Watercolor Portraits: Tips & Techniques for Beginners

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 7 min read

Creating a watercolor portrait can be an enchanting journey, filled with creativity, exploration, and beautiful results. This guide offers practical, easy-to-follow tips for beginners keen on mastering the art of watercolor portraiture. From choosing the right materials to honing your basic skills, and finally, painting your first portrait, you'll find everything you need right here. So, let's dive right in and start this colorful adventure!

1. Get Your Materials Ready

Before you begin your watercolor portrait, it's vital to have all your materials at hand. The right tools can make your journey into the world of watercolor portraits smoother and more enjoyable. Let's break down the essentials:

Choosing the Right Brushes

Brushes are like the magic wand in your painting journey—choose wisely, and you'll see the difference. For watercolor portraits, you'll need a mix of round and flat brushes. Round brushes are great for detailed work, while flat brushes help cover large areas. It's also a good idea to have a small detail brush for the delicate features of the face. Brands like Winsor & Newton and Da Vinci offer excellent choices for beginners.

Picking the Perfect Palette

Colors are the heart of your watercolor portrait. A basic palette should include primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—and a few additional shades like burnt sienna and ultramarine for depth. You can create a whole array of colors by mixing these basic hues. Remember, it's not about the quantity of colors, but how you use them. Companies such as Daniel Smith and M. Graham offer beginner-friendly palettes.

Selecting Quality Paper

The canvas for your watercolor portrait is just as important as your colors and brushes. Watercolor paper comes in different types—cold press, hot press, and rough. For portraits, hot press paper is a popular choice due to its smooth surface, perfect for capturing the subtleties of facial features. Brands like Arches and Strathmore have high-quality hot press papers that are perfect for beginners.

With your materials ready, you're all set to explore the fascinating world of watercolor portraits. Up next, we'll focus on building your basic skills. Stay tuned!

2. Build Your Basic Skills

Now that you're armed with the right materials, it's time to build the basic skills you'll need for your watercolor portrait journey. Here are the top three fundamental techniques you should master:

Mastering the Wet-on-Wet Technique

The wet-on-wet technique is where the magic of watercolors truly shines. In this technique, you apply wet paint onto a wet surface, resulting in a beautiful, fluid effect. It's fantastic for creating smooth skin tones, the soft blend of colors in the cheeks, or the delicate gradient in the eyes. Here's how you can practice it:

Begin by wetting your paper with a flat brush.
Next, mix a bit of your chosen color with water.
Apply the diluted color onto the wet paper and watch the color flow and blend naturally.
Practice until you're comfortable with controlling the color intensity and flow.

Practicing Gradient Washes

Gradient washes—going from a dark to a light shade of the same color—are crucial in watercolor portraits. They help create a three-dimensional look by adding depth to the skin and other features. Here are the steps to master a gradient wash:

Start by mixing a dark shade of your chosen color.
Apply this color at one end of your paper.
Gradually add water to your brush as you move across the paper, making the color lighter as you go.
Continue practicing until you can create a smooth transition from dark to light.

Exploring Dry Brush Techniques

Unlike the wet-on-wet technique, the dry brush technique involves using minimal water. It's perfect for adding texture to your watercolor portrait, like the roughness of hair or the wrinkles in clothing. Here's how you can get started:

Load your brush with paint and squeeze out excess water.
Drag your brush lightly over the paper, letting the paint catch the texture of the paper.
Practice different brush strokes and pressure levels to create a variety of textures.

By mastering these techniques, you'll have a solid foundation to create stunning watercolor portraits. Up next, let's delve into the art of observation and sketching. Ready?

3. Observe and Sketch

With the basic watercolor techniques under your belt, it's time to focus on the initial stages of creating a watercolor portrait: observation and sketching. These steps are vital for capturing the likeness and personality of your subject. Let's dive in:

Studying Anatomy and Proportions

Understanding human anatomy and proportions is the first step to creating a realistic watercolor portrait. Here are some key points to remember:

The human face is roughly oval in shape.
Usually, the eyes are positioned halfway down the head.
The space between the eyes is typically the width of one eye.
The bottom of the nose is generally located halfway between the eyes and the chin.
The mouth is typically placed halfway between the base of the nose and the chin.

