The Biggest Mistake People Make When Portrait Painting

In this Portrait Painting Tutorial, realist painter Alex tzavaras talks about one of the biggest mistakes people make when portrait painting - Over Modelling.

For Alex's course on the fundamentals of oil painting visit:

Over modelling happens when you focus in on each small are of your subject separately and exaggerate the differences in light and dark tonal values in oil painting. If you then exaggerate the tonal values in painting within each small area, you loose the larger value relationships and your image so it no longer appears 3D. This is a really common beginner oil painting mistake.

To avoid over modelling, you need to see the whole before the parts. You need to establish the larger tonal value relationships by simplifying your subject into 3 or 4 main tonal values. However, simplifying your subject into large value masses is one of the most difficult things we have to do when painting. But in this video, Alex demonstrates what this actually looks like in practice, while an Alla prima portrait from life, using a monochrome or grissaille oil painting technique . He also shows you a really useful tool in Adobe Photoshop, The Median Tool, that you can use to simplify the tonal values for you, when you are working from reference photos.

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.

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[LosoIAm]

I have just realised that I can simply take my glasses off and I can see the blocks/forms without having to squint (or use any software); getting a bit closer, I can actually see the four values - OMG!

Many thanks for the video.

[mateuscriatio]

"Learning to recognize the main values is actualyl one of the most difficult things we have to do when painting. In our everyday lives we dont need to see the whole before the parts, we need to see the item we are looking for in a supermarket shelf, or the number of a bus we waiting for, so our brains have been programmed to focus on detail. Learning to simplify the world into simple light and dark shapes goes against our nature and requires a great deal of effort and practice."
To me, thats the best teaching in this whole video, thank you for that!

[StefanMarjoram]

Such a great demonstration. Really clear and informative. I wouldn't worry about repetition - I usually need to be told stuff repeatedly before it goes in :)

[stainface]

Honestly, the median trick changed my life as a painter.
I have a full education in graphic design, fine art, and illustration so most tips and tricks on youtube and ''advanced photoshop techniques'' are just not useful or new to me, it is so rare to find a small thing like this that just absolutely changes everthing.

[IkramDrawingZone]

Sketching is almost everything. It is the painter’s identity, his style, his conviction, and then color is just a gift to the drawing

[nidhimoda]

I'm a total beginner, and your videos on the fundamentals are super-helpful for me!
Proportions, Values, Edges and Modelling, Colour . . . thanks for teaching about all this! I'm grateful to have found your channel. Simplify, Alex! :D

[kylacoulter]

This is the exact problem my professor was trying to explain to me in my work. I was over modeling! You have freaking saved my grade! I'm going to fix my work tonight! Thank you so much!

[ChristopherHemsworthCreative]

I'm primarily a digital artist, and I constantly refer to your lessons to help my approach to painting digitally.

[AGamerDraws]

This was incredible, thank you so much! All things I knew in theory, but it’s hard to apply them in practice so it’s so useful to see the entire process broken down.

[joaco]

I didn't know about that median tool. I usually use the function 'posterize' to achieve a similar result. The median function seems to give a softer transition between the values though

[jadehegarty]

This is one of the most useful tutorials on portrait painting I've ever come across! None of my teachers in school or uni ever elaborated on this! We were just expected to know!

[RatusMax]

This is exactly what I learned through trial and error when I started digital painting in 2020. I got pretty good fast! This information is on POINT! I did watch an older video from this channel back in 2020 when I was learning. I wanted to learn traditionally instead of from digital painters because concepts in traditional painting IS the foundation.

Of course now that I have some understanding of painting, I am going back and cleaning up areas I ignored. Color, scene building, having good lighting on the subject, etc.

[ghostinthecloset]

Thank you so much for this demonstration!! Ive been trying to teach myself to paint with values but Ive hit a road-block cause I would always over-model and then get really discouraged by just how bad it would end up looking. I cant wait to give it another shot with this new info!

[sduncanfoto]

Love it. 3 general tones, a darkest dark and a lightest light.

[tennoio]

I like this analytical approach. Art world needs more teachers like that.

[leslieramsay]

One of the better portrait tutorials I’ve seen. Clear and informative. I’ll use this advice.

[cinereus]

Thanks Alex, really enjoying the Patreon content. Worth every cent.

[joseroncero]

I must say, you actually got his likeness at this stage — something other youtubers rarely accomplish.

[K_Laura]

Thank you so much! Never stop educating us please. And, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[hannarchy]

You remind me of my dad, but a calmer, more comforting version of him. This video was very comforting as a whole. Very lovely painting, thank you for the tips!