How to Paint a Portrait with Acrylics and Oils

Hello friends!
Today I'm taking you through my process for painting a portrait with acrylics and oils on the same canvas. The most important thing to remember is that you can paint oil on top of acrylic, but not the other way around. Also, the acrylics need to be completely dry before you apply oils.
Creating an underpainting with acrylics is a great way to speed up the process if you want to create an oil painting, but don't want to wait long periods of time between layers.
I used a 12x16 inch canvas and used Golden Open Acrylics for the entire underpainting.
I apologize for the reflection coming off of the paint for a portion of this video. I didn't realize it until I was editing.
I hope you enjoy the video and please feel free to leave any questions in the comments!

[@dorydiavelone3531]

I agree with you completely I love oil paint for portraits!!!

[@TheMarkEH]

It is a privilege to watch you create such wonderful artworks. Thank you for sharing your skills so generously.

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you so much!!!❤❤❤

[@bdrcreativestudios325]

wow, this is so beautiful. I started my art career making portraits using graphite, but painting them was never good for me. You make me want to try again

[@Jackie.Lee.Art.2491]

I love this one too! I always look forward to your videos. ❤️

[@catherinevangass4927]

Beautiful portrait, absolutely agree on use of acrylic as underpainting and oil to finish. Oil blends and the colours live. Hope you feel better soon👌🏻🎨💖🌹

[@dorydiavelone3531]

I totally understand the blocks of color that is something I too figured out …you are so right!!!

[@kellylea3575]

As soon as you started with that background colour, he eyes took on a beautiful shine ✨. Hope you feel well soon!

[@uschihora2005]

I always really enjoy your painting process and learn a lot. Thanks for that! Get well soon 🐞

[@gratefulcreations]

Another beauty. Hope you’re feeling well in warp speed!

[@lahwillapp3754]

❤❤Love this and so excited to explore your techniques

[@TheBlackJewelz]

Good grief that’s so beautiful I almost fell in love with the girl 😂. Even with the plain background it was pretty stunning but it’s amazing how much more vivacious and captivating that sky background made it. Really illuminated your points about color scheme. & That color blocking tip was super insightful and makes perfect sense. Thanks a lot for that!

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you so much!!! I'm so glad you like it! ❤❤❤ The background just makes it pop! I love blue and orange together.😁

[@mortenviking3196]

You have a way to make it easy to understand the prosess of painting. Thank you for shearing and please put out alot more videos, the best teacher on yotube. Love it!

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you so much!!!🐞

[@sheilad4704]

Fabulous, thanks for all the informative explanations that you use with your oils. Ive never used oil but really want to try them on top of some of my acrylics . Thanks for sharing!

[@kellyroberts6984]

Just beautiful! Sending you well wishes!🎉

[@ladygwarth]

Beautiful as always Lydia, get well soon.

[@lisvandergeer]

I really love this portrait and thank you so much for sharing your technique. It helpt me to learn paint looser strokes and you warning not to blend but put paint on in strokes really helps. Hope you get wel soon.❤ ❤

[@charlotteherring1715]

Welcome Fall! Get well soon!

[@CandyMorrigan-pk8in]

Beautiful ❤

[@amiemarieart]

Absolutely stunning, Lovely video also ❤

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you!!!❤

[@stephenhart4925]

We always enjoy your videos 👏👏👍

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you Stephen!!!❤😊

[@mathie2037]

Nice demo. Beautiful piece.

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you!

[@robynnejaeschke2147]

Take care of yourself precious one. Love the painting

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you so much Robynne!!!❤

[@shireestainer3034]

Stunning 😍

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you!!!😊

[@rosieart9122]

I pray you to feel better soon, keep up the great work, I learn more and more with every video. 🙏🙏🙏📖♥️UR🎨

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you Rosie!!!

[@Dontshotthua]

beautiful

[@timsmith2747]

Absolutely wonderful as usual, the fall theme was perfect! Thank you!

[@daveg686]

👍

[@Yvonne.Englert_Art]

1:07 Your voice is beautiful Lydia , just this popping sounds make ma brain popp out of my head when I listen to you with my headphones 😂🤣btw. I love your videos 😘

[@penkakostadinova9136]

Lydia, I love watching your videos! I enjoy and love the way you show your process!❤️🌹

[@tracytruhlarik6525]

Hello from Canada Always love your videos Feel better soon Thanks for sharing

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you Tracy❤❤❤

[@DGI300]

I wish you great health, dear Lydia. Thank you for sharing. You are an amazing artist!

