This tutorial will focus on semirealistic portraits. The first half will briefly explore the anatomy of the face, and the second half will be a step-by-step guide demonstrating how to paint a portrait.

1: Understanding the Human Face

1.1: Angles & the Sketching Process

We will be looking at the most common angles: a direct view, a ¾ view, and a side view. Start by marking the top of the head and chin. Draw a circle—this will help you establish the form of the face. Draw a vertical line which marks the middle of the face. Draw in guidelines to help determine where the nose, eyes, and lips will be positioned.

TIP: Constantly flip your drawing horizontally while drawing. When flipped, you will notice errors that you didn’t notice before, especially proportion errors.

1.11: The Direct Angle

The direct angle provides a foundation for facial features. Knowing the direct view well make it easier to draw other angles.

 

At around ¾ of the face is where the eyes are. The bottom of the nose is slightly below the halfway point. Generally, the distance from the lips to the chin is the same as the distance from the upper lip to the nose. Of course, there are general guidelines. Everyone has different faces, so these rules do not always apply 100%.

 

1.12: ¾ Angle

As the face rotates, one half of the face is more visible than the other. The vertical line does not split the face in half but is rather in a 3:1 ratio. On more visible side, the eye, nose, and lips appear bigger/longer. On the opposite side, notice how the angle of the features become steeper, as indicated by the red line. You can visualize this by the following diagram:

As the cube rotates to the right, the angle becomes steeper.

Of course, the human face is not a flat plane. It is not flat throughout but rather has a curvature to it, as depicted by the following diagram.

 

Towards the edges, the curvature changes. Thus, less light is received as this side is starting to face away from the light source. This is called form shadow--as a shadow that arises due to the form of the object. This is why our forehead receives more light than most parts of the face. However, as we approach the temples, there is a shift in curvature and less light is received. This similarly applies to the neck and jawline. When drawing and painting the human face, always remember that it is a 3D object.

1.13: Side Profile

The side profile reveals details about the face that are not as obvious in the direct angle viewpoint. For instance, the shape of the jawline, the ear, the curvature of the nose, and the depth of the eyelids and chin. From the front, it is difficult to tell if someone has a bulbous nose (meaning they have more fat stored on the nose tip), but from the side, it is quite apparent.

1.2: Capturing Proportions

Semirealistic portraits are less demanding than realistic ones. What you want to focus on are the shape of the features and their position/size relative to each other. Are the eyes far apart? Are the lower lips big in comparison to the upper lips? You want to answer these questions in your sketch. You do not have to be extremely precise during this process, but you want your sketch to resemble your final product.

 

You do, however, have the liberty of omitting some details. For some people, the ears are not considered of great importance, so they are not given much detail. Similarly, the philtrum is not usually significant and can be ignored without consequence. What you decide to do is entirely up to your preferences!

1.21: The Eyes

The eyes are the most distinct facial features. You might not be able to recognize someone by their lips alone, but you might be able to if you are shown their eyes. Eyes come in many shapes and colours.

 

Consider…

Are the eyes upturned or downturned?

Are they far apart or close together?

Are they round? Almond-shaped? Narrow? Wide?

What type of eyelid does your subject have?

 

TIP: When drawing the eyes, do not draw one eye and then the other. Draw them both step-by-step, that way they will turn out more symmetrical.

1.22: The Nose

The nose could also be considered a fairly distinct facial feature. Like the eyes, they come in many shapes and sizes:

Consider…

Is the nose bulbous (meaning there’s more fat stored on the nose tip)?

Is the nose bridge high? Low?

Is the nose defined or flat?

Are the nostrils small or big relative to the nose tip?

Are the nostrils high or low compared to the nose tip?

Is the nose upturned? Downturned? Somewhere in-between?

 

1.23: The Lips

Consider:

What is the upper-lower lip ratio?

Are the lips plump or thin?

How is the Cupid’s Bow shaped?

Does the mouth curve upwards or downwards?

Are the lips short or long?

 

1.3: Putting it Together

With these things considered, I created a sketch of a portrait. Do not stress too much on the fine details. You can refine your sketch in the lineart process.

 

Create a new layer titled “Lineart” and put it over your sketch layer. In the sketch layer, lower the opacity to 20-40% so that you can trace.

 

TIP: Under layer property, change the line art colour to a dark, saturated red, purple, or brown (whatever is closest to your skin tone). The colours blend in better with the lineart, making the piece look more realistic.

2: The Painting Process

2.1: Colouring

To make a semirealism portrait goes beyond using like-like proportions. Colouring plays an important role in bringing your art to life!

 

The first thing I do is change the background to a darker shade of grey. When using a pure white background, our perception of colour is slightly distorted, and we tend to make the colours too light. If you do plan on making a detailed background, I recommend doing it at this stage by making a layer underneath your portrait layer. The environment may impact and/or interact with your portrait, so this is important to keep in mind! To make the tutorial easier to follow, I’ve omitted the background until the end process.

 

2.11: The Skin

Create a new layer and place it underneath your sketch and/or lineart layer. This will be the layer used for colouring. CSP has a handy tool that lets you colour without going outside the lineart. Click on the auto select tool (W) and select refer to all layers. Set the colour margin to 0 and click on the background. CSP will automatically select the background for you. Now, press Ctrl+I. This will invert the selected area such that only the portrait is selected. Go on your colour layer and press, “Create layer mask”.

Add your base colours in the colour layer.

