Paint from the Heart and Nose with Andreas Liss
Learn how a portrait can emerge almost by accident through a focus on organic shapes and values.
In this lesson (60 mins), German designer and painter Andreas Liss challenges the academic "correct" way of painting to show you how a portrait can emerge almost by accident through a focus on organic shapes and values rather than anatomical labels.
Working with oil paints, Andreas portrays a reference photo striking for its heavy, tearful emotion and high-contrast highlights.
Eschewing the traditional method of starting with large, rough shapes, Andreas begins right in the thick of it with the nose, an "anchor point" he uses to build the rest of the face.
By following his lead, you'll learn to:
- Deconstruct the Face: Forget that you are painting a "lip" or an "eye." Instead, look for the "weird organic shapes," shadows, and hints of light that naturally form a human likeness.
- Work with a Limited Palette: Discover the versatility of the Zorn palette—basic black, white, ochre, and red—to create complex skin tones and moody, "dirty" shadow work.
- Embrace "Fat Over Lean": Master the technical side of oil painting by starting with white and building up to thicker, oil-rich layers.
- Value Quantity Over Perfection: Hear Andreas’s take on why painting 1,200 "rough" portraits is more valuable for your growth than laboring over a single "masterpiece."
Andreas treats his sketchbook as a diary, a place where painting from the heart outweighs the pressure of anatomical accuracy.
Ready to ah-choose your anchor point and get painting? Let's get started!
