Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today all about photography, and painting, and looking at facial expressions in portraiture.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in this lesson.

So shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to add expressive details to enhance a painted facial expression.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords.

We'll be using these keywords during the lesson, so it might be a good idea to write these words down.

The keywords we'll be using today are detail, brush technique, contrast, blending.

I'm going to say those again, and I'd like you to repeat them after me.

Detail.

Brush technique.

Contrast.

Blending.

Good job.

Now, let's think in more detail about what these keywords mean.

Let's take a look at each of the definitions for our keywords.

Detail is a small part of something that adds to its overall appearance.

Brush technique is the method of applying paint with a brush to create different effects.

Contrast is the difference between light and dark.

Blending is mixing colours or shades together smoothly.

Pause the video here to make a note of the keywords, and when you are ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that I'll be working through together in today's lesson: foundations and details of portrait painting, adding expressive details to a portrait painting.

In the first learning cycle, we're going to explore foundations and details of portrait painting.

How can a basic foundational painting be improved to make it look more lifelike and realistic? Hmm, what do you think? Well, a portrait painting can be developed by adding details, like hair and textures, highlights, maybe a background, and shadows, and clothing as well.

So there are lots of different details that you can add to develop a portrait.

They help to enhance the portrait and make them look more lifelike.

What can you notice about the proportions on this face? Pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner.

And press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you notice? Well, hopefully you spotted that those eyes and eyebrows were out of proportion.

And here we've move them into the right place.

Now, the best time to add details to a portrait is after you have successfully got the proportions and foundation layers on.

So we don't want to start adding details here 'cause we've got the eyes and the eyebrows in the wrong place.

They're not in the right proportion.

Now, we might end up with a really well-drawn, detailed facial features, but they're in the wrong place, and they're in the wrong size.

So we need to make sure we get those details right.

We want to move those eyes and eyebrows into that correct line there so that they're in the right place and they are the right size before we start adding detail.

Artists can use details such as colour, tone, and texture in their paintings to emphasise facial expressions.

Examples of artworks which focus on details include "The Bitter Draught" by Adriaen Brower, "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird" by Frida Kahlo, and "Reflection Self-portrait" by Lucien Freud.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Is this statement true or false? When starting a painting, you should always focus on the details first.

Is that true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about that.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

If you said that that statement is false, you are absolutely right.

Now, why is it false? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner about why this statement is false, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that when first starting a painting, it's important to get the overall proportions and base layers of tone and colour because these can be refined along with the details later on, then you are absolutely right.

Well done.

Now, contrast refers to the difference between light and dark.

You can see the lightest tone here, the highlight, compared to the darkest tone here, the shadow.

By using a range of tones, contrast is created, and it gives artworks a sense of depth.

Blending can be used to create smooth transitions between contrasting tones to make forms appear realistic and 3D.

You can see before blending and then after blending.

So you can see those smooth transitions that blending can create.

There are many ways of applying paint you can try experimenting with to create different types of blending.

You can have wet on wet, wet on dry sgraffito and impasto.

The different ways you can apply paint are known as brush techniques.

So let's have a go at those techniques.

Firstly, I'm going to have a go at the wet on wet brush technique.

I'm going to start by painting a five-centimeter panel using two colours, blending them together whilst the paint is still wet.

So this is what I might end up with.

So you can see I've used that blue and red, got two colours, painted that five-centimeter panel, and then blended them together whilst the paint is still wet.

Pause the video here and have a go at doing that, and press play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go? Well, hopefully you were able to pay attention to the edges where the colours meet 'cause you can gently work those areas to create a seamless transition.

Now, when Sam had a go, she said, "I worked quickly so that the paint didn't dry.

The colours mixed smoothly together because the paint was still wet." Was that the same for you? Let's have a go at another technique.

Let's try wet on dry.

So this time I'm going to paint a five-centimeter panel with one colour, then wait for it to dry, and then apply another colour on top.

So I've ended up with this.

I'd like you to have a go now at that wet on dry brush technique.

So paint one colour, a five-centimeter panel, wait for it to dry, and then apply another colour on top.

Pause the video here, give yourself enough time to do that, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you find that? Well, hopefully you used light brush pressure for the top layer because that helps to avoid lifting or smudging the dry base colour.

You can then practise making smooth even strokes.

Sam, when she had a go, she said, "I think I pressed too hard with the brush because the dry layer started to come off on the brush with the wet paint." How did you find it? Were you able to brush lightly so that it didn't come apart? It's one to practise, I think.

Let's have a go at the sgraffito brush technique.

So paint a five-centimeter panel, and then whilst it is still wet, use a stick or the other side of the brush to remove and scratch through the paint.

So I've had a go, and these are some of the markings that I've made.

So I'd like you to have a go now.

So pause the video here.

Give yourself enough time to paint one five-centimeter panel, and then use a stick or the other side of your brush to remove and scratch through the paint whilst it's still wet.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

How did you find that one? Well, you may have scratched in different directions or created some patterns like swirls and zigzags.

Maybe a bit like mine.

Sofia had a go at this one too, and she said this technique was really fun because she had to be careful not to press too hard with the stick and rip the paper.

How did you find that technique? Which one's been your favourite so far? This brings us to our last brush technique, the impasto.

I'd like you to paint a five-centimeter panel with thick, layered brush strokes to create a textured, 3D surface.

So I'm gonna have a go at that, and this is what I've created.

So I've used a few different colours here.

So I would like you to have a go.

Pause the video here, and I want you to paint thick layered brush strokes to create a textured, 3D surface.

And then press play when you're ready to continue.

How did that go? You might have experimented with different types of strokes, such as dabbing, swirling, or dragging the brush to create diverse textures across the panel.

