{"id":12416,"date":"2021-10-11T13:51:28","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T19:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/?p=12416"},"modified":"2022-05-30T09:42:39","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T15:42:39","slug":"how-to-simplify-portrait-painting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/how-to-simplify-portrait-painting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Simplify Portrait Painting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\">Most people, when they start doing a portrait, they&#8217;re thinking about details right from the beginning, as if you can&#8217;t get a brush small enough to make the painting. They&#8217;re not thinking about how to simplify portrait painting.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"How to simplify portrait painting\" data-id=\"12497\" width=\"629\" data-init-width=\"2828\" height=\"353\" data-init-height=\"1586\" title=\"Grand Master Sardone, Kevin Murphy Painting\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Portrait-Realistic.png\" data-width=\"629\" data-height=\"353\" style=\"\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy working on a portrait painting of Grand Master Sardone.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is, if you watch anyone who knows how to paint a portrait, they&#8217;re taking out two-inch brushes to get it started. They&#8217;re not working with these tiny little one hair brushes trying to paint the pores of the skin. They start with these overarching shapes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: var(--tcb-color-12); font-family: &quot;Cormorant Garamond&quot;; font-size: 28px; font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);\">How to Simplify Portrait Painting<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Now, I want to show you just how irrelevant the details are compared to the structure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Structure is more important than details in this simple image of a cube as well as when you simplify portrait painting\" data-id=\"12424\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"1920\" height=\"430\" data-init-height=\"1080\" title=\"Simple Cube painting, one shadow, one light\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2-Slide-Ball-Cube-Cube-1.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"430\" style=\"\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Structure is more important than the details in this image of a simple cube made of one light shade and one shadow shade.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A simple cube has one shadow and two light shades, one on the side and one on the top. A face could be broken down into one shadow shade and one light shade.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"At the start of his portrait painting, Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy begins with one shadow shade and one light shade.\" data-id=\"12500\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2828\" height=\"430\" data-init-height=\"1590\" title=\"Adding shade to portrait, Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Portrait-1-Shadow-Shade.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"430\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>At the start of his portrait painting, Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy begins with one shadow shade and one light shade.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1607198867043\">What Really Matters When You Simplify Portrait Painting<\/h2>\n<p>Now we&#8217;ll start and we&#8217;ll think in terms of grayscale. To show you how powerful just the two shades and some gradients and sharp edges are, I want you to think about your high school yearbook. For some of you, your high school yearbook is in black and white.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/statelinesportsnetwork.net\/2020\/01\/20\/remember-the-titans-the-loss-of-two-coaches-in-2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Team Titans, photo from 1972 TC Williams Yearbook. The small and blurry faces from high school yearbooks are still recognizable despite their lack of detail.\" data-id=\"12425\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"900\" height=\"402\" data-init-height=\"473\" title=\"Team Titans, from 1972 TC Williams Yearbook. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/3-Titans.jpeg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"402\" style=\"\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Team Titans, photo from 1972 TC Williams Yearbook. The small and blurry faces from high school yearbooks are still recognizable despite their lack of detail.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">For me, my high school yearbook is maybe 32 years old. I can look back in my high school yearbook and look at my football team. And the heads are small. They&#8217;re made up of maybe 12 pixels in grayscale. Yet, I&#8217;m able to recognize people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_American_football#\/media\/File:Colorado_football_team_1890.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A photo of Colorado's first football team, 1890. The structure of the players' heads make their identities recognizable.\" data-id=\"12426\" width=\"338\" data-init-width=\"338\" height=\"224\" data-init-height=\"224\" title=\"Colorado's First Football Team, 1890\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/4-Colorado_football_team_1890.jpg\" data-width=\"338\" data-height=\"224\" style=\"\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>A photo of Colorado&#8217;s first football team, 1890. The structure of the players&#8217; heads make their identities recognizable.