How I Get a Glazing Effect Using Direct Painting

I will begin our work with the shadow area of the eye using a value 5 warm tone. This choice helps unify the composition and makes it easier to discern forms and shapes from the beginning. Throughout the process, we should focus on the hue shifts in this area. For example, the eye cover hood may take on a yellowish tone, the eyelid crease may lean I'm toward a reddish tone and the eyebrow They may often share the same value but differ in hue, so feel free to adjust the colors as needed. typically has lower saturation By the way, we won't be using any medium in this process. Just maintain the thickness of your paint to and the color will flow naturally. speak Remember to clean the brush before changing tones. You can just wipe the brush on a paper towel. It's also important to keep the edges soft now. and not overly defined and ensure that the eyes are aligned correctly as you work. Now I'm using the value 3 yellow tone for the eye cover fold. Okay, as I'm moving on, let's talk about the most important structure. First, envision the eyeball as a sphere protected within a bony cavity. The frontal bone serves as the roof, while the maxilla forms the front plane and the zygomatic bone leading to the side plane. This structure provides a solid foundation for all the soft tissue, muscles and and skin surrounding the eye. Now let's talk about the reduction. Look at the model. The eye structure can be simplified into three planes. Two side planes that recede into the temple and nose, and one front plane that locks the gaze forward. So be careful to identify the specific angles at which the front plane of the eyelid transitions into the side planes. Even in the dark, these angles reveal the underlying bone So when painting the eyelid, avoid straight lines or harsh curves. Instead, try to draw a line that is as straight as possible. Try to identify different angles in your reference. Before you start painting, it's important to understand that the eyelid and eyeball function together as a cohesive sphere. The eyelid is essentially a thin layer of skin stretched over the sphere. It doesn't have its own independent lighting. Rather, it inherits the values of the eyeball beneath it. If the eyeball is in shadow, the eyelid covering that area will also be in shadow, as they both contribute to the overall play of light and dark on the spherical form. However, we still need to pay attention to the angle of light and the shadows on the sphere, Be careful because the lines can move and shift when oil painting is done wet on wet. While this can be beneficial and allows for easy adjustments, it also means you might become so focused on one area that you don't notice how the proportions have drifted. With that in mind, pay close attention to the four distinct brow ridges which represent the angles of the brow bone. First, identify angle 1 at the temporal ridge where it intersects with the temporal line. This spot marks the first shift as the forehead transitions to the side of the head, and the temporal ridge is one of the highest points on the orbit. Next, we move to angle 2, the zygomatic process of the frontal bone located at the outer corner of the brow where the bone curves inward. This inward curve compresses the hood's soft tissue and defines the boundary where the face turns toward the temple. Just below this area lies the eye cover fold, which extends from the brow down over the upper eyelid marking the transition from the light of the brow into the shadow of the sockets. Moving inward we arrive at angle 3, the supraorbital ridge, also known as the supraciliary arch. This is one of the strongest projections of the brow structure. It creates a shelf-like form that supports the upper part of the eye socket and helps define the transition from the brow into the deeper cavity. This angle is especially important because it marks the shift from the light plane of the brow into the deeper shadow of the eye socket. Now, whether you pre-mix your palette or mix as you paint, there's one rule we always have to follow. Simplify the subject. For now, ignore the small details in the eyes, nose and mouth. Those details only work when the larger structure is correct. To understand the form, we need to look at the major masses and the planes of the face. Each plane has a specific direction in space, and because each plane faces the light differently, Each plane creates a different value relationship. So instead of thinking about the head as a collection of features, we're going to think about it as a structure made of planes. Let's break it down. First, we have the frontal plane of the forehead. This is usually one of the largest light masses and forms the foundation of the frontal bone. Next are the cheek planes. The cheeks are not flat surfaces. They turn slightly in space, which creates subtle changes in value depending on the angle of the light. Now look at the eye sockets. The eye sockets don't sit on the surface of the face. They recede into the skull, creating downward facing planes. Because these planes turn away from the light, they usually belong to the shadow family. Then we have the side planes of the head. These planes establish the thickness of the skull, moving from the temples toward the ears. As the head turns away from the light, these planes gradually become darker. Finally, the bottom plane of the jaw. This plane anchors the structure and helps define the base of the head. Once you understand these major planes, you can construct the head from almost any angle. And here's the rule we'll follow throughout this demonstration. Don't choose colors by guessing. Choose colors by following the planes. The planes tell us the value relationships. So let me quickly explain how this palette is organized. This isn't just a random collection of color mixes. It's built on a simple five. value system, the first thing I establish is the lightest and darkest values. Once those two extremes are locked in, they become the framework for everything in between. From there, I'm just connecting those two poles through gradual transitions. Now this is a warm-cool palette system with subtle contrast shifts, which is closely related to simultaneous contrast. Each row represents approximately the same value, meaning the same level of lightness, but different hues. Some mixtures lean warmer, toward red or orange, some shift toward green, others drift slightly toward purple, So I'm changing the hue without significantly changing the value. Each column contains five different values, all organized along the rmix lightness scale. As you move down the column, you're stepping through different values of the same color family. This layout lets me solve one problem at a time. If I need to adjust value, I move vertically. If I need to adjust hue, I move horizontally. That makes color decisions much simpler while painting. And here's something really important. Colors don't exist in isolation. Every color is influenced by the colors around it. Instead of mixing isolated colors, I build a whole family of related colors that share the same structure, but shift slightly in value and hue. When those relationships repeat throughout a painting, The painting feels unified and natural, but if every passage is mixed independently, the painting starts to look patchy. Colors stand out on their own instead of working together as a system.