Acrylic Painting - Portrait

[Frank Wade]

I've been trying a to use acryclics for a while now, and I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I bought a new canvas today and I'm planning on painting a portrait of Christopher Walken. I'm scared to start though, because I don't know a good way to go about it. I drew it out, but I know I will lose my lines under paint like I always do.

Any tips/processes/tutorials you can show me/help me with on painting portraits/painting with acrylics?

Thank you so much for any help!

[Kresh]

I just starting to paint traditionally with oils. Spray your drawing with a fixitive spray its helps protect that layer from smudging from the paint. Plus if u wipe off the paint it will still be there. Start off with thin layers of paint so u can can still see the drawing in the early stages.

[k4pka]

You drew it once, you can do it again? Being afraid to lose lines is crippling.

[jamtob2]

What I'd recommend if you want to keep your drawing visible as long as possible is to

1- use transparent or semi transperant color to start out with

2- you might mix like an ummm acrylic glaze color that is able to use a cloth and
do whipe out or blendings with it, a recipe i use would be the following:

2 parts of retarder fluid (e.g. Lascaux Retarder or Super Retarder)
1/2 to 3/4 parts water
and about the ammount of acrylic paint in the color(s ) you want, again best are transparent colors

This medium may not have the same continuance as a classic oil paint glaze but it works depending on brand and mixture about 10 minutes more or less. Best is to try out on a spare paper to handle it and check your hue and color.

If you have any more questions go ahead and ask :) if you like i could do a wee sample and scan it for you,

good paint and always a wet brush,

tobs

[Frank Wade]

Thanks guys, so it is a good idea to have a full drawing done on canvas? Because someone told me to only do light lines...??

[jamtob2]

well in the end this is a question of your personal style i'd say, because each artist has his own approach to a new piece (i seldom do a "draw-on-board" [working on Bristol cartridge pasted onto hardfibre board with a silkpaper counter lamination] but have my sketch available and only outshape major bits i need to define the piece).

but when you decide to have a underlaid drawing, its good to have it applied not to faintly or it might vanish under your first few layers of color.
On the other hand it could be a way to work with a stronger detailed drawing and work in only glazings to keep the drawing as a bit of the artwork that shines through.

i can though tell you these features will come with the more work you do and the more tries (and yes also errors - only from those you learn) you experience.

:)

I know you can do it, keep it up

p.s. i think i mean hard masonite or masonite - well my english lacks kowledge in this section, had to look it up lol sorry

[JustinBeckett]

Don't be afraid to paint it. If you are you will fail miserably. Have confidence, paint how you think you should. Maybe try painting in your lines, rather then drawing them, and use lights and darks/tones.

[Frank Wade]

Thanks guys, I'm just going to dive right in:

http://www.ninja.oceansend.com/6/walken1.jpg

Initial drawing, going to lower the (camera's) left eye, make mouth and ear bigger, and darken some lines.

Here is the ref, but Im just going for a decent likeness, kinda like, oh! thats Christopher Walken, and not trying to copy this exactly:
http://www.ninja.oceansend.com/mptv1.gif (http://www.ninja.oceansend.com/mptv1.jpg)