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Digital Head and Portrait Painting

4.2 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Based on 221 ratings
see reviews
Ryan Nimtz

Join the course that takes you from beginner to seasoned expert in portrait painting.

Do you want to learn how to paint beautiful portraits? A refresher for anatomical drawing? Maybe you want to understand how light and color work to improve your drawing and painting skills.

Read more

Join the course that takes you from beginner to seasoned expert in portrait painting.

Do you want to learn how to paint beautiful portraits? A refresher for anatomical drawing? Maybe you want to understand how light and color work to improve your drawing and painting skills.

This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course will teach you how to create believable and appealing portrait drawings and paintings digitally, both in grayscale and color. Whether you use Photoshop, ProCreate, Krita, or whatever other digital painting software, the content of this course will apply just the same. The principles I teach even apply outside of the realm of portraits.

I’ll guide you through the process of understanding face and head anatomy so you can confidently draw from both reference and you imagination, and I’ll show you some valuable resources to further expand your anatomical and artistic knowledge. I’ll teach you the essentials of painting, light, and color, as well as explaining the way that common elements of portrait paintings should be implemented for the best results. I’ll even go into full detail as I do two large painting demos for you, detailing my entire thought process and techniques so you can follow along every step of the way.

The human head is an essential part of drawing and painting people, and understanding it is indispensable when designing appealing and believable characters, drawing from observation, and making impressive portfolio pieces. By the end of the course, you can go from knowing little about anatomy and drawing, to understanding and painting beautiful portraits.

The course is set up to take you through progressive steps that build on each other. As you learn each principle, it will help you understand the next. With 6.5 hours worth of lectures, there’s plenty to learn, and I look forward to sharing it all with you.

You'll also get exclusive resources and personal help.

You’ll have access to my own personal brushes for digital painting in ProCreate, the program that I use most frequently, as well as links to extra resources and reference for anatomy, drawing, design, and painting. In addition, you’ll be able to join a Facebook group exclusively for artists to post your work and get feedback from me and your classmates. You’ll also have priority for live feedback and paintovers during my livestreaming sessions on Twitch.

Plus, this course comes with a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied.

I’m ready to start helping you take your artistic abilities to the next level.

Join the course and let’s make some art together.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Create accurate and believable head drawings and portrait paintings digitally
  • Understand the anatomy of the head and face
  • Understand painting principles that will aid you in general
  • Understand light and color

Syllabus

Introduction
Welcome to the Course!
How Best to Use This Course
Tools and Resources
Read more

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find images of eyes from different angles.  Draw them! Easy mode is 10 drawings.  Medium is 25 drawings.  Hard mode is 50 drawings.

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find images of mouths from different angles.  Draw them! Easy mode is 10 drawings.  Medium is 25 drawings.  Hard mode is 50 drawings.

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find images of noses from different angles.  Draw them! Easy mode is 10 drawings.  Medium is 25 drawings.  Hard mode is 50 drawings.

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find images of ears from different angles.  Draw them! Easy mode is 10 drawings.  Medium is 25 drawings.  Hard mode is 50 drawings.

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find images of heads from different angles.  Draw them! Easy mode is 5 drawings.  Medium is 10 drawings.  Hard mode is 20 drawings.

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find a few examples of facial plane models.  Copy them!

Assignment for this lecture: Go to Google or Pinterest and find a portrait photo you like.  If it's a color image, drag the saturation on it down to 0 so the image becomes grayscale.  Draw a sketch of it to begin your photo study!

Assignment for this lecture: Add in the flat values on your sketch.

Easy mode: use the eyedropper tool to grab actual values from the photo. 

Hard mode: guess at the values you pick until you think it's correct.  You can even pick your values and paint on another layer on top of the photo to see how close you were with your guess, and keep going until you find something that's close enough.

Assignment for this lecture: Start to add in plane changes that show light and shadow.

Easy mode: use the eyedropper tool to find the values you should use.

Hard mode: Try to figure out the values for yourself.

Assignment for this lecture: Continue to paint in the details after the last lecture.  Easy mode and hard mode are the same as they were in that lecture.

Assignment for this lecture: Figure out a way to add some kind of texture to the image, whether that's with noise, some kind of textured brush, so whatever you can come up with.  Finish your painting!

