Portrait Painting Demonstration in Watercolor

Challenges of Commissioned Portraits by @schulmanArt

Portrait commissions are the most demanding and the less I have under my control the harder the commission becomes. For example, I like to control the lighting and the photograph. Starting with a great photo makes my job easier. For this portrait commission, I was provided with a dramatically lit photo that I suspect the client took herself with a cellphone camera in her bathroom mirror. Most artists would have run the other way when presented with this ( in an online art group that I participate in, I shared my challenge and one artist said “That’s why I only paint cats”) For this painting, I had to look past the photo’s flaws and present the person in a more flattering light while still capturing her likeness. My client is absolutely thrilled with the result, so I knew I did my job. Here is a sped up video ( I think I worked on this for about two hours… not including the drawing time….) to share my watercolor process with you. If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, you can explore my website or etsy offerings. To learn how to paint in watercolor, check out one of my affordable online watercolor classes.

Here are some other ideas for mother’s day I found on etsy today…things that I would want for myself– since I am a mother too!
etsy finds