How to Paint Trees in Watercolour £2.99
The art of portrait painting in oil colours
Our Learn to draw pages have now been moved to our main site.
Please visit
at Portrait Corner
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.
Back to The Art of Portrait Painting
THE EAR
The ear is frequently treated with indifference. We find it, however, the subject of accurate study in all the works of our most eminent painters. In order to excuse neglect or indifference in painting the ear, it is urged that it is not an intellectual feature, that it does not contribute to resemblance, and that all ears are alike. It is true the ear has no expression, but it does very frequently contribute to resemblance, and all ears are certainly not alike : therefore, when this feature is represented in full light, it should be drawn and painted with the utmost precision.
We see works in which the ear is dismissed with a very few touches ; in others, the softness of the lobe is fully described, and the cartilaginous surfaces of the upper part are finely indicated.
By judicious disposition, the forms of the ear, either in being brought forward or made to retire, contribute much to the perspective in front of three-quarter views, and to breadth in profile.
In infancy, the form of the ear is comparatively round, but it gradually elongates as age advances.
About John Paynemore about John 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.