Before we go any further, it’s important to note that you can use a variety of colour schemes to create different visual effects. I took the final image and went to Edit > Tonal Corrections >Tone Curve and/or Hue/Saturation/Value. Of course, it’s better that you use these colours for your base layer at the beginning rather than the end. I recommend you play around with these settings after you finish a painting—it’ll help you understand colour composition, take risks, and perhaps inspire you.

If there is any noticeable lighting, I will start with that right away. For shadows that particularly stand out, use a multiply layer. For bright lighting, you can use a hard light or glow dodge layer. If the lighting is colourful, use an overlay layer.

For this tutorial, I will not be adding lighting effects until the end to show what the face looks like under common lighting. However, it is recommended that you consider adding lighting effects at the beginning.

 

I start painting in the shadows with a large soft airbrush with max hardness. It is important that you do not use it on minimum hardness, because if you do the final product is very fuzzy and washed out. Starting out with big brushes is helpful, too. Working in broader strokes at the beginning is crucial in saving time.

 

You will notice that the middle of the face is more reddish, whereas the forehead and chin are use less saturated tones. The undereye is almost bluish in colour due to the thinness of the skin.

 

To do the shadows, create a multiply layer on top of your base layer. Select the base colour of the skin and shift the hue on the colour wheel so that it’s a bit cooler (closer to blue). You generally want to shift hues as you colour, because this is more true to life. Do only slight shifts—anything drastic change might change the colour entirely! Darker regions are shown here:

 

You’ll notice that some shadows are a bit darker than others, such as the shadow underneath the chin. For these areas, apply more pressure and/or select a darker colour. You can also use the multiply layer to create blush—just choose a light colour in the orange-red zone.

 

TIP: If your shadows are too dark, lower the opacity of the layer.

 

TIP: Don’t worry too much about blending. Putting in the basic colours is a different process from blending.

 

On your base layer, start adding in the lighter regions, such as the forehead, the cheeks, cheekbones, chin, the mouth area, and the tip of the nose. Shift the hue so that the colour is a bit more yellow. Increase the value and decrease saturation. Avoid using a pure white colour. You may notice that some highlights are “whiter” than others, such as the tip of the nose.

 

2.12: The Lips

The closer you are to the mouth line, the darker it is. The edges on upper lip tend to be darker, too. A cast shadow is created at the bottom of the lip.

The middle of the bottom lip is the lightest, as this is the plumpest part of the lip and thus receives more light. I add in colours with an orangish tint to enhance the depth. Last, I blend the colours together and added in the highlights. Depending on whether or not the subject is wearing lipstick/gloss, the shading of the lips will likely differ. For instance, very bright, hard highlights are created when lip gloss is worn.

 

Notice how the edges of the lower lip gradually fade out. Use the eyedropper tool on the surrounding skin and lightly airbrush it over the edges. Also, the edges of the upper lip and corners of the mouth are lighter than the surrounding area. Add a cast shadow on the corner of lips.

2:13: The Eyes

I start by darkening the lashes of the eye. Make sure that you colour the skin around the eye first, though. For semirealistic portraits, it is not necessary to draw in many lashes. Just a few is fine. I then start adding in the darker regions of the eye whites and the iris by using more saturated, warmer tones. The shadows are cast by the upper lid, making the edges of the eye whites dark. For the iris, use slight variations in hue, saturation, and value to make them more vibrant.

After blending the colours, I add the pupil and highlights. The eye whites are a bit reflective, hence you will find highlights there. Then, I paint in the little details such as the lower eyelid and the tear duct.

2.14: Hair

For the hair, I use an oil paint brush. I paint in warm shadows and then the highlights. As I continue, I change the brush size and paint strokes of different thickness to give a sense of depth. I do not like it when the hair is a smooth gradient, so I only partially blend the colours.

2.2: Finishing Touches & Blending Modes

Blending modes are important in bringing out contrast and making a portrait more interesting. I like my artwork to be colourful, so I create an overlay layer and choose saturated reds, pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows. The warmer hues typically go where the shadows are. I also incorporate them when transitioning from dark to light (e.g the cheeks). Although subtle, it makes the art piece pop out and livelier. I also like to emphasize the highlights; hence I incorporate a glow dodge layer to bring them out.

TIP: You can copy paste a blending mode layer to amplify its effects.

 

I finish off by cleaning up messy errors and adding little details, such as the cast shadow from the clothes and loose hair strands. At this stage, I added lighting effects to make the visual composition more dynamic. I also continued adding saturated colours to enhance the piece by adding colour contrast. Even colours such like green may can blend into a mostly red-orange painting. If done correctly, art piece is much more powerful. Analogous colours are recommended because it is easier to blend in.

 

2.3: Backgrounds

Artists don’t always paint in a detailed background. If you’re short on time, a simple gradient will work. Choose a colour that you think suits the portrait. For this one, I’m choosing orange and creating a gradient with it. If you only use a flat colour as a background, it looks strange because the subject is life-like.

However, if you DO have time, painting a detailed background can easily make your portrait more eye-catching and appealing, so I would recommend it.

A very simple way to improve your visual composition is blurring the background. You may want to copy paste a backup background layer in case you change your mind. On your backup background layer, press Ctrl+A, then go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian blur. Experiment with the values and see how strong you want your blur to be. Our eyes are drawn automatically to the sharpest part of the painting: the subject. Although the main focus of the painting is the subject, the background strengthens the artistic composition, so it is recommended that you put in some degree of effort.

And voila! The final product.

Closing

If you want to keep improving, observe the faces are around you. Be more conscious of people's facial features and the lighting around you. We are so used to seeing human faces that we don't notice the little details. But really, the only recipe to success is to keep practising.

 

Thank you for reading my tutorial. I hope you've learned something useful!