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">From 35 years ago, from an image where I can&#8217;t see their eyes, I can&#8217;t see their nose, and I can&#8217;t see their mouth, I can see the overall structure of the head. And not even under good lighting. However, the structure of the head is enough for me to recognize somebody from 35 years ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/documenting.pitt.edu\/islandora\/object\/pitt%3A1924e49702\/viewer#page\/6\/mode\/1up\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"1922 Pittsburgh Panthers football team. From the 1924 Owl Year Book published by the University of Pittsburgh. Old team photographs show you what matters most to simplify portrait painting. \" data-id=\"12427\" width=\"624\" data-init-width=\"624\" height=\"411\" data-init-height=\"411\" title=\"1922 Pittsburgh Panthers Football Team\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/5-1922_Pittsburgh_Pathers_Football_team.jpg\" data-width=\"624\" data-height=\"411\" style=\"\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>1922 Pittsburgh Panthers football team. From the 1924 Owl Year Book published by the University of Pittsburgh. Old team photographs show you what matters most when simplifying painted portraits.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">If you go and you check out your yearbooks and look at the team photographs, they&#8217;re terrible, out of focus, and taken from 25 feet away. The heads are little but you&#8217;ll still recognize people.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">That shows you what matters in creating a recognizable portrait&#8211;a portrait that looks like the person. It also shows you what matters when you simplify portrait painting.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1607198867044\">What Doesn\u2019t Matter When You Simplify Portrait Painting<\/h2>\n<p>Those photographs don&#8217;t require any details for you to recognize the person.<\/p>\n<p style=\"\">When we paint a portrait, it\u2019s not the details that matter. It\u2019s the bone structure in the head that makes the person look the way they look. The eyes, the nose, and the mouth, they\u2019re decorative.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"t-1632862190195\" style=\"text-align: center;\">KEVIN MURPHY<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Evolve Artist, Founder<\/p>\n<p>So when we paint a portrait, even on a large scale, it&#8217;s not the eyes and the nose and the mouth that matter. It&#8217;s not the details. It&#8217;s not razor stubble. It&#8217;s not individual hairs.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s the bone structure in the head that makes the person look the way they look. The eyes, the nose, and the mouth, they&#8217;re decorative. They&#8217;re like earrings. They really are decorative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1607198867045\">Simplicity from Impressionists<\/h2>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/artworks\/69780\/the-fountain-villa-torlonia-frascati-italy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"In The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy, John Singer Sargent simplifies his portraits by focusing on the structure of the head and not the details. \" data-id=\"12428\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"872\" height=\"980\" data-init-height=\"1117\" title=\"The Fountain by John Singer Sargent\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/6-Sargent-2.jpeg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"980\" style=\"\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In&nbsp;<em>The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy,&nbsp;<\/em>John Singer Sargent simplifies his portraits by focusing on the structure of the head and not the details.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you go and you look at John Singer Sargent, even portraits by guys like Zorn, you&#8217;ll see that a lot of these paintings, particularly in the shadows, barely even hint at an eye or a nostril. They just leave it out completely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Omnibus_(painting)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The vague facial features don't take away from this impressive portrait painting, Omnibus, by Anders Zorn.\" data-id=\"12429\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"1693\" height=\"1157\" data-init-height=\"2560\" title=\"Anders Zorn, Omnibus\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/7-Zorn-1-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"1157\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The vague facial features don&#8217;t take away from this impressive portrait painting, <em>Omnibus,<\/em> by Anders Zorn.<\/p>\n<p>When you simplify how you paint portraits, it doesn&#8217;t matter because it doesn&#8217;t actually have anything to do with the structure of the head. Your brain will fill in the blanks if the structure of the head is done well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artrenewal.org\/artists\/louis-abel-truchet\/2339\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"La f\u00eate foraine, Place Pigalle by Louis Abel-Truchet. Where the head structure is done well, your brain will fill in the details.\" data-id=\"12430\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2000\" height=\"755\" data-init-height=\"1974\" title=\"La fe\u0302te foraine, Place Pigalle by Louis Abel-Truchet\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/8-La-fe\u0302te-foraine-Place-Pigalle-by-Louis-Abel-Truchet.jpg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"755\" style=\"\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>La f\u00eate foraine, Place Pigalle<\/em> by Louis Abel-Truchet. Where the head structure is done well, your brain will fill in the details.<\/p>\n<p>You can go look at impressionist work and look at paintings where they have people that are at a parade or something like that. You see them in the background and they&#8217;re just like six strokes and it&#8217;s a face.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"http:\/\/emp-web-84.zetcom.ch\/eMP\/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&amp;module=collection&amp;objectId=18607&amp;viewType=detailView\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Anders Zorn's Midsummer Dance is a perfect example of how a person can be recognized in a crowd, even without depicting the details of their face.