THE LAYERS OF PORTRAIT PAINTING

WITH JOSHUA LAROCK

Painting a likeness can often be a daunting task but Joshua holds nothing back as he presents his clear and logical approach to portrait painting, providing crucial ideas and problem-solving tools that all skill levels will find helpful.

This video will center around the elements of form and how to achieve the illusion of three-dimensions. By better understanding the importance of form you will gain new insight into value, color, drawing and expression. 

Look over Joshua’s shoulder as he guides you through the many levels of considerations and layers of paint in the making of this award winning portrait. 

In this video, Joshua demonstrates his indirect oil painting technique, which is distinct from the alla-prima, or “wet-in-wet,” method. His technique enables the artist to achieve wonderful and subtle effects through the application of a series of semi-transparent veils of paint. 

The 3 hours and 15 minutes of content include: 

  • The preparatory drawing in graphite

  • Transfer of the drawing to canvas

  • Layer One: Initial underpainting considering color theory

  • Layer Two: Building up the form in the second day of painting - lighter lights and darker darks. 

  • Layer Three: Finishing and polishing using glazes and scumbling.

This intimate look into making of an expertly crafted portrait will help you to gain insight and build the skills to create better portraits on your own.

Available digitally for download and streaming.