Best books to learn portrait painting
Ah, the face. Portrait painting is one of the most challenging of all the artistic impressions. Being off by even the slightest can ruin a portrait. But when you get everything right, it’s magical.
Being able to capture the essence of a person in a portrait painting is the ultimate goal for artists. Some artists spend a lifetime mastering the craft while to others it comes naturally. When looking at a well-crafted portrait painting the viewer should see a life in the model. They should be able to feel the emotions emanating from the face, be it happiness, pain, love, or fear.
To become a master of portrait painting requires a lot of practice. And what better way to learn than from those who have perfected their skill and have chosen to share their knowledge with you.
We at Best Books For Creatives have put together a list of some of the best books to teach you the art of portrait painting. Whether you use acrylic, oils, watercolour or any other medium you are sure to find something here that will help you.
Our Top Pick
Our Top Pick for the best book to learn portrait painting is Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces: A Mixed-Media Portrait Workshop Written by Jane Davenport. This book is an inspiring mixed media workbook on how to draw and paint fashion illustration-style faces. Davenport is a popular international workshop instructor and beloved artist. Known by her fans for her effervescent, enthusiastic, happy and encouraging style.
In this book, you go step-by-step through the foundations of drawing a face. From developing features, smooth skin tones, shading and highlighting and so much more. Stocked full of new techniques this book is sure to inspire your imagination.
Whether you use acrylic, oil, watercolour or any other medium, you will be sure to learn from the exercises in this brilliant guide.
Here is our list of the best books to learn portrait painting.
If you know of any good portrait painting books that we’ve missed, please be sure to share it in the comments below.
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