Step 1

The first step is to paint an outline onto the black background. I started with a black background again, purely because I had already started another painting which wasn't going well, so I had to paint over it, and I had an abundance of black paint!

Step 2

After the rough outline, I block in the eyelids, and the inside of the eyes. The eyes are usually the key to the likeness, so it's important to get them right early. I also block in the teeth with pure white and the hair with a dark brown.

Step 3

Now it's time to start filling in the skin tone. I use a mixture of Burnt Sienna and White, with a hint of Yellow Ochre.

Step 4

Now the whole face is filled with colour. I have suggested shadows with the same colour mixed with less white. The lips are a mixture of scarlet red, burnt umber and a little white.

Step 5

Here the rough blocks of colour are blended together slightly by applying a thick mixture of paint with a dry brush. Shadows are deepened with the same skin tone mixed with burnt umber.

Step 6

At this stage I add the background. I chose the light blue to compliment the dark blue t-shirt, and blended it roughly into the surrounding black background.

Step 7

Now I work on the eyes, drawing in the eyelid lines with a fine brush and a dark skin tone. The lines between the teeth are defined with a light grey-yellow mix.

Step 8

Further blending of the flesh tone, deepening the shadows all over the face, giving it more depth.

Step 9

Now I add extreme highlights to the lighter areas of the face, giving a harsh contrast between the lights and darks. More blending is done on the chin, and it starts to look nice and rounded.

Step 10

The contrast from the previous stage is reduced by applying a thin layer of basic flesh tone with a dry fan brush. Make the paint mix thick and then rub the brush on scrap paper until only a thin layer remains, before lightly sweeping it across the entire face area, avoiding detailed areas such as the eyes and mouth.

Step 11

The final stage. Small details are added here, the highlights on the eyeballs, the little moles on the right cheek and the highlight on the lips. The bottom lip is blended more into the surrounding skin, and some final highlights are added to the nose, brow and smile lines around the mouth.

Voila!