\" data-id=\"12431\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"1879\" height=\"1043\" data-init-height=\"2560\" title=\"Anders Zorn: Midsummer Dance\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/9-Zorn-2-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"1043\" data-link-wrap=\"true\" style=\"\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Anders Zorn&#8217;s <em>Midsummer Dance<\/em> is a perfect example of how a person can be recognized in a crowd, even without depicting the details of their face.<\/p>\n<p>And you know that if you walk that parade, you could actually find the person, using that little six-stroke face, and pull them out of the crowd because it&#8217;s so crystal clear what they look like, even though there are no eyes or any details. That&#8217;s really a beautiful thing. That&#8217;s how you simplify portrait painting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1607198867049\">Starting With Structure<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">When all of the details go away, what\u2019s left is what matters.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"t-1632862190196\" style=\"text-align: center;\">KEVIN MURPHY<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Evolve Artist, Founder<\/p>\n<p>When you&#8217;re doing a portrait, you really want to start it (assuming you want to take it to a high polish and a clean, realistic finish with details) nice and loose. You want to start it as an impressionist painting and then build up the details on top of it.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"When you simplify portrait painting, start it as an impressionist painting and then build details on top.\" data-id=\"12502\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2830\" height=\"429\" data-init-height=\"1588\" title=\"Portrait Impressionistic Painting, Evolve Artist Kevin Murphy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Portrait-Impressionistic-Painting.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"429\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>To simplify portrait painting, start it as an impressionist painting and then build details on top.<\/p>\n<p>The structure has to be the underpinning for the painting. The structure is the basis to simplify portrait painting. &nbsp;Again, when you walk back 25 or 30 feet where all of the details go away, what&#8217;s left is what matters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Capturing the simple structure of the head lays a strong foundation for a detailed portrait as seen in this portrait of Grand Master Sardone by Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy.\" data-id=\"12504\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2781\" height=\"430\" data-init-height=\"1564\" title=\"Grand Master Sardone Portrait Details, Evolve Artist Kevin Murphy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GM-Sardone-Details.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"430\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Capturing the simple structure of the head lays a strong foundation for a detailed portrait as seen in this portrait of Grand Master Sardone by Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1633981077806\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">There&#8217;s your master&#8217;s guide on how to simplify portrait painting. This is the second post from our Master&#8217;s Guide to Painting Better Portraits series. Subscribe to stay posted.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">To read the other posts in the series click here:<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Master&#8217;s Guide #1:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/masters-guide-where-to-start-a-portrait\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Where to Start a Portrait<\/a>Master&#8217;s Guide #3: <a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/how-to-build-confidence-in-portrait-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Build Confidence in Portrait Painting<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">If you found this post insightful and you want to get more content like this, then check us out on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/evolveartist\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">YouTube<\/a>&nbsp;and follow us on&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/evolveartist\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">Instagram<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Happy painting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most people, when they start doing a portrait, they&#8217;re thinking about details right from the beginning, as if you can&#8217;t get a brush small enough to make the painting. They&#8217;re not thinking about how to simplify portrait painting. Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy working on a portrait painting of Grand Master Sardone. The truth is, if [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":12422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"<div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">Most people, when they start doing a portrait, they're thinking about details right from the beginning, as if you can't get a brush small enough to make the painting. They're not thinking about how to simplify portrait painting.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e2eb995\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img class=\"tve_image tcb-moved-image wp-image-12497\" alt=\"How to simplify portrait painting\" data-id=\"12497\" width=\"629\" data-init-width=\"2828\" height=\"353\" data-init-height=\"1586\" title=\"Grand Master Sardone, Kevin Murphy Painting\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Portrait-Realistic.png\" data-width=\"629\" data-height=\"353\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c9876a0a3\"><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-inline-text wp-caption-text\">Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy working on a portrait painting of Grand Master Sardone.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>The truth is, if you watch anyone who knows how to paint a portrait, they're taking out two-inch brushes to get it started. They're not working with these tiny little one hair brushes trying to paint the pores of the skin. They start with these overarching shapes.