If you don’t use a layering technique to paint skin tones, you need to think about many different things simultaneously, including color hue, color tone and edges. It can become overwhelming.
If you layer the colors one after the other, you don’t have to think about the color hue anymore because you are going to paint all the yellow first, then all the red and all the blue; you won’t need to do any color mixing. When painting directly you must have the right color mix for every section. Because this is a difficult thing to do, you probably will not have time to pay attention to edges and details in tone.
Layering makes painting portraits more manageable because you focus only on tone and edge quality, and not on mixing the right hue.
Use photo editing software to help you determine how much of each primary color you should use and where to place them. After you’ve finished your drawing and preserved some white areas with masking fluid, apply the first layer. Here I’ve used Yellow Ochre.
The second layer is red. Consider painting your background in an irregular way; textures will develop and provide a more interesting effect than a perfect flat wash would.
The third layer is blue. Remember to use a very diluted blue wash, as it can easily overpower the other colors.
Keep layering colors until you get the desired tone. When you are satisfied, remove the masking fluid and soften the edges with a bit of water and a stiff brush.
I WISH IT WOULD SNOW FLOWERS
Watercolor and mixed media on paper
15" × 22" (38cm × 56cm)
This painting, including the background, was painted in successive layers of yellow, red and blue. Then I applied a layer of gouache mixed with a bit of Turquoise Blue watercolor. (See Chapter 5, Demonstration: Painting a Background with Watercolor and Gouache; I used ink in that demonstration, but you can do the exact same thing with watercolor.) The background was then reworked with watercolor pencils to add flowery patterns. (See Chapter 5, Demonstration: Drawing with Watercolor Pencils.)
SOPHIE IN THE KITCHEN
Watercolor on paper
28" × 28" (71cm × 56cm)
Sophie in the Kitchen was painted with layered colors for the skin tones. Sometimes you might need to adjust the colors you achieve with the layering process. In this case, I lightened some of the darker colors by scrubbing them off with a stiff brush and water. I wanted to keep the portrait simple, almost minimalist, so the focus remained on the face. This is also why I left the background unpainted.
WATCH IT! Watch Sandrine Paint a Portrait Using a Layering Technique. Visit ArtistsNetwork.com/fearless-watercolor.