How to learn to draw portraits in watercolors. Watercolor portraits. Sokolov Pyotr Fedorovich

Russian watercolor painter, famous for portraits secular personalities of the first half of the 19th century century - Sokolov Pyotr Fedorovich (1791-1848)

Portrait of an unknown woman in a dark red hat. (Portrait of Baroness Alexandra Nikolaevna de Malvirad (1802-1891), ur. Svistunova). 1828

Biography of the artist

Born into a wealthy Moscow family. The father, an inveterate gambler, lost, and the house and all his property were written off for debts, so in 1800 his wife was forced to go with her young son to St. Petersburg, with the hope of placing the child somewhere at government expense. The only place could be the Academy of Arts, where young children, as a rule, orphans or boys from among poor people of free rank, were recruited for their support and education. Having some connections in the capital, the mother managed to carry out her plans. In 1800, Pyotr Fedorovich was accepted as a student Imperial Academy arts and studied there under the close guidance of Professor V. Shebueva.

Alexey Nikitich Peschurov (1779-1840), Pskov district leader of the nobility, helped P.F. Sokolov in working on the album “Views of Pskov”, and was the artist’s patron.

Having completed the course there in 1809 with a small gold medal received for the painting: “Andromache mourns her husband Hector, who fell in battle,” and with the title of artist of the XIV class, he was left at the Academy as a pensioner for further improvement. At the end of the course in 1810, Sokolov, without receiving the first gold medal entitling him to travel abroad at public expense, left the Academy with the title “ free artist", thereby finding themselves without any means of subsistence. He had to give private lessons in the houses where he found refuge. This was the time of passion for watercolor painting “at home”: many wealthy amateurs considered it necessary to take lessons from professionals. That's how he got into high society.

Princess Elena Vasilievna Meshcherskaya, since 1842 the wife of Prince Calixtus Biron. 1830s

Leaving oil painting, he took up watercolor and achieved great perfection in it. His watercolor portraits, remarkable in their resemblance, were especially valued. beautiful drawing and the pleasantness of the colors. For them, in 1839, he was awarded the title of academician.

At the end of his life, Sokolov finally decided to move to Moscow, which was associated not only with the need for new orders, but also with the intention to live quietly. In 1842, wanting to improve his wife’s poor health, the artist undertook a trip abroad. He stayed there for a year and a half. In the fall of 1843, Sokolov returned to Russia.

For some time he lived in St. Petersburg, busy organizing his affairs and the fate of his sons. There were still many orders, but my eyesight was beginning to weaken. Soon the family moved to Moscow and settled on Myasnitskaya Street.

In 1848, at the invitation of Countess O.I. Orlova-Davydova, the artist visited her estate Merchik, near Kharkov, where he became infected with cholera, which was then rampant, and after severe suffering died on August 3. He was buried in the local cemetery.

Portrait of Yulia Pavlovna Sokolova, wife of the artist P.F. Sokolov. 1827

Artist's family

He was married in 1820 to Yulia Pavlovna Bryullova (1804-1877), sister of the famous K. Bryullov, with whom he maintained friendly relations. However, Bryullov himself did not have any special sympathy for him and even suspected him of counting on a profitable inheritance. The marriage turned out to be happy, and the artist repeatedly spoke lovingly of his “Julie.” The family lived together. The husband and wife found complete agreement in everything and experienced forced separations associated with the master’s trips to fulfill orders. Sons were born into the Sokolov family:
Sokolov, Pyotr Petrovich (1821-1899), also watercolorist,
Sokolov, Pavel Petrovich (1823-1826),
Sokolov, Pavel Petrovich (1826-1905),
Sokolov, Alexander Petrovich (1829-1913).

Prince Sergei Vasilyevich Trubetskoy (1815-1859). 1835

Portrait of Leonty Vasilyevich Dubelt (1792-1862), cavalry general, head of the secret police. 1834

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. Late 1820s

Countess Yulia Pavlovna Tizenhausen (1813-1889), youngest daughter Count P.I. Tizenhausen (1774-1864) and Julia Palen (1782-1862); cousin of Dolly Fikelmon and Yu.P. Samoilova. 1835

Sofya Pavlovna Ferzen (1832-1863), daughter of Count P.K. Ferzen and O.P. Stroganova; was married to A.G. Pleshcheev (1833-1880)