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc tve-elem-scroll tve-toc-expandable tcb-local-vars-root\" data-columns=\"1\" data-ct=\"toc-60671\" data-transition=\"fade\" data-headers=\"h2\" data-numbering=\"basic\" data-highlight=\"section\" data-ct-name=\"Table of Contents 03\" data-heading-style=\"{&quot;0&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b6a4&quot;,&quot;1&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b7d5&quot;,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b826&quot;}\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b853\" data-bullet-style=\"{&quot;0&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b885&quot;,&quot;1&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b8a6&quot;,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b8d9&quot;}\" data-number-style=\"{&quot;0&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b904&quot;,&quot;1&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b929&quot;,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;tve-u-615379d161b963&quot;}\" data-state-default=\"expanded\" data-animation=\"slide\" data-animation-speed=\"fast\" data-columns-d=\"1\" data-element-name=\"Table of Contents\"><div class=\"thrive-colors-palette-config\" style=\"display: none !important\">__CONFIG_colors_palette__{\"active_palette\":0,\"config\":{\"colors\":{\"73dde\":{\"name\":\"Main Accent\",\"parent\":-1},\"8215b\":{\"name\":\"Main Accent Transparent\",\"parent\":\"73dde\",\"lock\":{\"lightness\":1}}},\"gradients\":[]},\"palettes\":[{\"name\":\"Default\",\"value\":{\"colors\":{\"73dde\":{\"val\":\"var(--tcb-skin-color-0)\"},\"8215b\":{\"val\":\"rgba(164, 162, 162, 0.07)\",\"hsl_parent_dependency\":{\"h\":7,\"l\":0.64,\"s\":-0.01}}},\"gradients\":[]},\"original\":{\"colors\":{\"73dde\":{\"val\":\"rgb(253, 99, 78)\",\"hsl\":{\"h\":7,\"s\":0.97,\"l\":0.64,\"a\":1}},\"8215b\":{\"val\":\"rgba(253, 99, 78, 0.07)\",\"hsl_parent_dependency\":{\"h\":7,\"s\":0.97,\"l\":0.64,\"a\":0.07}}},\"gradients\":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__<\/div><div class=\"tve-toc-divider\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 0; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-divider tve-vert-divider\" data-style=\"tve_sep-1\" data-color-d=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b996\" data-thickness-d=\"1\"><hr class=\"tve_sep tve_sep-1\" style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><svg class=\"toc-icons\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 0; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><symbol viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" id=\"toc-bullet-0\" data-id=\"icon-circle-outlined\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm0 448c-110.5 0-200-89.5-200-200S145.5 56 256 56s200 89.5 200 200-89.5 200-200 200z\"><\/path><\/symbol><symbol viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" id=\"toc-bullet-1\" data-id=\"icon-circle-outlined\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm0 448c-110.5 0-200-89.5-200-200S145.5 56 256 56s200 89.5 200 200-89.5 200-200 200z\"><\/path><\/symbol><symbol viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" id=\"toc-bullet-2\" data-id=\"icon-circle-outlined\"><path d=\"M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8zm0 448c-110.5 0-200-89.5-200-200S145.5 56 256 56s200 89.5 200 200-89.5 200-200 200z\"><\/path><\/symbol><\/svg>\n\t<div class=\"tve-content-box-background\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b9c8\" style=\"\"><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-title show-icon tcb-icon-display tve-no-dropzone tve-prevent-content-edit\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b9f9\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"tve-content-box-background\"><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"tve-cb\" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div class=\"tve-toc-title-icon\" data-icon-code=\"icon-arrow-circle-down-solid\" style=\"\"><svg class=\"tcb-icon\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" data-id=\"icon-arrow-circle-down-solid\" data-name=\"\"><path d=\"M504 256c0 137-111 248-248 248S8 393 8 256 119 8 256 8s248 111 248 248zm-143.6-28.9L288 302.6V120c0-13.3-10.7-24-24-24h-16c-13.3 0-24 10.7-24 24v182.6l-72.4-75.5c-9.3-9.7-24.8-9.9-34.3-.4l-10.9 11c-9.4 9.4-9.4 24.6 0 33.9L239 404.3c9.4 9.4 24.6 9.4 33.9 0l132.7-132.7c9.4-9.4 9.4-24.6 0-33.9l-10.9-11c-9.5-9.5-25-9.3-34.3.4z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_no_icons\">\t\t\t<div class=\"tcb-plain-text\" style=\"\">Table of Contents<\/div> \t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"tve-cb tve-toc-content tve-prevent-content-edit\">\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-list tcb-no-delete tcb-no-save tcb-no-clone tve-no-dropzone\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161ba28\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"tve-content-box-background\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"tve-cb\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tve_ct_content tve_clearfix\"><div class=\"ct_column\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-heading tve-toc-heading-level0 tve_no_icons\" data-tag=\"H2\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b6a4\" data-element-name=\"Heading Level 1\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-number tve-toc-number0 tve_no_icons tve-jump-scroll\" data-target=\"#t-1607198867043\" jump-animation=\"smooth\" data-element-name=\"Number Level 1\" data-level=\"0\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b904\"><span class=\"tve-toc-disabled\">1<\/span><\/div><a href=\"#t-1607198867043\" class=\"tve-toc-anchor tve-jump-scroll\" jump-animation=\"smooth\">What Really Matters When You Simplify Portrait Painting<\/a><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-heading tve-toc-heading-level0 tve_no_icons\" data-tag=\"H2\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b6a4\" data-element-name=\"Heading Level 1\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-number tve-toc-number0 tve_no_icons tve-jump-scroll\" data-target=\"#t-1607198867044\" jump-animation=\"smooth\" data-element-name=\"Number