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About instructors
We're a hub for artists to improve their skills and connect with a community of like minded peers and talented mentors.
Lead Artist at Blizzard Entertainment
LESSON NOTES
Want to see Jon's full process? Check out the Real Time Demo!
What's in Premium?
In this premium lesson, I walk you through our most challenging grayscale assignment yet. We tackle a close-up portrait with complex costuming. You will learn how to handle tricky details like ruffled collars and feathers without getting overwhelmed. I show you how to simplify these forms and stylize them to make your painting look better than the reference.
We also cover how to choose specific brushes to create distinct textures for skin, hair, and fabric. You will learn how to manage your focal points so the face stands out. I also share practical workflow tips, like flipping your canvas to spot mistakes and using layers smartly for overlapping details.
Get this lesson and more in the premium course!
DOWNLOADS
Grayscale-Assignment-Example-3.mp4
268 MB
grayscale-assignment-example-3-transcript-english.txt
17 kB
grayscale-assignment-example-3-transcript-spanish.txt
18 kB
grayscale-assignment-example-3-captions-english.srt
27 kB
grayscale-assignment-example-3-captions-spanish.srt
29 kB
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In this demo, you'll see how I approach painting a costumed portrait in grayscale.
Para esta pintura necesité mucho menos tiempo que para la anterior. Tal vez se deba a que estoy buscando no hacer tanto zoom. Estoy muy contento con el resultado.
I found the suggestion to combine different brushes for different surfaces very inspiring. Thanks! This is my attempt:
Yo, this came out really good Enzo. The feather looks stringy just like the picture.
lol "coffee filter" That's funny! He looks like a more interesting character from a story with that shrewd/calculating expression.
This is a good go at it Šimon! It feels like you captured the internal thought (or absence of thought) in his expression.
I couldn't agree more Jon! Nice attempt, I really like the cloth detail you worked in there on his left shoulder.
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1yr
It’s fun BECAUSE it is challenging.
and your portrait study is awesome! The edge work is sweet and solid
I'm relieved to have finished the assignment, although I'm not completely satisfied with it. I need to practice distinguishing grayscale values, especially when it comes to interpreting the values in clothing.
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1yr
Nice! I really like how you handled the ruffled collar. It looks super smooth.
A lot of different elements in this picture! Using the different brushes to give textures was challenging. I'm not completely happy with the face
I tried not to muddy up the tone values by keeping tighter control over them. I feel like I could have kept going on this piece but I don't want to over do it like I typically do.
Here is my painting. I like to see the progression compared to my earlier submissions. I also repeatedly watch the videos and always find new insights by watching the videos after I tried the assignments. I recommend to do that! Can't wait to get to the colors part, but first I have to create a strong foundation and to bite through the wire.
There was a lot of decisions in this one. I think the eyes are too sharp, didn't know how to correct it, especially the highlights.
Deciding where to add details is one of my biggest problem, I tend to add details everywhere so I tried to restrain myself here.
Also deciding where to have sharp or soft edges is something I need to work on.
Whoa the shading looks so smooth! And your feather is falling and folding like how I remember. Looks great arthurln!
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2yr
Looking great! As to both details and soft/sharp edges, it usually comes down to where you want to lead the viewer's eye. Areas that should be the center of attention benefit from higher contrast, details, and sharper edges, whereas areas further away from that help balance out the painting by having softer rendering and less details. In this example, the face (eyes & nose, more precisely) would be the highest point of focus overall, whereas areas further away get less defined. Another thing to look for is the transition area between light and dark as a point of detail. For example, the feather's texture could mostly be described at its light half-tone & terminator sections, while the shadow section could be simplified into less detail. This helps organize it into being less overwhelming with texture while still giving it the necessary definition.
My study attempt for this assignment. I'm pretty happy with it overall although the collar and fabric is a bit sloppy, could have spent more time there.
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2yr
Hey there! You've got good progress--defined structure, clear values, and a variety of hard and soft edges. I think something that can push your painting is continuing to build the light source, layering light values as it lands on his hat, forehead, nose, eyelid, and even some faint light bouncing into his eyes. It also helps continue the illusion of 3D form to use your brushstrokes in the direction of the plane you are describing, so for example, the light on his cheek could be painted in the diagonal, curving direction of the cheek itself. I think the combination of these two can really help describe the form of your subject matter with clarity and unity.