Count Lev Aleksandrovich Sollogub (1812-1852), son of Count A.I. Sollogub from his marriage to S.I. Arkharova, brother of the writer V.A. Sollogub; secretary of the Russian embassy in Vienna.1830s

Portrait of O.P. Ferzen, ur. Stroganova 1830s

Pavel Grigorievich Demidov (1809-1858), cornet, son of G.A. Demidov (1765-1827)

Poletika, Idalia Grigorievna. 1820s

Vivien de Chateaubren Joseph Iosifovich (Joseph-Eustathius) (1773-1852) - Russian artist. 1830s

Princess Louise Trofimovna Golitsyna (1810-1876), ur. Baranova. Daughter of T.O. Baranov (1779-1828) and Yu.F. Adlenberg (1789-1864), since 1832 the wife of Mikhail Fedorovich Golitsyn (1801-1871).

Portrait of V.A. Zhukovsky 1820s

Portrait of an unknown woman. 1826

Sergei Fedorovich Golitsyn (1812-1849), lieutenant, staff captain. 1835

Olga Pavlovna Ferzen (1808-1837) ur. Stroganov. 1837

Mertvago Susanna Aleksandrovna, ur Soymonova (1815-1879), since 1838 wife of N.D. Mertvago, sister of S.A. Sobolevsky on her father’s side. 1838

Prince Mikhail Fedorovich Golitsyn (1800-1873) - trustee of the Golitsyn Hospital. 1830s

Bakunina Ekaterina Pavlovna (1795-1869)

Adelaide (Aglaya) Pavlovna (1799-1882) Golitsyna, ur. Stroganova - maid of honor, cavalry lady of the Order of St. Catherine of the Lesser Cross, since 1821 the wife of Prince V.S. Golitsyn. 1840s

Anna Nikolaevna Venevitinova, born. Obolenskaya (1782-1841), wife of V.P. Venevitinov, mother of the poet Dmitry Venevitinov, relative of A.S. Pushkin. 1830s

Campioni Santin Petrovich (1774-1847), sculptor. 1838

Portrait of Countess Olga Alexandrovna Orlova (1807-1880), née Zherebtsova. In 1826 she married Count A.F. Orlov. In 1847 she was granted a lady of state. 1829

Count Pavel Ivanovich Tizenhausen (1774-1864), son of Count Ivan Andreevich Tizenhausen (1741-1815). His younger brother Fedor was married to the daughter of M.I. Kutuzov. 1835

Princess Adelaide Pavlovna Golitsyna (1799-1882), born Stroganov. 1821

Elizaveta Mikhailovna Khitrovo, nee Kutuzova (1783-1839), daughter of M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, in her first marriage to Count F.I. Tizengauzen, in her second to N.F. Khitrovo, a Russian chargé d'affaires in Florence. 1837

Portrait of A.A. Bobrinsky. 1830s

Portrait of A. O. Vitali

Portrait of E.A. Osterman-Tolstoy. 1830s

Portrait of Volkonsky Sergei Grigorievich.

Praskovya Egorovna Annenkova (1800-1879) ur. Polina Gebl, wife of the Decembrist I.A. Annenkov. 1825

Portrait of an unknown woman in a fur coat. 1830s

Portrait of A.O. Smirnova-Rosset

Count N.A. Samoilov

Portrait of Pauline Viardot-Garcia. 1844

Prince Pyotr Andreevich Vyazemsky (1792-1878). 1830s

M.P.Kikina (1816-1856) married. Volkonskaya, depicted in the Russian court dress of a maid of honor. 1839

Sofya Vladimirovna Komarovskaya (1808-1876), sister of the poet D.V. Venevitinov, since 1830 the wife of Count E.E. Komarovsky (1803-1873). Depicted in a wedding dress. 1830

Portrait of Countess Natalya Alexandrovna Zubova (1775-1844), ur. Suvorov. 1824

Portrait of V.G. Stroganov. Until 1833

Portrait of an unknown woman in a floral headdress. 1820s

GRafinya Ekaterina Vasilievna Vasilyeva, ur. Wilson, the daughter of the owner of the St. Petersburg English hotel on Galernaya Street; since 1840, the wife of Count Alexei Vladimirovich Vasiliev. 1846

Elena Grigorievna Chertkova (1800-1832), daughter of Baron G.A. Stroganov

Portrait of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich as a child. Late 1820s