Assignment for this lecture: Use what you've learned from the past lectures to draw a portrait sketch from your imagination.  You can use reference to help you figure out certain details, but don't just copy another photo!

Assignment for this lecture: Use the same steps we talked about in the photo study painting to make a grayscale painting for your sketch.  Don't forget to decide where your light is coming from!

Assignment for this lecture: Start to add simple colors to your grayscale painting the way we talked about in the video.  

Assignment for this lecture: Determine areas that would have highlights in your painting.  Don't forget to reference your lighting direction!

Assignment for this lecture: Add reflected light in the shadow areas.

Assignment for this lecture: Continue painting, and decide what details you want to take out.

Assignment for this lecture: Add finishing details to the image.  You could soften some of the edges in the painting, add some kind of texture, or figure something else out.  You decide what to do!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides access to the instructor's personal ProCreate brushes, which can help learners replicate the instructor's style and workflow more easily
Includes assignments that encourage learners to practice drawing different parts of the face from various angles, reinforcing anatomical understanding
Offers a Facebook group for students to share their work and receive feedback, fostering a collaborative learning environment
Requires learners to have digital painting software such as Photoshop, ProCreate, or Krita, which may require a separate purchase or subscription
Includes assignments that require learners to find images online, which may be time-consuming and require careful attention to copyright and usage rights

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Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
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Reviews summary

Solid foundation in digital portrait painting

According to students, the "Digital Head and Portrait Painting" course is largely positive, providing a solid foundation, particularly strong in its anatomy explanations and helpful painting demonstrations. Learners consistently praise the knowledgeable and engaging instructor. While it's seen as great for beginners, some feel the color theory section could benefit from more depth compared to the anatomy parts. Assignments push practice, and the resources and community support are also noted as valuable. The course effectively helps students improve their digital portrait skills from the fundamentals.
Assignments help push practice.
"The assignments were challenging but pushed me to practice."
Provided resources are excellent.
"The resources provided are excellent."
"The community aspect is also a plus."
"The instructor's feedback in the group was a bonus."
Provides a solid starting point.
"It's a solid starting point..."
"Solid course on portrait painting basics... very valuable course for beginners."
"Good for absolute beginners learning software and basic shapes."
"Good course for beginners."
Instructor is clear and engaging.
"The instructor explains anatomy and light principles in a way that's easy to understand."
"The instructor is knowledgeable and engaging."
"Instructor explains things clearly."
Step-by-step process invaluable.
"The demos are incredibly helpful, showing the entire process step-by-step."
"Best portrait course I've taken digitally. The demonstrations are key. Seeing the instructor's process... is invaluable."
"...the painting process demos were very clear."
Strong foundation in head anatomy.
"The instructor explains anatomy... in a way that's easy to understand."
"Solid course on portrait painting basics. The anatomy section was clear."
"The anatomy lectures were thorough and the painting process demos were very clear."
"Good course for beginners... Anatomy section is strong."
Could benefit from more detail.
"...I wish there was more depth on the color theory application in practice."
"The color section felt a bit rushed compared to the anatomy parts."
"...felt like it could go deeper into blending techniques or different color palettes."
"Other parts, like the color section, felt a bit brief for the complexity of the topic."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Digital Head and Portrait Painting with these activities:
Review Color Theory Fundamentals
Reinforce your understanding of color theory to better grasp the color painting techniques taught in the course.
Browse courses on Color Theory
Show steps
  • Review basic color terminology (hue, saturation, value).
  • Study color wheels and color relationships.
  • Practice mixing colors digitally.
Review 'Figure Drawing: For All It's Worth' by Andrew Loomis
Study classic anatomy and figure drawing principles to improve your understanding of the human form.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the sections on head and facial anatomy.
  • Practice the construction techniques demonstrated in the book.
  • Apply the principles to your digital portrait painting.
Facial Feature Drawing Exercises
Improve your ability to accurately draw facial features, a core skill for portrait painting.
Show steps
  • Practice drawing eyes from various angles and perspectives.
  • Practice drawing noses from various angles and perspectives.
  • Practice drawing mouths from various angles and perspectives.
  • Practice drawing ears from various angles and perspectives.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a Value Study from a Photo
Practice creating a grayscale painting from a reference photo to improve your understanding of value and light.
Show steps
  • Select a high-quality portrait photograph.
  • Create a grayscale version of the photo in your digital painting software.
  • Paint the portrait using only grayscale values, focusing on accurate representation of light and shadow.
Review 'Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter' by James Gurney
Deepen your understanding of color and light principles with a comprehensive guide for realist painters.
View Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions) on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the sections on color temperature and light direction.
  • Study the examples of different lighting scenarios.
  • Experiment with applying these principles to your digital paintings.
Personal Portrait Painting Project
Apply the skills and knowledge gained in the course to create a complete digital portrait painting from scratch.
Show steps
  • Choose a subject for your portrait (real or imagined).
  • Create a detailed sketch of the portrait.
  • Paint the portrait in grayscale, focusing on accurate values and form.
  • Add color to the portrait, using the techniques learned in the course.
  • Refine the details and add finishing touches.
Provide Feedback to Other Students
Reinforce your understanding of the course material by providing constructive feedback to other students on their portrait paintings.
Show steps
  • Review other students' work in the course's Facebook group or other online forum.
  • Provide specific and actionable feedback on areas such as anatomy, value, color, and composition.
  • Offer suggestions for improvement based on the principles taught in the course.

