Portrait Drawing - Dramatic Light & Shadow

[@whatapieceofwork]

That you are competent is obvious; what raises your video above the rest is the quiet, considered and enlightened commentary, thanks.

[@AlainPicard]

Graham Griffiths that is very kind of you to say. Thank you! I hope it helps you grow creatively. All the best!

[@sylvianblue]

It still blows me away that talented professional artists like your good self give of your own time to impart your knowledge free of charge to us viewers. Thank you for taking the time to give so much excellent information.

[@AlainPicard]

sylvianblue I am glad you appreciate the videos and fins them so valuable! It is a joy to share with all of you. Keep painting!

[@elsacherubin4993]

sylvianblue 2q 3y

[@stormcorrosion176]

@@AlainPicard you the man! thanks for the kind instruction!

[@ToonNagtegaal]

Thank you very much for this great video and fantastic explanation. ‘Developing a portrait is a sequence of seeing your mistakes and correcting them, all the way to the end.’.... I just love hearing you say that; we often think that artist are just doing everything right from beginning until the end, but it’s a process of getting closer with each step.

[@AlainPicard]

Toon Nagtegaal thanks, I am glad this resonates with you! It’s a mindset shift that embraces imperfection and advances our work. I wish you the best!

[@ToonNagtegaal]

Alain Picard thanks👍🏻!

[@MissTinaTv]

perfectly said

[@laurainel]

Dear Alain, this is a superb video…not only for the beautiful portrait you shared, but for the words of wisdom! But, as great as those are, your generosity is simply amazing! Thank you! ❤

[@lisarico1213]

As always Alain, your skills, advice and teaching style are an inspiration. Thanks! Lisa

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you Lisa! So glad to hear from you here on KZbin. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

[@leighsirvent654]

What a wonderful video! I learned so much! Thank you for your time and excellent teaching. ( I love that you are left handed)!

[@flaviaabdalla7179]

Amazing! 🥰❤❤

[@kellyflanagan7632]

I was fascinated watching her come to life before my eyes. Beautiful work, Alain. Thank you for sharing your expertise and tips with us.

[@AlainPicard]

Glad you enjoyed it, and all my best to you in your portrait work!

[@carolhackman5741]

This video was extremely informative. I really wanted to see exactly what you demonstrated!

[@AlainPicard]

so glad you found this helpful Carol, all my best!

[@MrJairo3259]

This is why i love pastels, no limits!Thanks Mr Alain!

[@AlainPicard]

You're very welcome Francisco!

[@chrisrichardson5302]

Wow, your explanation of the importance of light/shadow and proportions of big shapes to help define likeness was really awakening for me, thanks so much for sharing this video it is a joy to watch your mastery.

[@AlainPicard]

Chris Richardson hey thank you very much! Glad you found the lesson helpful and learned a lot. All the best to you!

[@EmpyreanLightASMR]

I'm watching this while in the middle of working on a landscape because I knew you would have great advice for portraiture that I could translate over to landscape. 30 minutes in and already have learned several important things. One key point you make a few times throughout: to work on larger shapes, even blocking, "mapping out basic shapes", as the most important thing. "Details will not give you likeness." Your email came in just in time. Thank you Alain! I also notice you don't use a mahl stick! Incredible steadiness.

[@Tespen42]

I will have to give this a try...I definitely am not a portrait artist but have wished to do some for friends of mine. Thank you again for some techniques using a simple set of colors and single light source. Love the results you presented. Thx so much..

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Don, great to hear from you again. Give this a try! It's a really fun method. Always looks nice with this harmonious palette. You can do it!

[@patricianieto8079]

Beautiful,

[@tracimurphy3645]

Very helpful. Thank you soooo much!

[@AlainPicard]

my pleasure, so glad it was helpful, all my best!

[@betsyconway6302]

Stunning. Learning so much about value, form and proportion

[@AlainPicard]

Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback and keep learning!

[@nicholettefetsch2245]

Fun to watch , too. as the beautiful subject emerges. May thanks.

[@AlainPicard]

Glad you enjoyed it, keep drawing!

[@denniswatson1830]

That portrait is beautiful and better the the photo. God given talent. Thank you Mr. Picard.

[@AlainPicard]

Very kind thank you Dennis!

[@miriamkhosh3259]

Truly a master of portraiture, makes it look easy but it requires a lot of skill.

[@TheGtrPlyr]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. Greatly appreciate your time!

[@dok8164]

Thank you so much for important information about how to draw fantastic portraits 🙂

[@AlainPicard]

Hey thank you Yarolsav, glad you found the video lesson helpful!

[@caterinabarbati7195]

Wonderful! You are a great talented artist! Thank you! I’m speechless!

[@AlainPicard]

Thanks Caterina, all my best to you, keep drawing!

[@miguelesteinmetz6019]

Thank you Alain for this gréât video

[@AlainPicard]

You are very welcome, appreciate your kind words!

