Paint Portraits FASTER using the Alla Prima Method

I can help you draw & paint better ⬇
/ stephenbaumanartwork
Description: If you want to learn portrait painting faster, it's all about repetition. There is no better process for this than alla prima painting. This little lesson is taken from my new alla prima painting lesson on Patreon- available starting August 1st!
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#artlessons #paintingtips #howtodraw
About me:
My work focuses on the human figure. I've given drawing and painting workshops and demos throughout the United States and Europe. I have been making realist drawing and painting tutorials for two years now that I release through my Patreon page.

[@fortnag]

I work in pastel and acrylic, and love one sitting portraiture. Most effective method for building confidence and on demand skill set

[@georgefenning4844]

I agree . It’s been a while . I’ll maybe start again. Thanks

[@fortnag]

@@georgefenning4844 good luck. Starting is the hard part... you got this.

[@georgefenning4844]

@@fortnag Thank you for the reply. It gave me the much needed push to set up my space to make it happen! cheers.

[@ChrisW777]

@@georgefenning4844 @Fort Nag You guys are awesome! Motivating me to want to try painting!

[@neogerula]

@@ChrisW777 You definitely have to achieve and not to try painting.I mean, being the same type of diY guy, up to crying during trying allmost enything , , iI faound first in drawing , now finally in painting a lot of understanding about me, things and the whole of life.. It helps me with the order keeping, also .And it seems like a huge finalisation and gathering of all I have learnt in life.

[@BekkiUndSo]

I did that when I first started digital art and had no idea how to really work with digital paints. The programmierest back then only allowed three layers so that didn’t help either, but after I did my sketch I worked my paint just like this. Section by section just blocking in the shades I thought worked, sometimes color picking when I felt my eyes were deceiving me (how could a shadow on a pinkish person be dark green?) and it was a wonderful experience, in all honesty.

[@mattkavelli]

i usually paint digitally too, so does this mean u use smaller brush often? i need some insights to improve my painting skills

[@BekkiUndSo]

@@mattkavelli absolutely! Currently I use a Solid color as my underpainting and then I put small sections of color on there and blend them. I usually devide my colors into layers nowadays, but sometimes you just have to blend the Shadows directly into the color for the look you want

[@mattkavelli]

@@BekkiUndSo rad, thankyou for the insights

[@BD638]

In the past 5 years I have not made a single painting, this past summer I started painting again and I had only 3 hours for a painting, made it in a single sitting. This gave me the confidence to make all my paintings in one go, since then ive been happily painting on a regular basis while making 2ftx1ft tall paintings in 5-6 hours max! And my technique has drastically improved!

[@rmdebora]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge for free here. I am starting to learn how to paint and hope to get better with time. It’s refreshing to know that everyone has the this looks like crap phase while working on a project. 😆

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

You are so welcome!

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

It didn't look like crap though. It was a very good milestone. I think he did that for you (the viewer/student) because he's generous. You absolutely will get better with time.

[@s.melonita4454]

I love when KZbin suggests just right, it doesn’t happen often. Great tutorial, thank you! Subbed :)

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thanks for the sub! And the positive vibes!!

[@sourgreendolly7685]

I was just thinking this! Also subbed 😊

[@vivanecrosis]

Totally! Sometimes it hits the spot! 👍🏻

[@julessmithpaints]

My thoughts exactly.

[@androart1817]

i really love that you keep the refrence on screen for the whole time

[@crowbabies]

What I loved about this painting was how you took a photo of totally blown out in the skin tones and brought a beautiful tone and feeling to the portrait. When I saw you mixing the flesh tones I thought, whoa, he’s going way too dark. Well done, sir. Thank you for this!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thank you! Cheers!

Alla Prima is definitely the shiznit. I used to make really detailed drawings before painting a portrait, fixed it, and then layered on top. Over the years I've been drawing less and less in the inital stages, now I practically just go all in with the painting from the beginning. If a mistake happens, I just paint on top, and sometimes certain cool effects appear as a result. Great tut Stephen!