When Sofia did it, she said the paint got really thick, and she used the brush in lots of different ways to create different types of textures.

How did you find it? Out of those four techniques, which one did you enjoy the most? Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

How can the brush technique impasto affect a painting? It adds texture? It changes size? It removes colour? Pause the video here and have a go at answering this question.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

If you said that the brush technique impasto adds texture to a painting, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to use an enlarged sketch of an eye, and I would like you to paint the foundational skin tone layer.

And then I would like you to mix darker tones and paint the shadows in.

And then finally, use white or light coloured paint to add highlights and develop a sense of contrast.

And then make sure that you blend the edges smoothly to create a realistic effect.

Pause the video here, and give yourself enough time to work through those steps.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

How did you get on? Shall we take a look at an example? So you might have mixed and applied a base skin tone like in this image here, and then created tints and shades for highlights and shadows, and then blended the tones together using wet on wet or wet on dry techniques before adding details like eyelashes and the pupil.

Well done for completing that learning task and adding that detail to the eye.

This brings us to the second part of our lesson.

We are going to explore adding expressive details to a portrait painting.

Increasing the contrast between the shadows and highlights will develop your portrait painting.

You can create shades and tints of your base skin tone colour, which can be used for blending on the portrait.

Blending tones and colours helps to create smooth transitions, making facial expressions and emotions look more realistic in your portraits.

So you can have a look here at this before blending.

What can you see? And then let's take a look at after blending.

Can you see how it changes, how those smooth transitions are now there? Blending helps to create smooth transitions between different tones.

Where can you see smooth blending in this portrait? And which tones are not blended smoothly and stand out? Pause the video here, and have a discussion with your partner about these two questions.

And press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Could you see where the blending had happened or not? Let's take a look.

So some blends might be subtle and smooth like a soft shadow.

Other blends might be harsher and appear as different layers of paint, like a very bright highlight or reflection.

You see that there in this portrait.

The foundational layers of a painting lay out all of the base tones.

An artist can build on top of the foundation layer by adding in highlights and shadows.

This will help to create contrast, which emphasises form and expression.

If you have a foundational portrait painting, you may now choose to develop it further.

Shadows are used to create depth.

You might find them around the jawline, under the nose, or around the eyes.

Check on your reference picture.

Where the darkest parts of the face are, paint your shadows in these areas if you have a foundational portrait painting.

Where are the lightest areas of this face? Take a look.

Highlights are used in areas where light is brightest, such as the eyes, the tip of the nose, the cheekbones.

So check on your reference picture, where the lightest parts of the face are, and paint your highlights in here.

Pause the video here, and have a go at that.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What is the purpose of blending colours in a portrait? To mix colours randomly? To create smooth transitions between tones? To make the painting look abstract? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to answer this question.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that the purpose of blending colours in a portrait is to create smooth transitions between tones, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

As you progress with your painting, you might find it helpful to evaluate what is working well and note any areas which need improving.

Looking at this portrait, discuss with a partner any ways that the painting could be improved.

Pause the video here and have that discussion.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? What areas could be improved in this painting? Well, Izzy says, "The highlights and shadows look good on the face, but they could be made clearer on the hair and clothes." Jun says, "The background could be painted in a colourful or vibrant way to make the portrait more expressive." What did you think? Did you agree with Izzy or Jun, or did you have other ideas on how the portrait could be improved? Now, once all of the main elements are in place, it's time to add the finishing touches.

So you can see a wet on dry brush technique is being used here, and you can continue to refine and add details to any areas which might need it, such as the hair or a background.

Tones can be used to show depth by separating the subject from the background, and you see how a background's being added here.

Darker tones in the background can make the subject stand out while lighter tones create a sense of distance.

Now, how do the artists' colour choices for the background create different effects? Take a look at those backgrounds there.

What do you think? Pause the video here, and have a quick discussion with your partner And press play when you are ready to continue.

Now, remember that you can express emotions through colour choices.

Warmer colours like red, orange, and pink can emphasise emotions, like joy or anger by adding warmth and energy.

Now, blue, purple, and grey tones, they can suggest sadness or calmness.

You can use these for a cooler, softer effect.

What details, backgrounds, colours, or brush techniques could you use to make your portrait painting even more expressive? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner.

And press play when you are ready to continue, let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Where should you add highlights to make a face look expressive? Around the mouth only? On the darkest areas? On areas where light naturally hits the face, like the eyes and cheekbones? Pause the video here to give yourself a moment to answer this question.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that you should add highlights to make a face look expressive on areas where light naturally hits the face, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to continue with either the foundational portrait painting or the foundational painting of the eye.

I'd like you to add details to refine the features of your painting.

You can incorporate textures to bring depth and realism, experimenting with techniques like layering or stippling.

You can add shadows and highlights to create contrast and define the structure of the face.

You can also use a background that compliments and enhances the mood or emotion you want your painting to convey.

So pause the video here to give yourself time to continue with your foundational portrait painting or your foundational painting of the eye.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

How did you get on? Shall we take a look at an example? So you may have painted something like this.

Here in this painting, you can see it's been developed with different brush techniques, and details, and a vibrant, energetic background.

Well done for having a go at that learning task.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about painting and finalising a facial expression through that painting.

Portrait paintings can be developed by building tonal contrast and applying colour to enhance the mood.

Paint can be applied through a variety of different brush techniques, techniques such as blending, adding highlights, and creating texture help to refine a painting.

And evaluating work helps to identify ways to improve and develop it.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson.

I hope you enjoyed learning about photography, and painting, and those facial expressions in portraiture.

I certainly did.

I hope to see you for another unit of learning soon.

See you then.