Portrait of Anna and Ekaterina Vasilchikov in fancy dress. 1830s

Countess Sophia Alexandrovna Bobrinsky (1799-1866). 1827

Chertkova Elena Grigorievna (1800-1832), née Stroganova. Wife of Ivan Dmitrievich Chertkov (1797-1865)

Baron Alexander Ludvigovich Stieglitz (1814-1884)

Princess Sofya Alexandrovna Urusova (1804-1889), one of the three daughters of Chief Chamberlain Prince A.M. Urusov.1827

watercolor master class

« The only expression allowed in portrait painting is an expression that conveys character and moral qualities and no temporary, fleeting, random grimace"(E. Burne-Jones).

The PORTRET-ART workshop offers you a master class on drawing a portrait with watercolors.

To create a portrait we will need:

· Paper or cardboard

A watercolor portrait is made on special watercolor paper, pre-stretched on a stretcher. There is such paper different types(You can find out more about this in any art store). Let's just say that the Portret-Art workshop advises working on paper for watercolor painting Torchon.

· Brushes - brushes should be made of natural materials (squirrel, mustel, badger or ferret)

· Sponge

· Pure water

And, directly, watercolor paint.

construction and technique

Before starting work, carefully study the photo. Always start building with the shape of the head, the oval of the face. First, determine the height (distance from the chin to the crown) and width of the head. Then you need to find the middle line, as a rule, this is the approximate line of the eyes (but not in my case, since a complex angle has been chosen and the reduction is in progress). Make the lines light, do not put pressure on the pencil (we recommend using a soft pencil), do not forget that the main work will be done with watercolor paint, obvious “black” lines can affect the accuracy and quality of your work.

After the line of the eyes is determined, we outline the lines of the nose, lips, eyebrows. We outline shadows and highlights. At this stage it is already possible to schematically show the shape of the nose, lips, eyebrows and eyes. Never start drawing a portrait with the eye, eyelashes and other small details - if you make a mistake (and everyone makes mistakes), it will be difficult to correct anything. With thin lines we are looking for shape.

The work is carried out by the general masses; we cannot get ahead of ourselves. We work with the proportions of the entire spot.

watercolor painting detail

Let's draw the details. This stage is the most difficult, since right now you need to achieve maximum similarity. It is important to convey the character of a person. The main thing is not to forget to take measurements to determine the relationship of certain parts to each other (see).

Now is the time to draw out all the small elements. In order not to overdo it with detail, you can squint while looking at the original image (photo, nature). So you will see those important points that should definitely be taken into account are the main large spots, facial features and lines. This will make your work easier. We do not forget to compare details all the time - we achieve accuracy.

We outline shadows and highlights.

Before moving on to this stage, you need to gain at least basic knowledge of pencil drawing and the anatomy of the human face.

for beginners

When all the construction is completed, you can start preparing watercolor paint to work. Using a brush and clean water, wet each color (this will help you blend the colors faster as you work). However, this is done only for convenience.

We remove the auxiliary lines with nags or a grater.

Take a palette (paper, plastic or glass). Sometimes you need to use several types of palettes (for example, both plastic and paper) - such details come directly during work.

We advise you to start working with paint by laying out the shadows and dark areas of the portrait. Thus, the figure will immediately acquire volume. Take a thick brush (how thick depends on the format of your sheet), make large strokes, use more water(something like a fill). Keep in mind that when watercolor dries, it becomes lighter. As for color and its production, there are no specific rules. In general, watercolor painting loves individuality.

We pay attention to the darkest areas of the face, trying to get a three-dimensional image already at this stage.

finding color. working with planes

Now it's important to find the right color. Remember, watercolor is a watery paint. This is what makes a painting watercolor light and airy, but at the same time rich and bright. Therefore, when applying the first layers, add more water - this will help avoid the “dirty work” effect.

It is worth considering that White paint, the so-called white, are not used in watercolor painting, although they exist in some palettes. The lightest areas and highlights are the white paper that you leave untouched. In art stores you can buy a certain composition that can be used to cover the highlights in the portrait and the paint simply will not stick to these places.

Over time, try to limit the number of colors in your palette - this will make your work more natural and light.

It is important to identify light spots on paper; they help us perceive planality and volume.

working with color

Of course, it is impossible to achieve realism by covering the skin of the face with one color. The more various shades, all the better.

