Corel Painter Part 2

Step 1 of a digital portrait (Painter 2019)

Since my last post about Painter 2019 I've worked on several pictures using the oil paint tool. This series shows how the work progressed on a portrait of a friend, Dwight. I used a reference photo plus personal observation in social settings to make these. As always I used my Cintiq tablet but in this case Painter 2019 was the app.

I began with a canvas (you can call it a background) that I toned to a light cream color. Using a medium bristle brush tool, I laid in the basic shapes and a midtone as an ebauche. Manipulating color and brush sizes, I began refining the portrait by adding patches of various colors throughout the face, rather than concentrating on any one area. That strategy works best in my experience to establish coherence of color and values. At the end of about an hour and a half, the portrait had reached the state to the right. I stopped for a day to let the picture rest in my mind and took it up again the next day.

Step 2

This is step 2 of the portrait. Working in layers, I added color in many places, trying particularly to emphasize color and shapes in the sitter's face. I also scrubbed a light blue-green around the head to place it more solidly in space. Using the oil paint tool I added color with a medium bristle tool, employing another layer to begin unifying the colors of his face. This step took perhaps another hour of adjusting the likeness, color, and value. After that I put it away until the next day, letting the image percolate in my mind.

This is the finish of my oil portrait in Painter 2019. In this stage I used a softer glazing brush as the main tool, blending and glazing colors over the previous step. In this stage I took colors from the previous portrait and punched the chroma, continuing to use value to emphasize shape and volume of the head. Although this is only a study of Painter and not a full-dress portrait, the results are encouraging. Further, it's been easier to learn the program while doing this portrait than I expected it to be. Obviously this can be refined considerably, and I've a long way to go in working with the program. Nonetheless, there is enormous potential in this new version of Painter.


My next project with Painter will probably involve using the Thick Paint tool to make a picture. If it goes well I'll make another post.

Regardless, Painter 2019 turns out to be a great addition to my digital art programs. It's pricey at $500, particularly since my go-to program is now downloadable for free. Still, if you're looking for a digital art app, Painter 2019 deserves your consideration.

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Previously
Corel Painter