[@CasaBlack5]

Sir... thank you. Learned so much in just a few videos. Started with the background one. I was looking for tips. Not dissapointed! Also the way you talk and handle yourself is admirable!

[@rudylorenzo9722]

Hello Alain, thank you for such a great lesson. I agree with all the comments about you being such a talented artist. Please keep these portrait videos coming. I am really into portraits and I’m about to start using pastel pencils (saw your video about colors for flesh tones thank you!), to see how that goes. I mostly have used graphite and watercolor, but want to try pastels and have fun. Thank you again for sharing your expertise. 🙏🏼

[@AlainPicard]

Rudy I hope you are doing well with your pursuit pf portraits in pastel!

[@debykalush9199]

You are so wonderful. You are so generous with your knowledge. You are the Best.

[@AlainPicard]

Thanks so much, Deby, that's kind. I'm glad you enjoy the videos!

[@wizzardofpaws2420]

So beautifully and masterfully done!

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you so much! Keep drawing!

[@nicholettefetsch2245]

Many thanks.

[@AlainPicard]

my pleasure!

[@adacollins4070]

Wow. Just wow

[@stormcorrosion176]

Jesus man, Incredible talent. I can tell you are influenced by the Renaissance and that is awesome. thank you for sharing!

[@judithlegg57]

Thank you so much !!! Wonderful, and very informative !!!

[@doudeck9586]

Thanks Alain.

[@PatMcDonald41]

You are an authentic maestro ...

[@md.sharhabilfarazee1334]

Thank you Sir😊

[@AlainPicard]

You are very welcome!

[@denisegrossman3840]

So helpful, to see how you approach subject, in terms of large shapes and value!! I will develop a new mantra today thanks to you! Let the value do the work! Thanks for your generosity. All the Best

[@madamrose1965]

I just Love Your Artwork. BIG FAN OF YOURS

[@chrisbutler9158]

Thank you for your video. This portrait reminds me of the old sepia photographs, so lifelike too.

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed!

[@mjpete27]

Well Sir your talent is not to be denied! Impressive drawing skills as well! I found this to be more of a pencil drawing technique than Pastel, Could you do a more soft pastel portraiture? This is am amazing picture thank you for showing us your study process! I am subscribed and wanting to see more from you! Here's to hoping you get more subs!

[@maldoori238]

Such a joy to watch you painting this portrait. I learned a lot from you. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful skills and inspiring technique.

[@maldoori238]

Thank you Alan for a very inspiring video and informative session 👍👍👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@roslynburgess-clay1419]

Thank you Alain, so helpful as l start out in portrait painting. You answered and demonstrated some my questions re capturing a likeness. Now need to practice what l have learned. God bless 🙏🏻🙋🏼🇦🇺

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you for the kind words, Roslyn, it really means a lot. I'm so glad these lessons help. Now it's your turn to give it a try!

[@milliesimic6233]

You are an exceptional artist and teacher, thankyou so much for the videos you share with us.

[@AlainPicard]

Wow, that is such a kind thing to say, means a lot to me! Thank you. All the best!

[@naniselin3259]

Thank you for sharing this Alain.

[@AlainPicard]

You're welcome, Nan! Glad you enjoyed. All the best!

[@dancer4560]

I di this and it was fun. It was so much easier than doing someone I know- like my grand daughters- who are little- TY for a great video. I would love to hear if there are any thought processes to the color paper one picks out. Mybe its a silly question- Is it just the opposite of the colors uou will be using in your painting? TY.

[@cinnie2543]

So very beautiful. I learned a lot which I think will really impact my portraits. Thanks!

[@AlainPicard]

cinnie2 you’re welcome! I am rooting for you!

[@kakashi1992e]

This is a wonderful video. Thank you!

[@joshmercer1438]

Thanks for this video Alain! I learned alot and took about a thousand screenshots to remind myself haha. It was cool seeing the likeness start to jump out when you added the darker accents to the corners of the mouth and the eyes. Thanks again!

[@carolynfowler6254]

Thank you for this video. I am excited to try this. Can you tell me what brand of pastel pencils you use? Carolyn Fowler

[@AlainPicard]

You are very welcome Josh! All the best to you in your portrait work.

[@SmillyDonut]

@@carolynfowler6254 Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils.

[@dilaniherath1659]

Hi, my little son love you so much

[@vduron1]

Fantastic! enjoy your videos!

[@AlainPicard]

Awesome thanks!

[@silvanacecchini9701]

As always, very informative video. You are a gifted artist and gifted teacher.

[@AlainPicard]

Thanks so much, Silvana, that's very kind of you. I'm glad you enjoyed the new video!

[@RT-wk1bd]

A very informative and well done video. I hope to do portraits using pastels and presently have a set of 60 Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils. After watching you draw a portrait using only a few of these Faber-Castell pencils, I was wondering if is really necessary for me to purchase a set of Prismacolor NuPastels? I live in a small apartment with pets and initially decided to use Faber-Castell pastel pencils rather than soft pastels to reduce the chance of spreading pigment dust. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[@leahbustamante9886]

Thank you so much for giving to us.