[@mmmpie]

finally, a teacher that truly understand the process and fundamentals, and isn't just a raging narcissist that wants you to watch them.

[@reedfish99]

i'm 2 mins in and stopped to comment on how clearly you have conveyed the process, the line 'linework to mass' and the term middle values, then light, then dark. it's a road map! thanks Stephen!

[@phoenix.maximus]

i studied art and illustration (which included painting courses) at the university level at a pretty well-known art school for 4 years, and i never once heard anything like this in my painting classes. thank you, this would have helped me in my struggles so much!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Happy to help!

[@dystopiaproject]

when Stephen says "as absolutely Messy, as craps as it looks" I see perfection in the process. thank you Stephen this is golden

[@zazaenjoyer_uu7]

Honestly it’s cool to learn stuff from the video and comments even though I’ve never painted in my life and I have no idea why I’m here

[@micmacha]

This is something I've been doing with sketching for months, just to improve my technique. It's good to see that the old masters were in agreement about it!

[@Untilitpases]

Important point: it's efficient only after repeated exposure. A beginner won't have a one sitting session and make it look this good. Came out excellent, well done. :)

[@bogsflores8140]

You are truly a great teacher... Learned so much from you Stephen ❤️

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Happy to hear that!

[@TenshiProductionz]

I don't even know why I am here, I suck at drawing. But i watched till the end because it's mesmerizing.

[@the_trevoir]

You are very well-spoken, and a good clear teacher. Thanks!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Wow, thank you!

[@romanograsnick]

Thank you for sharing your insights with us here, great job on this painting. When I do small landscapes and animals I tend to use alla prima, but as I make portraits I take my time, especially if it is a picture with a person whose face tells his or her lifetime story (with all the wrinkles, dots and small hairs on parts where you do not expect them to be). Go on with your nice work!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thanks for sharing!

[@revenger211]

I may work digitally with drawing, but this definitely helps put into prespective how to make a drawing that has a painting feel to it. Thank you alot.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mattkavelli]

do you use smaller brush or bigger brush mainly? i paint digitally too

[@Travis-no3wh]

Most concise and helpful video on alla prima I've found. Incredible work. Thank you.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Wow, thank you!

[@roppledopple6979]

so glad I finally have a technical term for exactly the kind of skills I want to develop with painting! great video

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad I could help!

[@miketch6520]

dude, you're a master... how the hell do you make a such a great oil painting in one sitting?? fantastic...

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Wildgrovehomestead]

Excellent instructional video. Great job

[@awnawitssparky704]

Brilliant tutorial

[@oculairus]

I was looking for digital oil painting tips but I’m really glad I took the time to watch this. Liked & subscribed to you, friend. Thank you!

[@divyajnana]

Fabulous demonstration, great technique and color control, and explanation of the key steps in the process, thank you!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@christopherecatalano]

Fantastic how you articulate your process. Great painting, and painting methodology. Thank you…

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

You are so welcome!

[@healthyeyes7165]

I'm only half way through this, and it's a great video. I work in digital, but this is a great video for understanding colour value and mixing colours!

[@koos42]

This practice and technique seems like it carries lots fo lessons across many disciplines, not just art.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

Fix your flat tire, _then_ wash the windshield.

[@crisalidathomassie1811]

Thanks so much for an awesome tutorial. I struggle with Alla Prima, but I keep trying. I love to paint in layers. Great outcome in your painting. Blessings and take care.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alexia3552]

I do not paint portraits and will probably never paint portraits but am I saving this video? Yes

[@DeadInsideUniverse]

Wow! I really doubted your color and tone choices but you proved me wrong. The result was just amazing! It's hard for me to believe anyone could acomplish this in one sitting. I haven't drawn or painted in over 20 years but just recently started to feel the desire to try it again. That's the reason I was searching for beginners oil painting tutorials and stumbled onto your channel. I have only ever used watercolors and acrylic but I think I'd like to give oil a try this time. I subscribed to your channel so I'll be watching alot more of your tutorials before giving it a go. Thanks for the inspiration, Cathy

[@S-I-T]

Inspirational. Thank you.

