Portrait of a young artist, encouraging self-confidence, is painted on an art card.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• tracing paper
• pencil
• 3/4" flat brush
• 1/2" flat brush
• #6 round brush
• #1 liner brush
• grey transfer paper
• stamps
• spray bottle
• artist tiles

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Apply shading and highlighting using your favorite method: dry-brushing; blending wet-into-wet; or applying layers of sheer glazes. I prefer to load one corner of a flat brush, blend on the palette, and apply the blended color to the project.

Let dry completely between painting steps.

1. Fill an empty spray bottle with water. Spray water onto one of the artist tiles, using enough water to create puddles. Spray Primary Cyan, Primary Yellow, and Primary Magenta Media Misters onto the moistened card. Lightly mist with water again to blend the colors.

2. While still wet, place a second artist tile down onto the sprayed colors.

3. Lift the second card to see the result. (I used a dry card to achieve this look, but you can achieve a different and softer look if you lightly moisten the second card before placing it onto the colors. While it is impossible to predict the result, it can be very exciting to experiment with different colors and amounts of moisture.)

4. Trace the Marie pattern onto tracing paper. Apply the basic outline of the figure to the card using grey transfer paper. Paint the entire basic shape with White Gesso. Add Quinacridone Gold to Tinting Base a little at a time until you achieve a flesh color you like. Roughly basecoat the flesh areas of the face and neck. When dry, transfer the pattern details for the facial features, hair, and dress.

5. Add a touch of the Quinacridone Gold/Tinting Base mix to Burnt Sienna and shade the recesses of the face and neck: around the eyes; the bottom of nose; above the upper lip; under the lower lip; under the hair and chin; and on the sides of the head, neck, and shoulders. (This shading should look too dark right now and will lighten as more details are added.)

6. Highlight the face with Titanium White on areas that protrude: the forehead; under the eyebrows; on the balls on cheeks; on the tip of the nose above the upper lip; at the bottom of the chin; and across the chest.

7. Base the whites of eyes with Titanium White. Create a light blue by adding a touch of Primary Cyan to Titanium White and use to paint the irises of eyes. Outline the irises with Primary Cyan. Paint a very sheer glaze of Primary Cyan above the upper eye lids, at top of forehead, and on the side of neck. (Alternating additional light glazes of shading and highlighting can create a nice blend and smooth the look of the face.)
8. Mix Titanium White and Burnt Umber 2:1 and paint the hair. Use Carbon Black to paint the pupils of eyes and to line the upper lashes. Let dry. When dry, paint a small wash of Carbon Black across the top of the entire eyeball to set it back into the head. Highlight the eye with a dot of Titanium White in the pupil at 2 o’clock and a line at 7 o’clock. Blush the cheeks with a 3:1 mix of Titanium White and Primary Magenta. Basecoat the dress, headband, and lips with the same mix.

9. Place Primary Magenta shading on the sides of the arms; on the dress under the arms; at the outer edges on the headband; and at the bottom of the lips. Add a touch of Carbon Black to Primary Magent to line the smile. A small highlight of Titanium White on the lower lip and cheek bones will complete the face.
10. Line the curls in the hair and add small strokes for eyebrows with Burnt Umber.
11. Add lots of water to Primary Magenta to create a wash. Hold the card upright; load a soft round brush with the watery wash; and press it to the top edge of the card so the paint will start running down to create the drips. Let dry. When completely dry, stamp the saying along the left edge using the stamp pad. (You can control the drips by laying the card down when you want the drips to stop or lightly blotting them with a soft tissue.)

12. Apply several coats of Ultra-Matte Varnish on both sides of card to protect the artwork. (Varnishing both sides will prevent the card from buckling.)

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