Should beginners paint watercolour portraits? - are watercolour portraits hard?

Should beginners paint watercolour portraits? Yes! Absolutely! Find out why.

Should beginners paint watercolour portraits?

 

Are watercolour portraits hard?

OK. So, if you are asking yourself whether as a beginner you should attempt to paint a portrait in watercolour, the real question is whether painting portraits in watercolour is hard?

Contrary to popular belief, painting a portrait in watercolour is no harder than painting any other subject, whether that be a landscape, cityscape, or still life.

Most people's inclination is to think otherwise because of the need with a portrait to capture a really good likeness of your subject. But it is no more difficult to achieve that than it is to paint a realistic street scene with buildings that looks like they can stand up on their own!

It comes down to two reasons.

Preparation and passion

Getting the essentials right before you even start painting. And passion.

Preparation before pigment touches paper

With watercolour preparation is everything. In most instances the time spent painting is so much shorter than the time invested in the preparation.

1. Simplifying your reference photo if you need to.

2. Get the drawing right.

3. Establishing the tonal pattern: looking for connected shapes of the same tonal value and ignoring facial features!

4. Deciding where your darkest darks are going to meet your lightest lights.

5. Painting first in monochrome - monochrome watercolour portraits don't have to be boring.

6. Deciding what parts of the photo you are going to ignore.

 

You can read more about each of these in my top tips for watercolour portraits article.

 

Passion for your subject. For the story you want to tell

Don't dampen the joy of your experience of watercolour by painting something that doesn't make your heart sing or make you want to dance around the room, just because you have searched for watercolour ideas for beginners and they are all simple flowers or landscapes.

If what your heart desires is to paint portraits then do just that. That passion will put wind in your sail and carry you forward in leaps and bounds.

Watercolour portraits that tell a story.

Struggling with learning how to paint with watercolour with a subject that gives you no joy or excitement is a recipe for failure. It increases the risk when things don't go well and you don't get the results you want, of leading you down the road of feeling that you are no good and that you will never be able to master watercolour. To giving up and putting your paints away.

Whereas, nothing is going to incentivise you more to paint to learn the techniques and continue to paint as you make the same mistakes over and over again, until you reach a point where you intuitively know what is going to happen. And you can choose not not let it happen. To stop it. Than painting what makes you happy.

That passion will spur you on to paint the same portrait again and again. To try new colour combinations and experiment.

To have fun and discover your own style.

Are watercolour portraits hard?

 

The watercolour techniques and effects are all the same

I want you to know that, if you are just setting out on your watercolour journey, you can learn all the watercolour techniques and effects that exist equally as well by learning to paint portraits as you would if you were learning to paint fruit, cityscapes, seascapes, or landscapes etc.

The repertoire of experience you will build along the way will be the same. From:

  • loosing the fear of using a LOT of water!
  • getting used to how much water and pigment your brushes hold,
  • understanding the essential right mix at the right time,
  • finding out what pigments like to dance and which don't!
  • what colours mix well together and which make mud, to
  • which colours make your heart sing

It's so much fun :)

 

So, should beginners paint watercolour portraits?
Yes, go get started!

So. If you are a beginner in painting with watercolour and want to try your hand at painting portraits, don't hesitate for another minute! Get your brushes, paints and paper out and get started :)

But, first take a look at...

1. If you haven't already, my top tips for watercolour portraits that will give you the results you want.

2. An easy watercolour portrait tutorial for beginners- which includes the all important how to start a watercolour portrait. And how to know when to stop painting so that you don't overwork your watercolour painting: a very easy thing to do.

And.

3. My 101 watercolor tips for beginners. The do's and don'ts and lightening bolt moments I've learnt along my watercolor journey that will give you the watercolor painting results you want. Faster. Whatever you want to paint.

I will warn you now, some will be easier to follow or stick to than others because the temptation to make the same mistake again is so strong!!

Have fun!

 

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