Do not proceed to the next layer without completely drying the previous one - this can lead to mixing of paints right on your work (although there is a similar “wet on wet” technique, but not about it now). The artists in our workshop use a hairdryer. In this case, you should not turn on the hair dryer at full power and bring it too close.

Remember - watercolor is friends with water. And if you made a mistake, went too far with the tone, too dark - a sponge and running water will always come to your aid. Rinse off boldly (but, of course, do not overdo it).

As for technology, it is different for everyone, their own. Even when trying to copy, individual notes will eventually be visible. It's a matter of experience.

You can correct your mistakes, but consistency is even more important; don’t dwell on the details of your face. Now we need to find a color.

preparation for detailing

At this stage, it is necessary to pay special attention to maintaining similarities with the original. Do not forget to be distracted from the portrait from time to time (move away, turn away), since, sitting for a long time at work, after large quantity time, you will simply stop noticing your mistakes.

We begin to give tone to the eyes, lips, hair - we prepare the portrait for detailing. At this stage, as a rule, errors that were previously invisible become noticeable. We eliminate it if possible.

We determine the lightest and darkest places and work on them. Not only the copied facial features will make your portrait look similar, but also the shape of the shadows.

Nags remove unnecessary pencil lines.

We look more carefully at the darkest and lightest areas of the portrait, correct it, and draw in the details.

DETAILED drawing. shutdown

And finally, the most enjoyable part of the work is the detailed drawing. Now we can see: where the shadow should be darker, where the reflex is more pronounced, where there is not enough color, and so on. We finalize these points and pick up a thin brush (as thin as you like) and begin to draw small elements of the portrait, paying special attention to the eyes, eyelashes, and hair. We control the glare - without them the drawing will not be three-dimensional.

Don't forget that what's good in a photo is not always good in reality. watercolor painting. The same applies to nasolabial folds, facial and age wrinkles, and so on. Such nuances need to be looked at according to the situation. We focus on the eyes.

Adding a background. You can also darken the lower part of the portrait, and then all the focus will go to the face (but in our case, this is how the background works).

Now is the time to draw the most small parts portrait and achieve the final resemblance. The background of a painting is underestimated; it often plays a decisive role in its perception.

The portrait will be the most an original gift, for your loved one.
Leave a request and the artist will contact you within an hour to discuss the details of the order.

With love and trepidation, Workshop

Today I will tell you how to paint a portrait in watercolor! First, let's prepare all the materials we need. Read about them in the article about materials and tools that I use when completing orders.

First you need to stretch the paper. Whoever has the strength to pull it onto the tablet using buttons is a great fellow! Well, I attach the paper to the tablet using tape, gluing it to the border of the sheet, no more than 1 cm wide. When the sheet is motionless on the tablet, we begin to sketch with a pencil. We try not to put too much pressure on the pencil, but draw lightly so that barely noticeable contour lines. When the sketch of the portrait from the photo is ready, we lighten it with the help of a nag. Now let's start painting with watercolors.

Using a large brush, wet the entire face in the portrait. Mix on the palette required colors, which we will use to convey skin color. In my case it is cadmium red light (orange) and carmine (pink). Dilute them well with water and apply to light areas of the skin, leaving white highlights. While the paint on the paper is still wet, add brown or purple shadows. Don't be afraid if the watercolor bleeds, that's the beauty of it. There will be a total of 3 layers of paint in the portrait, as more of them will look dirty and worn out. Therefore, we calculate the tone for 3 approaches.

Now we begin to paint the eyes in the portrait with watercolors. Try to find barely noticeable shades and add bright accents. We do not paint the darkest areas in black. In general, watercolor does not tolerate this color, since it is believed that it does not exist in its pure form. Therefore, we use others instead dark shades: purple, brown. Warm colors will also look good in the shade: ocher, orange.

If you find it difficult to see and see color, and your whole face seems to be the same tone, one hint will help you. Artists often use the so-called Goethe circle. In the figure, lines connect those colors that contrast, but at the same time complement and combine with each other. That is, near yellow color Blue will look good, next to purple - orange and green. These colors will shine brightly in the drawing and your watercolor portrait will be more picturesque and individual.

