I have just started my 2nd year at an evenng class for watercolours. Whilst I am fairly happy with my progress, I find that painting simple landscapes can be a little boring and sometimes the subject matter fails to inspire me. (I do not wish to distract from my tutor's ability, and appreciate he is teaching us all the necessary techniques. In fact he's brilliant really). I have now had the urge to paint a portrait of my dad who is 89 yrs old. I have managed to do a pretty good sketch from a photo, bur I am now afraid to put paint to picture. I am unsure what colours to use to start with. Any suggestions out there you lovely people !

Hi Leslie. I love using watercolour for portraits. For white skin I usually start with a pale mix of cadmium yellow pale and a little cadmium red. It will look disconcertingly orange to start with but will dry to a much softer shade. However ALWAYS of course try it out a few time on some scrap paper before you are confident! Older skin sometimes needs a cooler hue in which case I will add a little alizarin crimson. The important thing to remember is that skin is much darker than you think. People are often afraid to give white skin a strong colour. Simply holding a piece of white paper next to your face in the mirror will reassure you that you can be quite bold with the paint tone. Lines and wrinkles need to be shaded in a stronger tone of your overall flesh colour. Beware the temptation to draw them in with conventional shade colours such as blue or purple, or your subject will look like they are wearing 'old person' theatrical make-up! Good luck and enjoy your painting.

Thanks for that Jane. I'm just about to bite the bullet! Never realised painting could be so nerve racking. How do you normally approach the first brush strokes? Do you start with a wash on the whole face , or take it a step at a time, say starting with the eyes. Any tips at all would be gratefully accepted Regards Les

I can only answer with what I do, Leslie, which of course might not suit you. I start with a loose but NOT UNIFORM wash, so that light and shade is already beginning to form. I will also introduce a little more red in some parts and a little cerulean blue in the cooler areas as I'm applying this wash. Once this is dry then I will start building up different tones and colours. My way of working is quite loose though - I like being able to see the different layers of colour in the final picture as for me that is the beauty of watercolour (see www.janeduke.com/portraits.htm for examples). Others of course prefer a more blended effect and they would therefore probably approach the whole thing differently. I do understand what you mean about it being nerve-wracking putting the first colour down. I'm afraid it doesn't get any better with time! You just have to take a deep breath and go for it. It's only the first wash that is terrifying. After that I promise you'll enjoy yourself!

hi there, i would recomend that you take a look at the book sparkle with life by cindy agan. this helped me load and will give you and idea of colours and where to start. i found my own style and methods once i had got other the intial fear. I start with a slight wash building up slowly. I work backwards and forwards from the eyes to the skin and shadows, so that i can fine tune and add balance to the painting. do not be afraid of your colours and don't go to pale. If you are using to many warm colours use soft cold colour within your shadows. Really look at your eyes and all the colours you see within them, as the eyes reflect not only the colour that they are but what they may be looking at. They ass life and soul. i always say that if the eye's aren't right then try and improve them, if not start again. Try practising with different sections till you are completly confident and at ease with what you should do. Take alook at my work, most is pastel i have one watercolour portrait at the moment. www.expressive-marks.co.uk hope all goes well