Career center

Learners who complete Digital Head and Portrait Painting will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Portrait Artist
A portrait artist specializes in creating likenesses of individuals, often capturing their personality and character through artistic mediums. This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course is directly relevant, offering instruction in head and face anatomy, essential painting principles and the understanding of light and color. The course provides valuable resources, personal help, and painting demos, all of which translate directly to the skills a portrait artist needs. In particular, the course provides the detailed assignments for eyes, mouths, noses, ears, and heads that are useful. The digital painting focus is perfect for a Portrait Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Portrait Artist
Character Designer
Character designers create the visual appearance of characters for various media, including animation, video games, and illustrations. This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course can help you understand the nuances of head and face anatomy which is vital for designing believable and appealing characters. The course will teach you painting, light, and color, as well as explaining the way that common elements of portrait paintings should be implemented for the best results. The training you get from this course on how to construct a portrait is useful for anyone hoping to work as a Character Designer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Character Designer
Concept Artist
Concept artists develop visual representations of ideas for use in films, video games, and other media. A strong understanding of portraiture and head anatomy helps you create compelling and believable characters. This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course emphasizes understanding face and head anatomy, and offers instruction in painting, light, and color. By understanding how to construct a portrait, as taught in this course, you build a strong foundation for success as a Concept Artist. In particular, the two large painting demos will be useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist
Illustrator
Illustrators create images for books, magazines, and other publications. Many illustrators specialize in portraiture or character design. This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course could significantly benefit an illustrator. The course goes into full detail on two large painting demos for you, detailing the entire thought process and techniques. The assignments on drawing eyes, noses, mouths, and ears are also very helpful, as is the work on facial planes. The Illustrator will benefit from this course's digital focus.
See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator
Comic Book Artist
Comic book artists create the illustrations for comic books, graphic novels, and other sequential art forms. Since the human face is so central to the art form, the 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course is beneficial. The course starts with the fundamentals, including an understanding of face and head anatomy. Also helpful are the essentials of painting, light, and color, as well as explaining the way that common elements of portrait paintings should be implemented for the best results. These lessons will aid anyone who wishes to work as a Comic Book Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Comic Book Artist
Storyboard Artist
Storyboard artists create visual representations of scenes for films, television shows, and commercials. The 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course can help you enhance your ability to quickly and accurately depict characters and their emotions. The principles taught in the course even apply outside of the realm of portraits. Any Storyboard Artist will appreciate the value of exclusive resources and personal help. The assignments to draw 10-50 eyes, mouths, noses, and ears will prove useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist
Animator
Animators create moving images for films, television shows, video games, and other media. This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course can help animators create more believable character designs. The course goes into full detail as it does two large painting demos. The Animator will be able to create appealing and believable characters through the course. You’ll have access to personal brushes for digital painting.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Video Game Artist
Video game artists create the visual assets for video games. Many video game artists specialize in character design or environment art. The 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course will teach you how to create believable and appealing portrait drawings and paintings digitally, both in grayscale and color. The Video Game Artist will especially benefit from the two large painting demos. The principles taught in the course even apply outside of the realm of portraits.
See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Artist
Art Director
Art directors are in charge of the overall look and visual elements of various projects, such as magazines, theater sets, and television productions. While an Art Director may not need to paint portraits, the 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course may help one better understand the artistic process, particularly in relation to character design and visual storytelling. The course is set up to take you through progressive steps that build on each other. The Art Director will be able to better manage artists by taking this course.
See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director
Graphic designer
Graphic designers create visual concepts to communicate information. While graphic design work is not always directly related to portrait painting, a 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course may increase an understanding of visual composition, color theory, and digital art techniques, all of which are transferable skills. The Graphic Designer will be able to make use of the exclusive resources. As one learns each principle, it will help you understand the next.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer
Web Designer
Web designers plan, create, and code internet sites and web pages, many of which incorporate portraiture. This 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course may help improve your understanding of color, light, and visual appeal. The course may be particularly helpful for web designers by providing a foundation in digital painting techniques. The Web Designer will be able to find resources and reference for anatomy, drawing, design, and painting.
See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer
Fine Artist
Fine artists create original works of art for exhibition and sale. The 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course will teach you how to create believable and appealing portrait drawings and paintings digitally, both in grayscale and color. Understanding the anatomy of the head and face through the course can help you create compelling and realistic portraits. The Fine Artist may find that the course is useful for creating portfolio pieces.
See salaries and explore the career path for Fine Artist
Freelance Artist
Freelance artists work on a variety of projects for different clients, often specializing in a particular style or medium. The 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course can improve your digital portrait skills, making you more competitive in the freelance market. In particular, you will be able to join a Facebook group exclusively for artists to post your work and get feedback. The Freelance Artist will be able to make use of the 6.5 hours of lectures.
See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Artist
Medical Illustrator
Medical illustrators create visuals for textbooks, medical journals, and patient education materials. This career typically requires a master's degree. The 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course may help you develop a strong foundation in anatomical illustration, particularly of the head and face. The Medical Illustrator may find that the course is useful for creating portfolio pieces. The course has a refresher for anatomical drawing.
See salaries and explore the career path for Medical Illustrator
Architectural Designer
Architectural designers create designs and plans for buildings and structures. While seemingly unrelated, a 'Digital Head and Portrait Painting' course may help you develop an enhanced sense of spatial reasoning and visual composition, which can be useful in architectural design. This is because the principles taught in this course even apply outside of the realm of portraits. Architectural Designer may find the course helpful in that it provides assignments to draw diverse features.
See salaries and explore the career path for Architectural Designer

