How to Paint a Portrait in Gouache | Step by Step!

✿ Links & Materials Below ✿
Today I will show you exactly how I paint my portraits in gouache for the 100 heads challenge! We cover supplies, paints, skin tone color mixing, choosing a good reference, sketching the portrait, and of course the painting process!
This video took a long time to make and edit, and I tried to pack it full of useful information! I really hope you enjoy! :-)

🌷 Socials

🌷 Supplies used in this video*

🌷 Filming Equipment*

🌷 Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:22 Supplies
4:44 Paint colors
8:40 Color mixing
14:55 Choosing a reference
18:55 Sketching the portrait
22:00 Painting the portrait
35:43 Outro

*Links are affiliate links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you :)

FTC disclaimer: This is not a sponsored video.

Music:

How to Paint a Portrait in Gouache | Step by Step! Tutorial

[emhuesart]

Thank you everyone for all of the lovely comments, it really does mean the world to me! I will try to respond to them all when I get a spare moment . Just know that I've seen them and that I am so appreciative 💛  I am working on my next video currently, which is a little more relaxed than this one. Subscribe and turn notifications on if you don't want to miss it! 😊 - Emily <3

[inchingforward]

“Throughout the entire portrait painting process you are making choices. Some are going to be good choices and some are going to be bad choices. That’s just the way painting is. We are ultimately aiming to have more good choices than the bad and that can only really come from practice.”

I needed to hear this. Your video and teaching are excellent. I learned more in this video than I have in many I’ve paid for. Thank you and good luck on your painting journey!

[missteelee]

Honestly, I've been in art school for years and I've learned more in this video than at school. I definitely appreciate the work you put into this video. Thank you.

[minara__]

I like that you kept the mixing palette so we could see how you mix the paint, it makes a lote easier to learn and capture how the paints react and interact with each other.
Love your work, thanks for the video💕

[death__ray]

You're very kind for making a video this detailed. I sometimes like the sketch too much I'm afraid to ruin it with paint but this has inspired me to actually sit and practice gouache portraits... Also I'm usually lazy because pencil sketches are way faster than setting up all the painting supplies and I'm very impatient 😅

[naramoro]

You can really see years of experience being applied here. Love it!

[NikBue]

This video is so incredibly helpful, concise, and jam-packed with no-nonsense instruction! So much of YouTube is full of long, boring, videos that can’t decide if they are instructive or aesthetic-asmr. I learned so much in just 9 minutes!

[Ms_Fate]

This is exactly what I wanted, i have gouache paints and I have been dreading to pain some nice human heads and today I got the tutorial from my favourite artist ❤ thank you sooo much it means a TO ME

[gingerartist]

I don't think I have ever learnt so much from a single YouTube video so thanks so much!!

[CarliArtCandy]

I appreciate you having the palette included in the frame.

[emmastoppedby]

I've been learning and practicing painting with gouache for maybe a year now, by myself, just like I did with pencil portraits, and when I see someone more skilled than me doing the things I learned on my own, it really makes me proud, like "oh my god, I do it the right way." When you picked up that lilac gouache, my eyes widened with recognition!
An incredible video!!

[geraldineconway]

Emily this is a Masterclass. Thanks so much.

[artofmelina]

I always have a hard time wrapping my head around cool and warm colors (especially with blues!). Thank you for talking about this a little more in depth, I think that solved some issues for me ♥🙏🏻

[laurenbendik]

I’m scared when mixing a color, that i dont have enough of the color and i wont be able to mix the same color again. I got worried when u mixed such a tiny amount for the skin🫣

[SwedePotato]

I just wanted to tell you how excellent this video was. It was so detailed and helpful. Aside from that, it was inspiring also. Making something that was so hard for me feel attainable made me pull out my paints that I’d shoved away for a while. I’m genuinely grateful, thank you.

[bonniek]

This was such a concise and helpful explanation! Will be returning to this again!

[GailOwens-kz]

I really enjoyed this video! I appreciate how you used small blocks of color to represent darks and lights, knowing that the finishing touches can be added in the end. This portrait was so interesting to watch!❤ Thank you!😊

[katlillvis]

This longer form video was SO incredibly helpful!! Thank you thank you!!

[mattanderson]

Nor only are you a great painter, you are also a great teacher. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[lostmythoughts]

I'm sooo happy that you made a tutorial on YT! Your art inspires me so much, tksm! 🌸✨