Level 1\" data-level=\"0\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b904\"><span class=\"tve-toc-disabled\">2<\/span><\/div><a href=\"#t-1607198867044\" class=\"tve-toc-anchor tve-jump-scroll\" jump-animation=\"smooth\">What Doesn\u2019t Matter When You Simplify Portrait Painting<\/a><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-heading tve-toc-heading-level0 tve_no_icons\" data-tag=\"H2\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b6a4\" data-element-name=\"Heading Level 1\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-number tve-toc-number0 tve_no_icons tve-jump-scroll\" data-target=\"#t-1607198867045\" jump-animation=\"smooth\" data-element-name=\"Number Level 1\" data-level=\"0\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b904\"><span class=\"tve-toc-disabled\">3<\/span><\/div><a href=\"#t-1607198867045\" class=\"tve-toc-anchor tve-jump-scroll\" jump-animation=\"smooth\">Simplicity from Impressionists<\/a><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-heading tve-toc-heading-level0 tve_no_icons\" data-tag=\"H2\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b6a4\" data-element-name=\"Heading Level 1\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-number tve-toc-number0 tve_no_icons tve-jump-scroll\" data-target=\"#t-1607198867049\" jump-animation=\"smooth\" data-element-name=\"Number Level 1\" data-level=\"0\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b904\"><span class=\"tve-toc-disabled\">4<\/span><\/div><a href=\"#t-1607198867049\" class=\"tve-toc-anchor tve-jump-scroll\" jump-animation=\"smooth\">Starting With Structure<\/a><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-heading tve-toc-heading-level0 tve_no_icons\" data-tag=\"H2\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b6a4\" data-element-name=\"Heading Level 1\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve-toc-number tve-toc-number0 tve_no_icons tve-jump-scroll\" data-target=\"#t-1633981077806\" jump-animation=\"smooth\" data-element-name=\"Number Level 1\" data-level=\"0\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b904\"><span class=\"tve-toc-disabled\">5<\/span><\/div><a href=\"#t-1633981077806\" class=\"tve-toc-anchor tve-jump-scroll\" jump-animation=\"smooth\">Conclusion<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-divider tve-vert-divider\" data-style=\"tve_sep-1\" data-color-d=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b996\" data-thickness-d=\"1\"><hr class=\"tve_sep tve_sep-1\" style=\"\"><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p><span style=\"color: var(--tcb-color-12); font-family: &quot;Cormorant Garamond&quot;; font-size: 28px; font-weight: var(--g-bold-weight,bold);\">How to Simplify Portrait Painting<\/span><\/p><p>Now, I want to show you just how irrelevant the details are compared to the structure.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e2f7646\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12424 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"Structure is more important than details in this simple image of a cube as well as when you simplify portrait painting\" data-id=\"12424\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"1920\" height=\"430\" data-init-height=\"1080\" title=\"Simple Cube painting, one shadow, one light\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2-Slide-Ball-Cube-Cube-1.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"430\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c70bc45e3\"><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper wp-caption-text thrv-inline-text\">Structure is more important than the details in this image of a simple cube made of one light shade and one shadow shade.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">A simple cube has one shadow and two light shades, one on the side and one on the top. A face could be broken down into one shadow shade and one light shade.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c987fa9a4\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12500\" alt=\"At the start of his portrait painting, Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy begins with one shadow shade and one light shade.\" data-id=\"12500\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2828\" height=\"430\" data-init-height=\"1590\" title=\"Adding shade to portrait, Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Portrait-1-Shadow-Shade.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"430\"><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-inline-text wp-caption-text\">At the start of his portrait painting, Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy begins with one shadow shade and one light shade.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 id=\"t-1607198867043\" class=\"\">What Really Matters When You Simplify Portrait Painting<\/h2><p>Now we'll start and we'll think in terms of grayscale. <br><br>To show you how powerful just the two shades and some gradients and sharp edges are, I want you to think about your high school yearbook. For some of you, your high school yearbook is in black and white.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e2ff1bf\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"https:\/\/statelinesportsnetwork.net\/2020\/01\/20\/remember-the-titans-the-loss-of-two-coaches-in-2019\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12425 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"Team Titans, photo from 1972 TC Williams Yearbook. The small and blurry faces from high school yearbooks are still recognizable despite their lack of detail.\" data-id=\"12425\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"900\" height=\"402\" data-init-height=\"473\" title=\"Team Titans, from 1972 TC Williams Yearbook. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/3-Titans.jpeg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"402\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c70bf907c\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper wp-caption-text thrv-inline-text\">Team Titans, photo from 1972 TC Williams Yearbook. The small and blurry faces from high school yearbooks are still recognizable despite their lack of detail.