Drawing with Freehand

Once you understand the basic proportions, you can start sketching freehand. Here are some tips to get you started:

Start by drawing the overall shape of the head.
Add in the features, keeping in mind the proportions you learned.
Don't press too hard; your initial sketch should be light and easily amendable.
Keep refining your sketch until you're satisfied with the likeness.

Using a Grid Method

If you're finding freehand drawing a bit challenging, the grid method is an excellent alternative. This method involves drawing a grid on your reference photo and on your sketch paper, then copying one square at a time. It can help ensure accuracy in your sketch, which will ultimately elevate your watercolor portrait.

Start by drawing a grid of equal squares on your reference photo.
Draw a grid with the same number of squares on your paper.
Focus on one square at a time, copying exactly what you see in each square of the reference photo.
Erase the grid lines once your sketch is complete.

Observation and sketching can be a challenge at first, but with practice, you'll see great improvement. And remember, a good sketch is the foundation of a great watercolor portrait. So, are you ready to paint your first portrait?

4. Paint Your First Portrait

Now that you've honed your observation and sketching skills, it's time to bring your watercolor portrait to life. This stage is where the magic happens, where your subject starts to emerge from the paper. Exciting, isn't it? So, let's get started:

Blocking in the Basic Shapes

Begin by blocking in the basic shapes of the face and the main features. This is not about capturing every detail but instead, setting a strong foundation for your watercolor portrait. Here's a simple way to approach this:

Start with lighter washes to block in the overall shape of the face and neck.
Block in the main features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Remember to leave areas white where you want highlights.

Painting the Shadow Areas

Shadows give your portrait depth and dimension. They help to shape the face and make it look more three-dimensional. Here's how you can paint the shadow areas:

Identify the light source in your reference photo.
Use a darker tone to paint the areas that are away from the light source.
Remember that the color of the shadow is the color of the object, only darker.

Adding the Details

Once the basic shapes and shadows are in place, it's time for the fun part — adding the details. Here's how:

Start with the eyes, as they are the focal point of any portrait. Pay close attention to the shape and color of the iris, the highlights, and the shadows in the eyes.
Next, move on to the nose and mouth. Notice the subtle changes in color and value.
Finally, add details to the hair. Rather than painting each strand, look for the overall shape and value changes.

Stepping back and looking at your work from a distance can help you see if everything is coming together as you hoped. And remember, creating a watercolor portrait is a process — don't rush it. Enjoy each step, and before you know it, you'll be looking at a stunning watercolor portrait that you've created!

5. Review and Improve

Great work on completing your first watercolor portrait! But the journey doesn't stop here. The beauty of art lies in its constant evolution, and the same holds true for your skills. Now, it’s time to review and improve:

Evaluating Your Work

Time to put on your critic's hat and evaluate your work. This isn't about being harsh on yourself, but rather, understanding what you've done well and what could be improved. To do this:

Look at your watercolor portrait from a distance to see the overall effect.
Compare it with your reference image. How close did you get?
Identify parts of your painting that you're particularly proud of. What did you do well?
Find areas that could use improvement. Don't shy away from these — they are your ticket to growth!

Seeking Feedback

Outside perspectives can provide valuable insights that you might have missed. Don't be hesitant to ask others for their opinions. You can:

Ask family or friends for their honest feedback. They might not be art critics, but they know what looks good to them.
Join local art groups or online forums. Fellow artists can offer constructive criticism based on their own experiences.
Consider taking an art class or workshop where you can get professional feedback.

Practicing Regularly

The secret to becoming great at watercolor portraits — or anything, really — is regular practice. Here's how you can incorporate this into your routine:

Set aside dedicated time each day or week for painting.
Try different techniques, subjects, and styles. Variety keeps it fun and challenging.
Repeat your favorite projects. You'll see how much you've improved over time!

Remember, the journey of creating watercolor portraits is just as important as the final product. So, keep your brushes moving, your colors flowing, and your heart open to the endless possibilities that watercolor painting brings.

If you're just getting started with watercolor portraits and looking for more tips and techniques, don't miss the workshop 'Introduction to Watercolours' by Bianca Rosen. This workshop will not only help you master the basics of watercolor painting but also provide you with valuable insights and guidance to create stunning watercolor portraits.