{"id":303,"date":"2020-03-25T17:04:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T17:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.instapainting.com\/blog\/?p=303"},"modified":"2020-07-23T14:59:29","modified_gmt":"2020-07-23T14:59:29","slug":"learn-to-paint-portraits-with-these-3-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.instapainting.com\/blog\/learn-to-paint-portraits-with-these-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn To Paint Portraits With These 3 Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wanted to pick up a paintbrush and create the most beautiful art, only to realize you don\u2019t know how?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Painting can be a great stress reliever and a wonderful skill to have, so why not give it a try? If you\u2019re not sure where to begin, let us make a suggestion:<\/span><\/p>\n

Try painting a portrait.<\/span><\/p>\n

People love portraits and are more than willing to pay for them, so it\u2019s a great skill to have that not only brings enjoyment but some cash flow as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning any new skill can be daunting, but we\u2019re here to help you answer that question that\u2019s probably nagging at the back of your brain:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do I learn to paint portraits?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Try Watching YouTube Tutorials<\/span><\/h2>\n

We live in an age where information is so easily accessible right at our fingertips. YouTube is a great start to learning any new skill. With a variety of teachers and techniques, you\u2019re bound to find something that fits your learning style.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some tutorial <\/span>videos<\/span><\/a> are short and sweet and get right to the point. Others take more time to go into <\/span>detail<\/span><\/a> about certain aspects of portrait painting<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever your learning and painting style is, there\u2019s something out there for you. We recommend starting off simple with <\/span>beginner videos<\/span><\/a> so as to not get overwhelmed by all the new material.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding a video that has a series of \u2018How-Tos\u2019 can be helpful in building your skillset. Doing so keeps you with a consistent instructor and style, allowing you to perfect your skills before moving onto something different.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best thing about YouTube tutorials?<\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re free! You don\u2019t have to pay a dime to use them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Register for Some Classes<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re committed and willing to fork out some cash to learn to paint portraits, then a class will be well worth your while.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a class instructor can be really helpful if you\u2019re struggling with a certain aspect of portrait painting, they\u2019ll be able to help you learn the correct technique needed to execute the perfect portrait.<\/span><\/p>\n

Classes are a great way to have access to tools you wouldn\u2019t have otherwise at home. Most classes provide all the painting tools you could imagine, allowing you to practice different skill sets and techniques.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having other students in the class can be helpful, too. Chatting with them about how they approach certain paintings could contribute to your arsenal of knowledge. Not to mention, you get to meet other great artists like yourself!<\/span><\/p>\n

You can typically find classes at your local community or recreation center (especially during the Summer). That would be a great place to start when looking for formal learning opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you happen to live in a college town, you could contact the school art teacher and ask to audit an art class. You wouldn\u2019t have to pay for it, the only thing you\u2019d have to purchase is your own materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

One other way that\u2019s great when trying new things is Airbnb Experiences. Most people are aware that Airbnb is used to rent out a room or house for a few nights. But did you know that you can also pay to enjoy experiences guided by experts?<\/span><\/p>\n

There are multiple different <\/span>painting experiences<\/span><\/a> you can sign up for all around the world. You can easily find one near you and give it a try. This is the perfect way to learn if you really like painting or not, and you get full access to an expert in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Practice, Practice, Practice<\/span><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve heard it before and you\u2019ll hear it again: Practice makes perfect. Practicing a new skill is the only way you\u2019re going to master it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the secret to practicing:<\/span><\/p>\n

Practicing something in large, long chunks has been shown to be less effective than having short practice sessions spaced out over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

This helps not only with committing certain skills to memory, but it also keeps you from getting frustrated while learning a new skill. Far too often, people quit when they\u2019re learning something because they get overwhelmed or feel that they aren\u2019t capable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you change the way you approach learning a new skill, it could be more enjoyable and you\u2019re more likely to remember everything you learned.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re really wanting to commit, make a schedule for yourself. Set aside time where you plan to paint for one hour each day. Once that hour is up, you\u2019re done. Then, come back to it later in the day or even the next day and work for an hour or two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever you do, don\u2019t burn yourself out before allowing your skills to blossom into something amazing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The best way to practice portrait paintings is by starting with yourself. Grab a mirror, pencil, and paper and start drawing what you see. This can be tricky at first, but trust us, it\u2019s much easier to stare at yourself and make mistakes in the beginning rather than a person that has to sit there for a few hours while you figure things out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve grown confident in your drawing and painting skills, feel free to ask friends or family to pose for you so you can practice other facial features besides your own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If that still feels a little uncomfortable, you could always ask to snap a photo of someone and draw a portrait from that photo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Put Your Skills To Use<\/span><\/h2>\n

Once you finally feel confident with your portrait painting<\/a> skills you can start charging money for your beautiful paintings. This is a great way to earn some money while doing something that you love. A great place to start is <\/span>Instapainting<\/span><\/a>. Instapainting connects artists with those looking for a portrait to be done.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it works:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n