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Digital Head and Portrait Painting.
Cover image
Think and Grow Rich - English : For Personal Growth...
Save
Classic guide specifically focused on drawing heads and hands. It provides detailed instructions on anatomy, proportion, and construction. Given the course's focus on portrait painting, this book is an invaluable resource for creating accurate and realistic portraits. It useful reference tool for artists of all levels.
Melania
Hardcover
$$
From Here to the Great Unknown: Oprah's Book Club:...
Hardcover
$$
War
Hardcover
$$
The Message
Hardcover
$$
Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between...
Hardcover
$$
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir
Hardcover
$$
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of...
Hardcover
$$
Onyx Storm (Deluxe Limited Edition) (The Empyrean,...
Hardcover
$$
Spooky Cutie: Coloring Book for Adults and Teens...
Paperback
$
The Leaf Thief: (The Perfect Fall Book for Children...
Paperback
$$
Cover image
Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara
Save
Delves into the science and art of color and light, providing practical advice for painters. It covers topics such as color mixing, atmospheric perspective, and the behavior of light on different surfaces. Given the course's focus on light and color, this book serves as an excellent reference for understanding these concepts in greater depth. It is commonly used by both students and professional artists.
Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions)
Hardcover
$$

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Rating
4.2 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Empty star
Effort
6.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Ryan Nimtz
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides access to the instructor's personal ProCreate brushes, which can help learners replicate the instructor's style and workflow more easily
Includes assignments that encourage learners to practice drawing different parts of the face from various angles, reinforcing anatomical understanding
Offers a Facebook group for students to share their work and receive feedback, fostering a collaborative learning environment
Requires learners to have digital painting software such as Photoshop, ProCreate, or Krita, which may require a separate purchase or subscription
Includes assignments that require learners to find images online, which may be time-consuming and require careful attention to copyright and usage rights
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