The Portrait Track is an opportunity to immerse yourself into the tremendous world of the human face. Throughout the centuries, portraits have represented every facet of the human experience.
Lesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3
Lesson 4 • Lesson 5 • Lesson 6
We’ll take a deep dive into the basic structures of the human face as a premise for the vast potential of portraiture.
See our Portrait Curriculum, part of our Curriculums for Self-Taught Artists for a broader view. Visit our Portrait section for more related content.
Pacing
Do the track at your own pace! Taking the time to process the content is important, and so we don’t advise putting pressure on yourself to finish the track quickly. Remember to have fun and enjoy the process of learning!
Share your progress
Post your ongoing progress in the #artprof-tracks channel in our Discord, you’ll get support and feedback from the community!
Tag us @art.prof on Instagram with #artproftrack so we can share your work.
Art Supplies
We understand that many people have limited budgets for supplies, so our tracks are structured so that you can use any materials you want, within that track’s focus.
Paint media
Visit these pages for supply lists: watercolor, gouache, acryl gouache, oils, water mixable oils, acrylics.
Drawing media
ballpoint pen/gel pens, dip pen, brush pen markers, Caran d’Ache crayons, graphite powder, colored pencil, soft pastel, oil pastel, pencil, charcoal, ink wash, scratchboard, wet charcoal, oil sticks
Digital software options
Digital tool recommendations list, Procreate, Krita, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Paint Tool SAI, Adobe Fresco, MediBang Paint, Gimp
Lesson 1
Prompt
Draw 3 sets of 5-10 min. sketches to explore the relationship between line & tone.
Lesson 2
Prompt
Draw a skull inside a portrait as means of seeing the connections between the surface and interior structure of the face.
Lesson 3
Prompt
Do a palette knife painting or a drawing with very broad strokes to build mass and structure in the head.
Lesson 4
Prompt
Articulate a specific mood in a portrait by using an unrealistic color palette.
Lesson 5
Prompt
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: create a diptych which shows opposite sides of your personality.
Lesson 6
Prompt
Choose an obituary from a newspaper, and create a portrait of that person which goes beyond their physical appearance.
Finished?
- Submit your track images + info via this upload form.
- You can choose to receive a hard copy certificate from us via snail mail. (this includes international people)
- We’ll feature your track work in an Art Prof Share segment in one of our live streams on YouTube.
- We’ll post your name, a link of your choice, your slideshow, and video feature on the corresponding track page in our student gallery area.
