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The art of portrait painting in oil colours
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The art of portrait painting
in oil colours
This informative book on portrait painting has been preserved for generations and fully deserves to to be available to all portrait artists online. While the art of portraiture has moved on, much of what was written is still valid and relevant to the modern day portrait painter.
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INCIDENTAL TINTS
From among the following tints may from time to time be selected some which may be found to meet peculiarities. They are adapted to every kind of complexion.
REDS, SLIGHTLY VIOLET, SOMETIMES SEEN IN THE LIPS, NOSTRILS,
AND EARS
Purple Lake and Light Red
The same, reduced by White
HALF TINTS, OR PASSAGES IN WHICH THE SKIN IS EXTREMELY
THIN
White, Purple Lake, and Light Red, and Ultramarine BLUISH TINTS TO COOL PASSAGES THAT HAVE BECOME TOO FOXY
Terre Verte and White
Terre Verte, Rose Madder, and White
Ultramarine and White
HALF TINTS AND RETIRING
Vermilion, Yellow Ochre, and Blue Black Same, with White
BROKEN BLUISH AND GREENISH HUES OCCURRING ROUND THE
MOUTH AND CHIN
Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre, Madder Lake, and White Madder Lake, Blue Black, Yellow Ochre, and White
A VARIETY OF STRONG GREYS
which, in proportion as they are reduced by White, or forced with the stronger colours, are fitted for half tints, retiring passages, and approaching the deeper shades:
Vermilion, Blue Black, and White
Vermilion, Yellow Ochre, Black, and White
Light Red, Black, and White
Light Red, Yellow Ochre, and White
Indian Red, Black, and White
Indian Red, Black, White, and Madder Lake
Black, Madder Lake, and Naples Yellow
FOR STRENGTHENING SHADES
These receive a warm or a cool tone, according to the prevalence of Red and Yellow or Black :
Indian Red, Brown Ochre, and Black
The same, with the addition of Naples Yellow
SHADE AND GLAZING TINTS
composed without White, for the sake of obtaining depth and purity. They are also employed in reflexes, and for the modification of warm tones :
Black, Brown Ochre, and Purple Lake
Blue Black, Brown Ochre, Purple Lake, and Naples Yellow
Light Red, Naples Yellow, and Black
For decided touches about the mouth, nostrils, and eyes in a strongly shaded head :
Purple Lake and Burnt Sienna '
Burnt Sienna and Vandyke Brown
About John Payne
I've been a professional portrait artist for the last 12 years but have been painting for a lot longer . I started out by painting nothing but seascapes and still do the odd one from time to time , I then moved onto landscapes and wildlife paintings before I finally decided to concentrate on portraits.
I get commissioned to paint a lot of pets , mainly dogs - but I also get to paint a fair amount of portraits of people.
more about John John Payne