Watercolor portrait painting tutorial - How to paint elderly people, by Vacabalo on YouTube. 38 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 38 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Pick a clear reference photo with strong light and shadow on the face. Print it or keep it on a screen beside your paper so you can check it often.
Sketch the head lightly in pencil on your watercolor paper. Mark the eyes, nose, mouth and the main shadow shapes, keeping lines soft.
Mix a pale skin wash from yellow, red and a little blue. Wet the face area and lay the wash evenly, leaving the brightest highlights dry.
Let the first wash dry fully, then add a slightly stronger mix in the shadow areas: under the brow, beside the nose, under the chin and jaw.
Build the wrinkles and folds with a thin round brush and a darker, cooler mix. Paint them as soft lines that follow the shape of the face, not as hard stripes.
Deepen the eyes, nostrils and mouth corners with a concentrated mix. Keep the whites of the eyes and the catchlights unpainted so the face stays alive.
Paint the hair and beard in loose strokes, working from light to dark. Leave gaps of paper showing for shine and texture.
Add the clothing and background with broad hake or flat brush strokes. Keep them simple and lower in contrast so the face stays the focus.
Check the whole portrait against your photo and adjust values. Strengthen the darkest darks and soften any edges that look too sharp.
Let the painting dry flat, then step back to judge it from a distance before signing.
Tips and common mistakes
Let each wash dry before adding the next, or the layers turn muddy and lose their glow.
Keep your palette limited to a few colors so the skin tones stay harmonious.
Wrinkles read best as soft shadows, so use a damp clean brush to soften edges while they are still wet.
Test every mix on scrap paper first, since watercolor dries lighter than it looks wet.
Questions
Do I need to draw the face well before painting?
A light, accurate sketch helps a lot. Mark the main features and shadow shapes, but keep the pencil lines faint so they do not show through the paint.
Which paper should I use for a portrait?
Use 300gsm cold-pressed 100% cotton paper. It takes several washes without buckling and lets you lift color if you make a mistake.
How many layers of color does an elderly face need?
Usually three or four thin layers. Start pale, then build shadows and wrinkles gradually until the depth looks right.
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.
