A Look at Watercolour Painted Portraits

Watercolour is a fabulous medium for producing flattering and informal portraits. As with most of my work, I tend to put plenty of detail into the eyes, although not always.

The work to the left, “Milburn” was one of the most difficult but rewarding portraits I have painted. I only had a couple of small passport sized photos to work from, which dictated the level of detail. I decided to use dramatic washes to start the work, painting the large areas of background, shirt and basic skin tone first. I then built up the facial structure and skin tones with lots of washes. At a glance, it can be seen that I have used a very limited palette, which gives the work it’s character.

Whilst I continued painting, it really was not working well and it was to the point where I considered starting again, but in my frustration, I mixed a very watery crimson wash which I applied very loosely, spilling around the face and head into areas of the background. This wash pulled the whole picture together and made it work. As is always the case with watercolour, it’s the happy accidents that make the pictures appealing and allow the viewer so much scope for their interpretation.

Just as a final note, I often use acrylic for my watercolours as I find the colour vibrant and full of life, and I also like the fact that once it’s dry, it’s fixed. This gives a nice effect when layering washes wet on dry as the colour of the first wash cannot be absorbed and softened by the next.

Simon

Portrait of Milburn

An example of a loose watercolour. Please visit the gallery to view further examples of watercolour works by Simon Taylor