First Portrait!

Andrea Virga

Hello everyone.
Before subscribing to the stan winston course i thought it'd be cool to see what i could make, to have a milestone to compare improvements with.
So i decided to sculpt Elliot, or Rami Malek, from MrRobot, trying to portray a particular facial expression too.





the reference image is https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6bicZWLGV2g/maxresdefault.jpg

what do you think? 

I made two dots for the eyes since the position in my opinion is critical to render the expression.

Here are some more pics http://imgur.com/a/tThSi , sides, back and a front one with lights similar to the reference pic.

Before ending the post i'd love to have some advice about painting, though i don't know if it's correct to ask them under the sculpting section.
I use acrylic paints, and i don't really know how to describe, but sometimes the paint feels too plain, colours are not rich and sometimes lumps and brush marks are too evident.
Do you have any tip to make the colour more smooth,more lifelike, similar to the ones top artists manage to?

Thanks for your time reading and see you soon!
Andrea 

Chris Ellerby

Hi Andrea,

Great start on the sculpt!  Likeness sculpts are, in my opinion, the hardest kind.  You're not only dealing with our hard-wired recognition of human anatomy, but trying to exactly match a specific subject.  No easy task!

For painting with acrylics, I like to thin down my paint with a little water (sometimes a bit of 99% alcohol) and paint in thinner washes.  That way I can build up color over time, or add subtle color changes.  That may work for you.

Can't wait to see your progress!

/Chris

Andrea Virga

Hello and thanks for the world of appreciation

I have tried with water and while the colour Is smoother i felt like It was fragile, as It was sometimes removed by a little scratch. I have to still try thinning with alcohol, so i hope It works!

When you said "add thin washes" you meant painting thin layers of watered paint right?
I may also try adding a base paint i found i had around and see if It helps with the watered colour. 

Is there, in your experience, something i can put on the coloured piece as final stage to preserve colour?

Thanks for tour time and have a good day!

Chris Ellerby

Yes, by washes I mean thinned down paint.  It's important to allow each layer to dry as you add additional washes, to prevent the colors from mixing.

You can seal the final piece using a varnish.  Liquitex makes great varnishes for acrylic paints, that come in different finishes from matte to ultra glossy.

The varnish will also make your colors more vivid and add depth.

/Chris

Andrea Virga

maybe i shouldn't cheat on drying time with the hairdryer then!
Thanks again, the liquitex product was exactly what i was looking for!
Have a great day!

Mikey March

That's a great looking tiny sculpt!

I think you should consider investing in an airbrush. It's a great little tool to have with multiple uses and will certainly help you attain natural looking gradients for your portraiture. I typically lay down a base coat of the colors I wish to derive values from in the end, and blend to my hearts content, keeping in mind where I want my high-highs and dark-lows.

Andrea Virga

That's a great suggestion @Mikey March!

I was actually interested in purchasing an airbrush, i thought It would be a good upgrade once i get things going.
The main issue Is i am not sure what to buy and especially i don't know if i have the space to place the air compressor.

 I had found a tiny one that Is powrred by the car plug, i think 12v but i didn't find a proper adaptor for home electricity. 

If you have any suggestions about it i’d really appreciate them. So maybe after summer Is over, It can be a self-gift for fall exam's session

Sorry for any grammar error that may have occurred and have a good day!