PORTRAIT ART TUTORIAL: Monochromatic | How Did Such A Crazy Process Create Such A Nice Portrait?, by Head Trip Creations on YouTube. 28 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 28 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 1 to 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Tape your 12x12 inch newsprint to a board so it stays flat while you work wet layers. Keep the surface level and cover your table.
Mix 2 parts water with 1 part black acrylic ink in a small cup. Test the tone on a scrap of newsprint before you start.
Lay down loose washes of the diluted ink to suggest the head and shoulders. Let the paper stay damp so the edges bleed softly.
Draw over the washes with the black gel pen and Stabilo pencil to find the features. Keep lines light until the face starts to read.
Add diluted white and cream acrylic to lift the highlights on the forehead, nose and cheeks. Build slowly so the paper does not buckle.
Use full bodied black and gray acrylic for the darkest shadows and hair. Keep these areas opaque to contrast with the watery washes.
Rub a candle or wax stick over areas you want to resist later paint. The wax pushes the next wash away and leaves texture.
Drag white and cream hard chalk pastels across the dry surface for soft highlights. Smudge with a finger or cloth to blend.
Step back and check the likeness. Adjust the eyes, nose and mouth with the No. 2 pencil and gel pen until the face reads clearly.
Let everything dry fully, then erase any stray pencil lines and sign the corner.
Tips and common mistakes
Work light to dark so you can always add more ink or paint but cannot easily take it away.
Keep the newsprint slightly damp for soft edges, but let it dry between heavy acrylic layers to avoid tearing.
Test the wax resist on a scrap first, since too much wax blocks all the paint.
Newsprint is thin, so use a light hand with water and blot excess with a paper towel.
Questions
Can I use a different paper than newsprint?
Yes. Mixed media or watercolor paper handles wet layers better, but newsprint gives the soft, absorbent look shown here.
Do I need the exact brands listed?
No. Any black acrylic ink, gel pen and chalk pastels will work. Match the consistency of the ink mix rather than the brand.
How do I fix a portrait that looks wrong?
Keep layering. Add more ink washes and pen lines to redefine the features, or paint over problem areas with opaque black or gray.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
