Painting Portraits: Materials & Equipment

[@goboutitan]

I love how you show a little demonstration on each on each tool. It's very helpful.

[@kmoore4125]

You portraits are wonderful!

[@LowahHu]

Wow, the portraits are so wonderful!, you are my learning example. Thanks

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

Thank you so much for the kind comment, Lowah! It's greatly appreciated!

[@maldoori238]

Many thanks for sharing your wonderful experience and for a very informative video. I am about to paint my brother' portrait so this has come up timely.

[@chasevibes8222]

That was satisfying!

[@moosasanani]

Outstanding! and Very Help ful

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

+Moosa Sanani I'm so glad to hear that the information was of help to you. Thanks so much for the comment!

[@moosasanani]

I was informed about the material good! Thank you

[@ams9449]

In my view Ultramarine tends more towards the red side while manganese more towards the green side. So I'd say that ultramarine is the warmer relatively to the other : )

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

Thanks so much for the feedback! When it comes to determining how warm or cool a color is, artists tend to base their decision on what they view as the warmest color on the color wheel. For some, red is considered the warmest color, while others consider yellow to be the warmest. If you view red as the warmest color on the color wheel, then Ultramarine Blue would be considered warmer than Manganese because it leans more towards the red side of the color wheel than Manganese Blue. The opposite would be true if you considered yellow to be the warmest color on the color wheel. In that case, Ultramarine would be considered cooler since it leans more towards the red side of the color wheel, while Manganese would be warmer since it leans more towards the yellow side of the color wheel. In either case, it's important to determine both the warmest and coolest colors on the color wheel in order to use them as reference points for accurately judging the temperature of all other colors that are available to you on your palette. If you view red as the warmest color, then your approach to temperature and color choices will be much different than if you view yellow as the warmest color, so it's important to recognize the differences between these two schools of thought in order to choose which one works best for you. I hope that this information will be of help to you. Thanks so much again for the comment!

[@ams9449]

thanks for the kind reply Brian! In your view, what about those (like myself) who consider orange (a commonly shared perspective in many wheel systems) to be the warmest colour? Orange seems to be a very logical choice, since between the primaries we can consider both yellow and red as 'warm' (letting aside for a moment which is the warmest of the two) and only blue as a natural 'cool' primary, hence his complementary would be orange. This, in my view, is supported by the fact that it wouldn't make sense to have something even cooler than the original 'cool' primary by adding something relatively warmer to it (like an addition of red to make it purplish or yellow to make it greenish), and if purple (or green) is not the coolest than his complementary can't seem to be the warmest either. Thanks to you for your views, I hope our chat will be useful to others also, bye!

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

Thanks so much for the message and great questions about color! When it comes to determining which color is the warmest on the color wheel, most artists choose red, orange, yellow, or a variation such as a red/orange or an orange/yellow. I’m of the opinion that the warmest color must be one of the original primary colors. The reason I say this is because each of these colors is unique in that they stand alone and don’t require the mixture of other colors in order to exist. In contrast, every other color that can be achieved in paint requires the mixture of two or more of these primary colors. If there were only two primary colors to start out with, then the study of color would not be as confusing, as you would only have one cool color and one warm color to work with, giving us the reference points needed to judge how warm or cool every other color is in comparison. The dilemma comes when we add a third primary color to the equation. So what does all of this mean? Well, let’s take your question about orange as an example. Orange is the result of equal amounts of red and yellow (two primary colors) mixed together in order to exist. By saying orange is the warmest, both red and yellow would have to be equal in temperature to start out with, leaving us with two warm primary colors (red and yellow) and one cool primary (blue). In other words, 2/3 of the wheel would be warm. This is confusing because you never really answer the question about which one of these colors is warmer, ultimately resulting in a lack of confidence when mixing color. In other words, you never really know the two extreme boundaries of temperature (warmest and coolest) in which you can work. I’m of the opinion that yellow is the warmest color on the color wheel, while blue is the coolest. So, what does that make red? Is it warm or cool? My answer is that it is both, depending on which direction you move on the color wheel. If you move towards the yellow side of the color wheel, then red appears cooler. If you move towards blue, then red appears warmer. The same cannot be said of the other two primaries. If you view yellow as the warmest color, then any direction away from yellow on the color wheel will always result in a cooler color when compared to yellow. The opposite would be true for blue. If you move in either direction away from blue on the color wheel, the result will always be a warmer color. As far as compliments go, I would still view yellow as the warmest, not orange. Even though orange is the direct compliment to blue, I would disqualify it as the warmest color because it requires two primary colors in order to exist, as I mentioned earlier. The reason that a compliment works so well with a primary color (such as blue and orange) is because it contains equal amounts of the remaining two primary colors. Having said all of that, I’m of the opinion that both the warmest and coolest colors on the color wheel must be primary colors. I hope that this information will be of some use to you and that I haven’t caused too much confusion. Because artists see color differently, opinions will vary, but it’s important to establish boundaries in color (warmest and coolest) in order to effectively work within them. Thanks so much again and have a great week!

