How to Paint a Face on Wood
- 1). Prepare the wood by sanding it and covering it with a thin layer of latex or enamel primer.
- 2). Sketch a pencil outline of the face. Start with the outline of the head and the larger regions that will make up the painting, then sketch out the facial details (nose, ears, mouth, etc.).
- 3). Mix a light wash for the face, focusing on the overall skin tone (a composite of reds, yellows, blues, and greens). Begin shaping the hair with the brush. Paint in some facial detail. Take extra care in rendering the eyes, which are particularly important to portraiture.
- 4). Mix some red shades (you can use cadmium red light and permanent rose) to paint the lips. Bring out the features by building successive layers of skin tone color. Add detail and texture to the hair.
- 5). Use a damp Q-tip to soften small areas of the facial features. Add shadows to give depth and flourishes of color around the ears and cheeks to make the painting more lively.