[@slewp]

Just a pleasure to watch and listen

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thanks man!

[@zylcjusz2344]

Very good content. You keep it concise and detailed when needed for the correct alla prima technique. Very clear. Thank you.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeffcrossley4757]

Incredible explanation and demonstration.. I’m new to oils and learning a lot from about 3 people and u just made my strict list from the tons of online “teachers” PS you’re like the wizard of oz with that pallet knife…😅!!!

[@A.Viau_Art]

This is incredibly high value content - your demo and the instructional explanations are each incredibly clear. And of course the work is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@omdraws7325]

Thanks very much, perfectly paced and good duration

[@domingorexach9642]

for a short video you covered the important information, Well done young man

[@reidleblanc3140]

I taught myself how to do this unintentionally. autistics are known for only being able to see the trees and not the forest, but for some reason with visual art, I am able to see the forest very easily. I've never spent more than probably 3 hours on a piece even my highly detailed ones

[@diverhose]

Maestro God bless you :) I have dabbled in watercolor but this is just without words for those who would like to paint with oils, just wow. Thank you.

[@einarjungmann273]

This really helped! Block in, refining, form, try to realise full gamant of values.

[@fromhell11112]

i learnt this by accident when i started drawing with my left hand instead of my right, its a GREAT trick and im glad i got to learn more about it

[@vivanecrosis]

I don't personally use oils. I'm currently enjoying digital and graphite. I found this so enlightening and inspiring. I like to be able to take things from all different mediums and let them in. Even when working in digital it's great to be able to think in the traditional way. Often I end up not using undo, but instead do over painting, or erasing instead. Everything in wonderful and interesting in art.

[@shinkamui]

this is eye opening. I've seen alla prima being taught briefly on digital medium, and it's really interesting to understand more about its ins and outs on the oil medium. I think i have a whole different outlook on it after this. It's funny that on one hand, without the constrait of the time it takes for paint to dry, there's also less urgency to complete the study. On the other, starting from less specific to more specific and a focus on brush economy really takes a lot of the dependency on the undo key away, which helps with making decisions and stop with the fidgeting that's almost inherent to that medium.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

It's true- the process here discourages fiddling with details.

[@andreag601]

I did my first oil painting last night alla prima, well not correctly. The end result managed to look good, but I was basically making mud at at times because I was trying to put the colors on top of each other wet on wet. Luckily, oil is a lot more buttery and wet and forgivable, able to get of the canvas with a little odorless mineral spirits on tissue. It's not bad to use and my painting still came out decent, I'm going to try and do alla prima correctly.

[@stevemuzak8526]

Most artist refuse to share any knowledge... like is some dark magic. It's just painting for f... sakes and most people want to do it just for fun. Thank you for sharing.

[@iamhotterthanu5999]

the end result is insane

[@julessmithpaints]

You’re a very good teacher and your video is well designed and produced.

[@pameladiez4933]

I love your video,very beautiful.thank you.

[@madisheppard9190]

I've always created artwork in one sitting, ever since i was a child. Guess it never left! And i never knew there was an *italian* name for it!😄

[@RupertBreheny]

Nice to see this level of craft - thanks for sharing the technique Stephen.

[@remytherat2175]

wow this is absolutely gorgeous

[@ChristopherHemsworthCreative]

Very inspiring. I hope someday to be able to paint like this.

[@daan_k4435]

I think this is great! Just what I was looking for. When I'm painting I often (unintentionally) start perfecting the detail right away. But because of that I forget about the greater picture of the composition. This technique really helped! thank you!

[@Ursaminor31]

Beautifuly presented and articulated.

[@nikkiswenson54]

I love "alla prime" I often need to go back in to it to fix little things with a glaze or scumble, but 4 hours gets it pretty close. Thanks for you demo!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thanks for watching!

[@iokhufu]

great work as always steph! always learning a lot from you.