[@Nadinesenbergsart]

Sssooooooo helpful, thank you

[@joannasundquist8494]

Hope you feel better soon! ❤️

[@deanofrankenstein6391]

I was hoping you'd make a video for this one! I wanted to see that process. Awesome & inspiring as usual! I hope you're feeling 100% very soon. 🙏

[@John__67]

Wonderful! I miss the polka intro (I'm Czech), ...... but find the...Irish?...music a nice soothing compliment to this painting. The painting....I really liked the lips early on, around the 3:00 minute mark. I was like, well hell, no need for oils there. Were I feeling like the crud you describe.....I'd be in bed, covered up, peeking out to see if I'm still of this world, Ha! Thank you for sharing your creativity.

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you John! I'm Polish (my dad's side). Nothing like a good Polka. I was pretty much in my cave of sick for the better part of 3 days.😵 Slowly starting to feel more like a human and less like a swamp thing.😁

[@shanerohane7494]

Getting sick 🤢 is ugh, all kinds of ugh. I got sick in mid-August when my mom brought a bug home. Hope you feel better soon! ❤

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you😊

[@ameliaclark2947]

Beautiful as always. I am a decent portrait artist. Better in graphite sketches and decent in oils. I am trying to transition into the blocks of color instead of blending. It has been hard, to bet away from blending so much. Watching your techniques is helping me to paint what I know and less of what I see.

[@judithlund4346]

“ A puddle of warm sick” is not a good look 😳 but I hear where you’re coming from. 😂 Your painting is beautiful and once again you inspire me, and I’m sure many others, to delve into oil paints. Thanks for another great video. 😊❤

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you Judith!!!❤❤❤

[@yaghobshojaei]

Very beautiful my dear friend and artist ❤❤❤🎉❤🎉I subscribed to your channel

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you!!!❤❤❤

[@NikkiA.Art.]

Hello Lydia hope you are doing well. I came across your channel and have watched most of your videos in awe at how you mix media so well. I am one of those who likes detail and precision and find it hard to understand abstract however your work actually balances your portraits so well! The colours, the composition and it doesn't look like a 5 yo painted it. Stunning work. So guess what happened next, yep, yep it happened. I went and got myself acrylic paints to try and I have done 2 Cyber City ones and the 3rd is almost done however my love has always been fantasy vampire characters. So after watching your videos, I have the courage to try it. Yeah, thanks for that. 🤣 However, what I wanted to ask is how do you go about doing a blurred background in acrylics? For example, building structures, walls, curtains etc etc, Is that something you would do? I have tried with the Cyber Citys and couldn't get that blend as much as I would have liked. I also picked up that you have started to use Open Acrylics so yep, I bought a set of those as well and am waiting for delivery. So I am going to try a few portraits once I get the paints and see how I go. Take care and thank you so much for encouraging me to try.

[@lydiabroderick867]

Hi Nikki! Thank you! I really appreciate your comment. Fantasy vampire characters... Yessss! As far as blurred backgrounds go with acrylics... I used to used a fine spray mist bottle to keep the acrylics wet enough to blend, but it's so much harder than oil paint. However, now that I am using the open acrylics, it's way easier and a nice compromise. I have a concept that I'm working on right now that has a gothic vibe with blurred buildings in the background. We'll see how that goes. I'd love to see your work! Are you on Instagram?

[@NikkiA.Art.]

@@lydiabroderick867 I have my own website but it's all just practice art as I haven't painted for many many years and I wanted to see what I am capable of. So I have been pushing myself. If you want to see my "nice" stuff I can email you my website. I am getting my Open paints tomorrow via delivery so I will work on the pieces this weekend. So then I can show you once they are done.

[@lydiabroderick867]

@@NikkiA.Art. Yes definitely! Please email me [e-mail]

[@ejpoetry]

Gorgeous! I learned a lot, too. Do you blend the oils a little bit, or do you stay with the blocked application?

[@lydiabroderick867]

I stick with the blocked application for the most part. Oils kid of blend naturally on the canvas as you overlap the blocks.😊

[@kyelesley7498]

Did you paint while you were sick or did you do the Lydia voice over during your illness? Another beautiful painting… I was surprised, knowing how ill you’ve been! Enjoyable and good instructional video😊

[@Tara_Kunicki]

Gorgeous painting! Just curious are you still mainly using the landscape color set of the golden open acrylics or have you purchased more colors?

[@lydiabroderick867]

The only other colors I have added are a burnt sienna and a transparent red oxide. Otherwise it's just the landscape set with the open acrylics. 😊

[@Tara_Kunicki]

@@lydiabroderick867 thank you!

[@dorydiavelone3531]

I HOPE YOU FEEL GREAT AGAIN SOON , TODAY ….YOU ARE LOVELY!!!

[@lydiabroderick867]

Thank you!!!❤❤❤❤❤

[@cathybradshaw6008]

Did you take the Milan Institute program?

[@williamlaforge4517]

Beautiful! Do you have a name for this piece? BD

[@lydiabroderick867]

Not yet! Do you have a name???😃

[@williamlaforge4517]

How about “Autumn Beauty”?

[@Gi-fz8rk]

I need help with this more, blocking in.