[@ams9449]

very interesting point of view and thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge about it. Have a great week too Brain!

[@ianmallan1232]

Hello apart from colours which other example can you use for painting please help

[@svelasque4s1]

outstanding info, but can you elaborate on your preferred type of brush? Brand? Type of hair?

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

+svelasque4s1 Thanks so much for the question! When painting portraits, I like to use a variety of both bristle brushes and synthetic brushes. The stiffer bristle brushes are used primarily during the block-in stage or in background areas where more texture or a build up of paint is wanted. When painting skin tones, I prefer to use the synthetic brushes in order to achieve a softer look. As far as brush manufacturers go, I use Winsor & Newton, Silver Brush, Rosemary & Co., and Creative Mark. The Creative Mark brushes that I like using are Ebony Splendor and Jewel. They're both available through Jerry's Artarama website. I really like using the brights. The Ebony Splendors don't hold up as long as other brushes, but they can be purchased very inexpensively. The Rosemary brushes that I like to use are the Shiraz long flats and the long flat series 279. The series 279 aren't as stiff as the Shiraz, so I use them more for soft blending. Silver Brush makes Ruby Satin, one of my favorite brushes for blending. I usually stick to the even sizes (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12), but find that I use the 2, 4 & 6 most often when painting portraits. I hope this helps. Take care and have a great day!

[@champadas3420]

What was that name of metarals

[@mrivera10001]

Hello Brian Do you have a list of colors you use. Can you share that info ? Thank you

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

Thanks so much for the question, Miguel! Here is a list of the colors that I use: Winsor & Newton Professional grade oil paint Raw Sienna (200 ml.) Gold Ochre (37ml.) Cadmium Yellow Pale (37 ml.) Cadmium Yellow (37 ml.) Cadmium Orange (37 ml.) Cadmium Scarlet (37 ml.) Cadmium Red (37 ml.) Cadmium Red Deep (37 ml.) Permanent Alizarin Crimson (37ml.) Cadmium Green Pale (37 ml.) Sap Green (200 ml.) Prussian Green (37 ml.) Viridian (37 ml.) Manganese Blue Hue (200 ml.) French Ultramarine Blue (200 ml.) Titanium White (200 ml., Winton brand by W&N) I hope this information will be of help to you. Take care and have a great day!

[@tokio2291]

is this oil paint?

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

Hi, Leslie. Thanks so much for the question. Yes, this is oil paint. I hope this helps. Have a great day!

[@bugisami]

Do you use any mediums?

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

+bugisami Thanks so much for the question. When painting, I primarily just use odorless mineral spirits to clean brushes or thin down paint during the block in stage. The only medium that I use is Liquin by Winsor & Newton when wanting to make a subtle change in value or introduce more color back into a particular area during the final stages of a painting. Other than occasionally glazing with Liquin during the final stages, I prefer to work with solid paint (paint that hasn't been thinned down) because it provides the opportunity to create soft transitions and blending more easily than thin paint. I hope this helps. Thanks so much again for asking!

[@bugisami]

Brian Neher Thanks for the reply. One more thing, if I may. Some portrait painters swear by flake white. What are your thoughts?

[@BrianNeherFineArt]

+bugisami Thanks for the question! Although I prefer to use Titanium White, it's perfectly fine to try out different whites when painting portraits, including Flake White. I would recommend using the one that works best for you and gets you the results that you're looking for. The most noticeable difference between Flake White and Titanium White is that the Flake White may have a stiffer consistency to it, while the Titanium White may have a softer consistency when mixing. The other differences would be that Titanium White is the brightest, most opaque white available, while Flake White may be slightly more transparent and may not have as much tinting strength (the amount of paint needed in order to change a color) as the Titanium White. In other words, it may take more Flake White, compared to Titanium White, in order to get the results that you're looking for. Thanks so much again for the question and have a great day!

[@bugisami]

Brian Neher I forgot to thank you for the reply.

[@lumbaramgwala5131]

It is good information but it is some less can you give me more information please and how to use this in paintings and I also wants how to mix the colours how to make new colours and innovative colours please can you show me in the other videos thank you

[@FaheemKhan-lw4tn]

Mujy ya sa chaza zorat hai.lakin ma online kis thara mangun mujy thareeka ni hata.

[@melnormanswift4843]

Im saving some money from my Allowance for painting(beginner) Im just student😥😂

[@Itz_Monk_XD]

I became paiter with the help of it