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">For me, my high school yearbook is maybe 32 years old. I can look back in my high school yearbook and look at my football team. And the heads are small. They're made up of maybe 12 pixels in grayscale. Yet, I'm able to recognize people.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e30571c\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_American_football#\/media\/File:Colorado_football_team_1890.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12426 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"A photo of Colorado's first football team, 1890. The structure of the players' heads make their identities recognizable.\" data-id=\"12426\" width=\"338\" data-init-width=\"338\" height=\"224\" data-init-height=\"224\" title=\"Colorado's First Football Team, 1890\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/4-Colorado_football_team_1890.jpg\" data-width=\"338\" data-height=\"224\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e3068db\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper wp-caption-text thrv-inline-text\">A photo of Colorado's first football team, 1890. The structure of the players' heads make their identities recognizable.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">From 35 years ago, from an image where I can't see their eyes, I can't see their nose, and I can't see their mouth, I can see the overall structure of the head. And not even under good lighting. However, the structure of the head is enough for me to recognize somebody from 35 years ago.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e310c73\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"https:\/\/documenting.pitt.edu\/islandora\/object\/pitt%3A1924e49702\/viewer#page\/6\/mode\/1up\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12427 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"1922 Pittsburgh Panthers football team. From the 1924 Owl Year Book published by the University of Pittsburgh. Old team photographs show you what matters most to simplify portrait painting. \" data-id=\"12427\" width=\"624\" data-init-width=\"624\" height=\"411\" data-init-height=\"411\" title=\"1922 Pittsburgh Panthers Football Team\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/5-1922_Pittsburgh_Pathers_Football_team.jpg\" data-width=\"624\" data-height=\"411\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c70cb6043\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper wp-caption-text thrv-inline-text\">1922 Pittsburgh Panthers football team. From the 1924 Owl Year Book published by the University of Pittsburgh. Old team photographs show you what matters most when simplifying painted portraits.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p dir=\"ltr\">If you go and you check out your yearbooks and look at the team photographs, they're terrible, out of focus, and taken from 25 feet away. The heads are little but you'll still recognize people.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">That shows you what matters in creating a recognizable portrait--a portrait that looks like the person. It also shows you what matters when you simplify portrait painting.<\/p><h2 id=\"t-1607198867044\" class=\"\">What Doesn\u2019t Matter When You Simplify Portrait Painting<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>Those photographs don't require any details for you to recognize the person.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_contentbox_shortcode thrv-content-box tve-elem-default-pad dynamic-group-kcc8i7f6\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"tve-content-box-background\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd6\"><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"tve-cb\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_icon tcb-local-vars-root tcb-icon-display dynamic-group-kcc8f3ka\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd7\" style=\"\"><svg class=\"tcb-icon\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" data-id=\"icon-quote-left-solid\" data-name=\"\" style=\"\">\n            <path d=\"M464 256h-80v-64c0-35.3 28.7-64 64-64h8c13.3 0 24-10.7 24-24V56c0-13.3-10.7-24-24-24h-8c-88.4 0-160 71.6-160 160v240c0 26.5 21.5 48 48 48h128c26.5 0 48-21.5 48-48V304c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48zm-288 0H96v-64c0-35.3 28.7-64 64-64h8c13.3 0 24-10.7 24-24V56c0-13.3-10.7-24-24-24h-8C71.6 32 0 103.6 0 192v240c0 26.5 21.5 48 48 48h128c26.5 0 48-21.5 48-48V304c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48z\"><\/path>\n        <\/svg><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_empty_dropzone tcb-local-vars-root dynamic-group-kcc8f7dw\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd8\" style=\"\"><p data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd9\" style=\"\">When we paint a portrait, it\u2019s not the details that matter. It\u2019s the bone structure in the head that makes the person look the way they look. The eyes, the nose, and the mouth, they\u2019re decorative.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_empty_dropzone tcb-local-vars-root dynamic-group-kcc8fcot\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dda\" style=\"\"><h4 class=\"\" id=\"t-1632862190195\" style=\"text-align: center;\">KEVIN MURPHY<\/h4><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_empty_dropzone tcb-local-vars-root dynamic-group-kcc8fict\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324ddc\" style=\"\"><p data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324ddd\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Evolve Artist, Founder<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p><br>So when we paint a portrait, even on a large scale, it's not the eyes and the nose and the mouth that matter. It's not the details. It's not razor stubble. It's not individual hairs.<\/p><p>It's the bone structure in the head that makes the person look the way they look. The eyes, the nose, and the mouth, they're decorative. They're like earrings. They really are decorative.