We describe all the details of the face, clarify the shadows, add contrasts. So, gradually it emerges in watercolor. Many people don't know how to draw hair on their head. We also write them in 3 stages. First, the main tone. When this layer is dry, apply a second one, and finally paint the darkest areas in the third layer. If the hair is still not dark enough, you can paint the top again, but this is not advisable, since the paper may behave badly - it will wrinkle and become covered in pellets. In the same way, we paint clothes in a portrait, not forgetting that they are worn on the body and follow its contours, and do not just hang on their own. Here we will have to remember the human anatomy and try, although hidden under clothing, to still convey the curves of the body of the person we are drawing in watercolors.

Background in watercolor drawing we transfer it very gently, it is best to do it “wet”. To do this, we thoroughly wet the area where we will paint the background with a large brush and clean water. After the forehead, we apply paint almost spot-on, and then select different shades. This method is especially good for painting the sky with its blurry clouds or delicate white clouds. We try to create the background so that it does not distract attention from the main thing in the portrait – the person. It shouldn't have bright accents or rich shades. On the contrary, we paint this part as if in a haze, in a fog.

Step back from the watercolor portrait and appreciate your work. If you need to add or correct something, don’t be afraid to do it. And in general, my main advice would be to leave the fear of a blank page to someone else. The main thing is to start, try, experiment, sometimes make mistakes, but still not be afraid to pour out onto the sheet everything that is hidden inside us.

It is a great happiness for me to do what I love, to bring at least a little joy and kindness into this world, to see the happy faces of my customers who saw their portrait for the first time! If you also want to receive such a gift, write to me about it in the “Contacts” section, and I will be happy to make your drawing to order!

Now you know how to paint a portrait in watercolors and surprise your family and friends with such a wonderful surprise. If there is something you don’t understand and you have questions, feel free to write in the comments, I will definitely answer you!

Artist, Svetlana Maslova

But if you do it right, painting a portrait in watercolor can bring amazing results, and most importantly, genuine pleasure! Here are some tips and tricks for you to get started.

Getting started with painting anything in watercolor takes a little planning and patience. Whether you're drawing from a photograph or from life, you first need to establish the composition. Knowing which part of your subject you will be drawing will make your job much easier. I cropped this photo from the overall "landscape" so that the portrait included only my subject's head and shoulders and matched the measurements of my painting.

If you are drawing from a photograph, it will be useful to transfer the picture using a coordinate grid.

Step 1

Lightly draw the subject with a hard pencil such as 4H. Pay special attention to the dark and light shapes of the head and face first, and then to the small details. Your work will progress from the general to the specific, and we'll get to the details later, so use a large round or flat brush rather than small liners for these layers.

Step 2

Indicate the most dark colors using dark colors. Avoid black; instead, mix Burnt Umber and dark blue for something extremely dark. Try squinting your eyes when looking at your subject to bring out the dark tones. Don't worry about these shades not being as dark as they should be, you'll have a chance to make them darker later.

Tip: It is important to allow each layer of paint to dry completely before applying the next layer, which may come into contact with the previous one. This is especially important when applying light paints, as they can mix with dark paints and become messy.

Step 3

Using more light colors, highlight the lighter tones on the face, leaving the lightest areas untouched. Avoid oversaturated colors by using a lot of water in the solutions, and tone down warm colors by adding a little cool pigment such as navy blue so they aren't too intense.

Tip: You can lighten areas that are too dark using a clean, damp brush. Touch the brush to the dark area once it's dry to pick up some excess pigment or to blend new paint from the previous one, leaving no lines or “clean spots”.

Step 4

Once you have applied the lighter shades, it will be easier to see where your first layers could have been darker. Use a higher ratio of pigment to water, go back to the dark areas, and make them even darker; in this case, hair and glasses. For hair, pay attention to the placement of the highlights. You can show them by simply leaving the previous light layer while highlighting the dark areas. You don't need to draw every strand; the difference between the tones will show the beholder that the hair is shiny. Work in the details of the face with a small round brush.

Step 5

Prepare paints for the background. Here I'm choosing a muted yellow-green to pair well with the warm tones on the face. The background can also help highlight highlights on the face, in in this case bottom right, where the cheek was initially difficult to separate from the white background.

Given the nature of watercolor, it is better to leave everything a little unfinished rather than overwork it. Let watercolor do what it wants and you can paint watercolor portraits like a pro! In your opinion, what is the most difficult thing about painting portraits in watercolor?