[@abdullahnasher7975]

Yah. I will do a study from some of your drawings.

[@LeoraLaGraffe]

Thank you for this wonderful video!

[@AlainPicard]

You are very welcome, Leora, it's kind of you to say that!

[@Idahadleyart]

So fun to watch!..thank you.

[@AlainPicard]

So glad you enjoyed it Tammy! Your turn now!

[@veronicacamilotti5947]

I loved it!

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you Veronica! That is great news.

[@SirPrancelot1]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[@AlainPicard]

You are welcome Sir Prancelot.

[@janapeony8561]

Thank you so much.

[@AlainPicard]

You're very welcome Jana!

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

Would using a reflector board (to the shadowed side) count as a secondary light source? I know photographers & film makers usually do, to "warm up" the shadows making them less... gaunt. When working from photos, I always pick the deeply contrasting shadowed ones, a lot of Artists tend to shy away from contrasting light images, probably because its more complex, BUT I think the...photo real look always looks best & the most facinating.

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

I like your useful advice as I use a technical approach to drawing myself, (always better than relying on guess work) as so many "self taught Artist's often do. I learned at art college that a shadow is NEVER truly black in colour & also most advice NOT to use black for shadowing, which I assume means not even when thinned out, would you agree with this Alain?

[@AlainPicard]

Color in the shadows is very important, I agree with that!

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

@@AlainPicard thank you

[@carolferguson5467]

Would you mind talking about how you pick your colors of the skin in both like and shadow based on their skin tone? Do you push those colors a bit? Thank you

[@AlainPicard]

Good question, Carol, sounds like a great future video theme. I always appreciate these content requests, it helps me prepare themes that really help. Will make a note of this!

[@patriciozazzini3182]

what paper you suggest for charcoal?

[@karzanfaridon6100]

Great

[@1mflower]

wonderful way of creating a portrait! Thanks for showing us how to be creative, What type of pancils are you using?

[@donnapage1877]

What size support do you recommend for a painterly portrait? And what size do you print your photo? It seems like it would be more difficult to do a painterly portrait on a small scale. Thank you for all your teaching. I’ve watched your portrait videos on Artists Network and found them so helpful, as well as all these free ones!

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

can I ask, how far away the light source is from the model approximately? as i believe this effects the length of shadows and how light/dark they can be.

[@AliBaba-ke5jn]

Hi. What sort of pencils are you using here please?

[@AlainPicard]

I was using Pitt Pastel Pencils.

[@jenniefrench1338]

Alain do you use proportional dividers? I have 2 thin sticks with holes and they work. I think your work is excellant by the way. I hadn't started pastels until later in life but mediums are mediums and I love my small amount of TL, unisons but my favs are my pencils 3 sets. Gorgeous work!

[@AlainPicard]

Jennie French thank you very much for the kind words. No, I don’t use proportional dividers. Just my pencil, brush or a stick for measuring at times. Terry Ludwig pastels are amazing. No doubt about it!

[@jimdetry9420]

Why do you choose to shade the long hair with strokes that are perpendicular to the direction of the hairs themselves?

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Jim, thanks for the question. I mass in the light and shadow first, and deal with surface texture (hair) later. Priority on the play of light. All the best!

[@judithpetree6329]

Hi, Alain, is there a minimum size for a portrait you'd say can be created in which one can still achieve the details necessary for defining the features? I read than one should never do a portrait (the face) that is larger than life because that would be too startling. What size paper do you use most often for a portrait, and are there particular sizes for which pre-cut mats and frames are readily available to buy?

[@AlainPicard]

I like 12x16” paper for portraits, but i get drawing pads that are 18x24” to have room for the head. Life size is my preferred size but smaller is ok as well.

[@morsar2009]

please add turkish subtitles thanks for sharing

[@chriswhitehouse8982]

Nice work! I'm really starting to become interested in doing portraits and giving pastels a try too. Do you generally print out your reference photo to the same size of your final painting? Thanks so much for your videos.

[@CharcoalPencilPusher]

Alain, I am a BIG fan of your's. I've watched all of your videos many times and I learn something each time. I have only one criticism... all of your videos say, Artist Author and Instructor in the begining.. (there should be a coma after Artist) :-) Don

[@cinnie2543]

A question, is this the kind of sketch you do underneath every portrait, or is it a more incomplete sketch that you then lay the regular pastels over? Hope that makes sense.

[@AlainPicard]

cinnie2 this sketch is more of a study approach to leave this look visible. I don’t draw this much when working on a full color painting, more block in approach there.

[@cinnie2543]

I see. Thank you.

[@pulkitgarg2754]

i feel like he's the bob ross of pastels

[@stevenfox2172]

I'm wondering why you scratched your neck.