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 id=\"t-1607198867045\" class=\"\">Simplicity from Impressionists<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e348001\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artic.edu\/artworks\/69780\/the-fountain-villa-torlonia-frascati-italy\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12428 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"In The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy, John Singer Sargent simplifies his portraits by focusing on the structure of the head and not the details. \" data-id=\"12428\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"872\" height=\"980\" data-init-height=\"1117\" title=\"The Fountain by John Singer Sargent\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/6-Sargent-2.jpeg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"980\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c70cf6e9a\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper wp-caption-text thrv-inline-text\">In&nbsp;<em>The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy,&nbsp;<\/em>John Singer Sargent simplifies his portraits by focusing on the structure of the head and not the details.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>If you go and you look at John Singer Sargent, even portraits by guys like Zorn, you'll see that a lot of these paintings, particularly in the shadows, barely even hint at an eye or a nostril. They just leave it out completely.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e34e667\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Omnibus_(painting)\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12429\" alt=\"The vague facial features don't take away from this impressive portrait painting, Omnibus, by Anders Zorn.\" data-id=\"12429\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"1693\" height=\"1157\" data-init-height=\"2560\" title=\"Anders Zorn, Omnibus\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/7-Zorn-1-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"1157\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-inline-text wp-caption-text\">The vague facial features don't take away from this impressive portrait painting, <em>Omnibus,<\/em> by Anders Zorn.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>When you simplify how you paint portraits, it doesn't matter because it doesn't actually have anything to do with the structure of the head. Your brain will fill in the blanks if the structure of the head is done well.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption tve-image-caption-below\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e35673c\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artrenewal.org\/artists\/louis-abel-truchet\/2339\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12430 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"La f\u00eate foraine, Place Pigalle by Louis Abel-Truchet. Where the head structure is done well, your brain will fill in the details.\" data-id=\"12430\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2000\" height=\"755\" data-init-height=\"1974\" title=\"La fe\u0302te foraine, Place Pigalle by Louis Abel-Truchet\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/8-La-fe\u0302te-foraine-Place-Pigalle-by-Louis-Abel-Truchet.jpg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"755\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c70d4ccc8\" data-link-wrap=\"true\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper wp-caption-text thrv-inline-text\"><em>La f\u00eate foraine, Place Pigalle<\/em> by Louis Abel-Truchet. Where the head structure is done well, your brain will fill in the details.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>You can go look at impressionist work and look at paintings where they have people that are at a parade or something like that. You see them in the background and they're just like six strokes and it's a face.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e35c4e9\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><a href=\"http:\/\/emp-web-84.zetcom.ch\/eMP\/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&amp;module=collection&amp;objectId=18607&amp;viewType=detailView\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12431 tcb-moved-image\" alt=\"Anders Zorn's Midsummer Dance is a perfect example of how a person can be recognized in a crowd, even without depicting the details of their face.\" data-id=\"12431\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"1879\" height=\"1043\" data-init-height=\"2560\" title=\"Anders Zorn: Midsummer Dance\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/9-Zorn-2-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"1043\" data-link-wrap=\"true\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c70dbcd3a\"><\/a><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-inline-text wp-caption-text\">Anders Zorn's <em>Midsummer Dance<\/em> is a perfect example of how a person can be recognized in a crowd, even without depicting the details of their face.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>And you know that if you walk that parade, you could actually find the person, using that little six-stroke face, and pull them out of the crowd because it's so crystal clear what they look like, even though there are no eyes or any details. That's really a beautiful thing. That's how you simplify portrait painting.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"\" id=\"t-1607198867049\">Starting With Structure<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_contentbox_shortcode thrv-content-box tve-elem-default-pad dynamic-group-kcc8i7f6\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"tve-content-box-background\" style=\"\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd6\"><\/div>\n\t<div class=\"tve-cb\"><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_icon tcb-local-vars-root tcb-icon-display dynamic-group-kcc8f3ka\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd7\" style=\"\"><svg class=\"tcb-icon\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" data-id=\"icon-quote-left-solid\" data-name=\"\" style=\"\">\n            <path d=\"M464 256h-80v-64c0-35.3 28.7-64 64-64h8c13.3 0 24-10.7 24-24V56c0-13.3-10.7-24-24-24h-8c-88.4 0-160 71.6-160 160v240c0 26.5 21.5 48 48 48h128c26.5 0 48-21.5 48-48V304c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48zm-288 0H96v-64c0-35.3 28.7-64 64-64h8c13.3 0 24-10.7 24-24V56c0-13.3-10.7-24-24-24h-8C71.6 32 0 103.6 0 192v240c0 26.5 21.5 48 48 48h128c26.5 0 48-21.5 48-48V304c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48z\"><\/path>\n        <\/svg><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_empty_dropzone tcb-local-vars-root dynamic-group-kcc8f7dw\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e373ecb\"><p data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dd9\" style=\"text-align: center;\">When all of the details go away, what\u2019s left is what matters.