[@cxtpace]

Thank you, Sir. This is very helpful. Alla Prima is even the only thing I need for my current digital project. I just love it being so organic in digital applications. Subscribed to learn a lot more.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thank you for subscribing!

[@amy-cv2nw]

Thanks for this, concise and to the point, incredible display of skill on your part. Deeply appreciate your contributions to the art community and sharing your knowledge!

[@amy-cv2nw]

I think the best part was watching the blending process. Really great stuff!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gnuPirate]

Tremendous Stephen, thanks so much for this and for your channel. Such amazing instruction, I can hardly believe it! Subscribed.

[@eisirt55]

That's a beautiful painting .

[@karolinakstudio]

I really enjoyed this tutorial and appreciate how you explain the painting theories in detail. Subscribed!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Awesome, thank you!

[@ShaqKoyokArt]

What a great portrait painting!

[@dougg1075]

10 bucks! I’m there man. This is gold

[@CarbonReviews]

unbelievable demo. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@MrMenmo14]

Great job my friend!

[@WindOnMyWings]

I find that a really wondeful job, my compliments

[@antonites.productions1719]

As a online teacher, I hear you. Thx for the vid

[@DarnellHorton-ze7yh]

Outstanding Artwork and video

[@TMGold60]

Thank you so much, really enjoyed watching your skill and experience. Portraits are my weakness but want to persevere as I love to capture souls on canvass whether human or in nature.

[@Atmos_Glitch]

OK this is cool as heck!

[@hiro7466]

Love your videos! So informative while I transition into oil paints for the first time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom :)

[@Gamethanks]

Wow thats amazing technique

[@kristiLB93]

Thank you for this tutorial. It was a great breakdown of the method for me.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

You're very welcome!

[@CuriosityRocks]

I’ve started using a topographical approach to portraits, I use Markers for my first layer and the deepest points like the inner eye corners are darker and the highest points like the cheekbones are lighter with the boniest parts having the highlight. I do go around the highlights with the next lightest colour then I switch to the darkest areas then I use the mid tone to fill in the rest. Then I go over the markers with pencils to blend.

[@pavelsokov]

Excellent work Stephen!

[@MariannesStudio]

This was so interesting! Thank you for showing your palette/color mixing too. Can't wait to binge the rest of your channel :)

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Welcome!!

[@Geostationary0rbit]

your concludeding statements are so true

[@PimSlickins]

Wonderful. Thanks, ill be trying this

[@julessmithpaints]

Excellent so happy to have found your page. Bravo.

[@giancarlozavattinart9898]

Fantastic lesson ! !

[@climbinggiant4744]

1:03 vs 9:48. This girl went from being in a house with plenty of windows, to a house with one window that is 1 foot in diameter 30 ft away. Otherwise, really beautiful!

[@marahuston3505]

can you list the colors that you use for this tutorial

[@Androoby]

MASSIVE information

[@tossancuyota7848]

this is exactly what i was doing blocking makes less waste of time and you can learn faster aswell and enjoy the process

[@kamoke1]

Christ, that was gorgeous

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thank you!

[@TheJustinside]

That's beautiful. You're inspiring me

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

I'm so glad!

[@adventurepainter9674]

consistently enlightening! thank you!

[@lacasa3514]

Great tutorial! I found this helpful, the key points you made are very useful.

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@granmabern5283]

Just the thumbnail convinced me to sign up!

[@cathkrop]

Thank you so much! Very useful information.

[@Hyndsss]

This is so so helpful, thank you!

[@chompers11]

really helpful stuff thanks

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tb8865]

Ah man making me want to get back into oils! Been painting with gouache lately and I'm jealous of those effortless soft edges. Great video!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Go for it!

[@KeyArtGallery]

Beautiful demo work ❤️👍

[@dkossin]

Great video. Perfect explanation on values.

[@sotirisfilippou2769]

amazing work sir !

[@everaldoamorim]

Beautiful work!

[@stephenbaumanartwork]

Thank you! Cheers!