Portrait Painting Tutorial - The 5 Essential Shadows of a Portrait

In this portrait painting tutorial, realist painter Alex Tzavaras shows you how to place the 5 essential shadows of a portrait.

The 5 essential shadows of a portrait, the 2 eyesockets, the shadow under the nose, the upper lip and the shadow under the bottom lip are vitally important. Whenever you are drawing a portrait or portrait painting in oil, getting a likeness in a portrait depends on placing these 5 shadows accurately. You should have these shadows placed correctly before you start working on the refining stages of your portrait, or adding any details, because no amount of detailed work will make something look like your sitter if there is anything wrong with any of the 5 essential shadows.

In this alla prima oil painting tutorial, Alex domonstrates with a plaster cast how he uses centerlines to help him place the 5 essential shadows accurately. In addition to this oil painting demo, there is a full length version, filmed in real time, available to watch on Alex's Patreon Cannel. You can also download a high-res reference image of this cast and have a go at this exercise yourselves, here:

Alex Tzavaras is a contemporary realist artist offering portrait painting and alla prima oil painting tutorials. Alex teaches the traditional painting techniques artists used to draw and paint from life up until the start of the 20th century.

Toconnect with Alex:

[mariosurya]

Here are the summary for
5 essentials shadow :
1. Establish the main areas of light and dark by mapping it with simple straight line.
2. Unifying the shadow with the background in order to pull out the main areas of light.
3. Paint the shadow shape with raw umber; start from eye, under nose, upper lip, bottom lip.
4. Massing the light, main areas of light, placing highlight
5. Clarify the shadow
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Write this down makes me remember this 5 essentials of shadow, this video really helpful for me. Thank you..

[mikends]

You are such an unbelievable skilled artist my friend. I’m truly learning with your videos. Thank you!

[motlba]

Beautiful work. Thank you for these master classes.

[oananoemi]

You are an amazing teacher! I am learning from you things that nobody else ever thought to teach. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity!

[mynameismarko]

You are amazing, Alex. Thank you for sharing. 🙏

[zxcvbnm]

Awesomeness of this video will always be under appreciated thank you for posting it

[arts]

Although being a practicing artist for years, I have learned immensely from your videos. Your videos are much more helpful than some other video lessons for which one has to pay. A big thank you.

[CPTkeyes]

It legit looks like you are sculpting with the paints; i like how this turned out

[Elaine-tknx]

Thank you so much for another brilliant demo. Utterly absorbing and inspiring to watch you work.

[dpc]

I can't thank you enough for all the videos and knowledge you offer us. Really, thank you!

[frostieone]

You have generously given away your secrets, now all I need is your skills
Well done and thank you
Frostie

[melcryarfineart]

Thank you! You're an amazing teacher and so clear and simple.

[xuanrao]

Amazing and informative as always☺️♥️Thank you so much for your teaching!!

[drakecummings]

I'm shocked and grateful these videos are free 🙏 I'm learning so much

[tarcisiocoelho]

Fantastic. Please, continue these tutorials 🙌🏻👏🏻

[drdabsmore]

This is the best explanation for painting faces I've ever seen, so far. I have always been terrible with faces, and this has helped so much. I've improved literally in about an hour of practice because of this.
Oh yeah, and you're incredibly talented and inspirational, or whatever.

[GarrettRomain]

So Beautiful. Love when you paint this cast man.

[antoniocc]

the flat brush does a fantastic job on structures, the stiff bristles are good for expressive finishes

[RobertF-]

Fantastic tutorial. Thank you for uploading it. This channel is amazing. The center lines, also known as guidelines or cross-contour lines, are absolutely essential when working on a portrait because the head is a symmetrical form. For any form that is symmetrical the center lines must be kept in mind constantly to maintain the sense of symmetrical structure of that form. When something seems "off" about a drawing, 90% of the time it is because of it not appearing to be a symmetrical form.

When the head is seen from a full front position the symmetry is obvious to see and the two dimensional image of it shows the symmetry clearly, and it is easy to draw it symmetrically. But if the head is turned at all the head no longer appears symmetrical in the two dimensional image seen by the eye, but the structure of that form is still perceived and felt to be symmetrical but seen from an angle. If the guidelines are not carefully kept in mind and only two dimensional visual observations are relied on, like vertical and horizontal alignments, the two dimensional shadow masses in the picture can subtly slip out of place and no longer show the symmetrical structure of the three dimensional form being depicted.

Sketching in these center lines and constantly keeping them in mind, help make sure that the finished portrait will show the head with the feeling of being a symmetrical structure, as it truly is. All symmetrical objects require this carefulness when they are drawn or painted from anything besides a full front or side profile position. A car for example is precisely symmetrical, so the center lines should be carefully observed and maintained to show it as a symmetrical form.

When drawing and painting from life you need to pay attention to the two dimensional visual information, like the vertical and horizontal alignments, comparative measurements of proportions, the degrees of angles, etc., but at the same time you need to incorporate your knowledge of three dimensional forms in space. This knowledge includes linear perspective, anatomy, proportions, circles and ellipses in perspective, and the effects of light and shade on three dimensional form. But perhaps the most important aspect of this is the knowledge of symmetrical forms, and the use of center lines to keep them in symmetry when seen at an angle. Just copying what you see is oftentimes not enough. You need to combine it with this knowledge to be able to draw and paint precisely yet at the same time easily and efficiently.

[kanvasp]

brilliant video. very clear and helpful. thank you!.