How to Paint a Loose, Surreal Half-Face Portrait in Watercolor Using One Color
Creating a loose and surreal watercolor portrait can be a fun and freeing experience, especially when you limit yourself to just one color. This approach allows you to focus on values and textures, letting the beauty of watercolor’s unpredictability shine through. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through my process of painting a half-face portrait inspired by the Inktober prompt “Drip.” Grab your favorite tube of paint and let’s dive in!
Supplies You’ll Need
For this project, I used the following:
Paper: 8"x10" block of Arches Hot Press, 140 lb
Paint: Piliba Diamond Blue by Rockwell Canada
Brushes: Silver Black Velvet size 8 round, including a squirrel mop brush for adding drips (but seriously, just whatever you like to use)
Step 1: Preparing Your Reference and Materials
Before painting, I prepared a reference image by converting it to black and white and reducing it to three distinct values: dark, mid-tone, and light. This helps simplify the process and emphasizes the importance of values.
I worked without a preliminary sketch, allowing the painting to evolve organically. If you’re trying this for the first time, remember to embrace imperfections—this technique celebrates looseness and creativity.
Step 2: The First Wash
I began by wetting my paper and loosely mapping out the facial features with a light wash of Palaiba Diamond Blue. This step is all about placing your light, mid, and dark tones.
Tips for this step:
Don’t rush! It’s okay to take your time making decisions about where to place your brushstrokes.
Embrace watercolor blooms and cauliflower blooms; these textures are part of what makes watercolor unique.
While the paper is still damp, add darker pigments for a soft wet-on-wet effect.
Step 3: Adding Detail
Once the first layer dried, I began refining the features, starting with the eyes. This stage is crucial since the eyes are naturally the focal point of most portraits.
Common Pitfall to Avoid:
Many artists make eyes larger than they should be because we instinctively emphasize their importance. Instead, focus on painting what you see, not what you think you see.
For added realism, I lifted highlights in the eye by gently blotting the paint while it was still damp but not fully wet. This technique can add depth and sparkle to your subject.
Step 4: Enhancing Dimension
Using the same color, I layered more paint to deepen the shadows and create a sense of three-dimensionality. Palaiba Diamond Blue is a fantastic choice for this project because of its granulation and ability to split into cooler blues and warmer greens, adding complexity to the painting even with a single tube of paint.
Step 5: Adding the Drips
Since this painting was inspired by the prompt “Drip,” I tilted my block at an angle and loaded a squirrel mop brush with a generous amount of water and pigment. Squeezing the bristles gently, I allowed gravity to create natural drips on the page.
Pro Tip:
Let the drips flow organically without trying to control them too much. This enhances the surreal and spontaneous feel of the piece.
The Finished Painting
After adding the final details and letting the painting dry completely, I stepped back to appreciate the piece. The combination of soft washes, bold drips, and vibrant highlights resulted in a loose, atmospheric portrait with a surreal touch.
Final Thoughts
Painting with just one color is an excellent way to sharpen your understanding of values and focus on texture and form. Don’t be afraid to experiment and let watercolor’s inherent qualities take the lead.
If you’d like to dive deeper into watercolor techniques or learn how to paint vibrant, bold pieces, check out my free lesson linked below. It includes line art and step-by-step guidance to help you create something beautiful.
Until next time, happy painting!
Want More Watercolor Inspiration?
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