highlights, on the cheeks and wherever light is fqlling; build up detail in the hair and keep the edge soft by using feathery strokes.Fire.
Successive firings are only necessary if more colour or detail is required.
There is so much I wish to reveal concerning this area of porcelain painting as it is a never ending discovery and learning process.Above all BE HAPPY PAINTING.
Aileen McLeod.