What is the secret to a great portrait like the Mona Lisa?

How to draw portraits | How to paint with watercolors | Find out how to paint portraits at http://schulmanart.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-is-secret-to-great-portrait-like.html

No Teeth! by Miriam Schulman, @schulmanArt

Smiles are a beautiful thing, and everyone looks better when wearing a smile– but a genuine subtle smile, like the Mona Lisa, makes for the most beautiful expression for a portrait painting. Whenever I take photos of my kids, and also my portrait clients, I always advise them to give me a “Mona Lisa smile.”

In this wonderful video, one female art portrait morphs into the next. You will notice that in all of them the women wear either a faint closed mouth smile or an slight smirk with slightly parted lips. There are no big toothy smiles in any of these portraits.

About me, Miriam Schulman

In case we haven’t met yet, I’m an artist and founder of The Inspiration Place, where I help other artists learn how to profit from their passion or become better artists. Through online classes, business coaching programs, and a top-ranked podcast, I’ve helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and create more time and freedom to do what they love. My signature coaching program, The Artist Incubator, helps artists go from so-so sales to sold-out collections.

After witnessing 9/11, I abandoned a lucrative hedge fund job to work on my art full time. Since then, my art and story have been featured in major publications including Forbes, What Women Create, The New York Times, Art of Man, Art Journaling magazine as well as featured on NBC’s “Parenthood” and the Amazon series “Hunters” with Al Pacino. Check out my best-selling book with HarperCollins Leadership, Artpreneur, how to make money from your creativity, wherever books are sold. When I’m not in the studio, I split my time between New York City and a farmhouse in the country. I’d love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for art lovers (of every passion level) at schulmanart.com/freebies

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I’m Miriam Schulman, your curator of inspiration.

I inspire art-lovers to reconnect with their creativity and profit from their art. Whether you paint simply for the joy of it or you’re serious about selling your work, and you’re ready to stop putting yourself on the back burner...You're in the right place. I've done it and I can inspire YOU how to do it too.

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