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_empty_dropzone tcb-local-vars-root dynamic-group-kcc8fcot\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324dda\" style=\"\"><h4 class=\"\" id=\"t-1632862190196\" style=\"text-align: center;\">KEVIN MURPHY<\/h4><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element tve_empty_dropzone tcb-local-vars-root dynamic-group-kcc8fict\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324ddc\" style=\"\"><p data-css=\"tve-u-17c2e324ddd\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Evolve Artist, Founder<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>When you're doing a portrait, you really want to start it (assuming you want to take it to a high polish and a clean, realistic finish with details) nice and loose. You want to start it as an impressionist painting and then build up the details on top of it.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c98869e73\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12502\" alt=\"When you simplify portrait painting, start it as an impressionist painting and then build details on top.\" data-id=\"12502\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2830\" height=\"429\" data-init-height=\"1588\" title=\"Portrait Impressionistic Painting, Evolve Artist Kevin Murphy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Portrait-Impressionistic-Painting.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"429\"><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-inline-text wp-caption-text\">To simplify portrait painting, start it as an impressionist painting and then build details on top.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><p>The structure has to be the underpinning for the painting. The structure is the basis to simplify portrait painting. &nbsp;Again, when you walk back 25 or 30 feet where all of the details go away, what's left is what matters.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper tve_image_caption\" data-css=\"tve-u-17c988b7554\"><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img class=\"tve_image wp-image-12504\" alt=\"Capturing the simple structure of the head lays a strong foundation for a detailed portrait as seen in this portrait of Grand Master Sardone by Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy.\" data-id=\"12504\" width=\"765\" data-init-width=\"2781\" height=\"430\" data-init-height=\"1564\" title=\"Grand Master Sardone Portrait Details, Evolve Artist Kevin Murphy\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GM-Sardone-Details.png\" data-width=\"765\" data-height=\"430\"><\/span><p class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv-inline-text wp-caption-text\">Capturing the simple structure of the head lays a strong foundation for a detailed portrait as seen in this portrait of Grand Master Sardone by Evolve Founder Kevin Murphy.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"thrv_wrapper thrv_text_element\"><h2 class=\"\" id=\"t-1633981077806\">Conclusion<\/h2><p dir=\"ltr\">There's your master's guide on how to simplify portrait painting. This is the second post from our Master's Guide to Painting Better Portraits series. Subscribe to stay posted.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">To read the other posts in the series click here:<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">Master's Guide #1:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/masters-guide-where-to-start-a-portrait\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">Where to Start a Portrait<\/a><br>Master's Guide #3:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/how-to-build-confidence-in-portrait-painting\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">How to Build Confidence in Portrait Painting<\/a> Master's Guide #4: <a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/how-to-capture-the-likeness-of-a-face\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">How to Get a Likeness in Portrait Painting<\/a><br>Master's Guide #5: <a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/improve-your-portrait-painting-skills\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">Quickest Method to Level Up Portrait Painting Skills<\/a><br>Master's Guide #6: <a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/how-to-price-portrait-paintings\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">How to Price Portrait Paintings<\/a><br>Master's Guide #7: <a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-your-portraits-and-get-commissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">How to Get Portrait Commissions<\/a><br>Master's Guide #8: <a href=\"https:\/\/evolveartist.com\/blog\/todays-portraitists-vs-old-masters\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">Are Today's Portraitists Better Than the Old Masters?<\/a><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">If you found this post insightful and you want to get more content like this, then check us out on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/evolveartist\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">YouTube<\/a>&nbsp;and follow us on&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/evolveartist\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tve-froala\" style=\"outline: none;\">Instagram<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">Happy painting!<\/p><\/div>","tve_custom_css":"@media (min-width: 300px){[data-css=\"tve-u-615379d161b853\"] { --tve-toc-indent:15px; 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