This step by step illustration is showing you a fairly basic way of creating a portrait. To start with you have to choose a stiff, smooth paper to
work on, because in this case I am working with oil colours thinned with turpentine. The effects you get with oils on smooth paper is just
interesting details which gives life to the painting. Make sure you choose a stiff paper that will not buckle when working with lots of fluids.

 
1.
As you can see I have drawn some pencil lines ( softness “b”) to help me more easily to create the painting I’m about to. I also want to avoid building up the colours in layers which could be a fact when working without those indicating lines. Also because I’m working on paper this time. The pencil lines will disappear as I apply the oil colours to it.
 
2.
Step two in this process is to cover the paper with oils as much as possible to catch the whole feeling and to keep the edges soft and light. At the same time I am trying to find the shapes that I want to continue working on. For instance you can see how I have wiped away colour from the shirt area. You can do this with a dry brush or anything that will solve your problem. When applying the colours you should keep in mind to work from light to dark because in this case I am working transparently with the colours to bring out the brilliance of the colours, to create a certain light in the painting…..


 

3.
When I have applied the first wash of colours and let them dry I continue to define shapes. In this step I am working more thick with the colours and I am also exaggerating the strength of colours as I “play” with them as well. For instance I apply green next to red or blue next to Alizarin crimson to create a more delightful mix of colours without destroying the whole impression of the painting. Experiment with warm and cool colours and you will find many ways to achieve a beautiful handicraft!
  
4.
At this step I am focusing on edges and the intense of the colours, to create the impression I want to achieve. This painting is focusing on the face and therefore I am giving it more attention than the rest of the painting. Compare this one to the others and you will see how I have approached the painting.