Artists_amp_amp_Illustrators__July_2016_

58 Artists & Illustrators

HOW TO PAINT...

THE MOUTH

1

I’ve used a 2” fl at brush here to

make the fi rst big shadow shapes.

One layer of paint fi lls the left side of

the face, and the eye socket on the

right. I’ve made this colour by mixing

Sap Green and Cadmium Red. I added

a little Ultramarine Blue and Van Dyke

Brown to paint the darker hair shape.

2

Before painting the lips, I put a

second layer of Cadmium Red

mixed with Sap Green over the eye

sockets and down the shadow side of

the nose. As it’s drying, I add some

Alizarin Crimson to the mix and use

this warm dark to print the line of the

edge of the face and the line dividing

the lips. When painting the lips, I use

the 1” fl at brush and pull up the

warmer colour to make the triangular

shadow shape on either side of the

upper lip. As you pull up the brush, the

fl uid paint will fl ow into the corner.

3

Next, I tackle the all-important

shadow beneath the lower lip, and

then the underside of the jaw. The Sap

Green added to the lip colour makes a

good tone, and I’ve added a touch of

Ultramarine Blue for extra punch

under the chin. In the next move, I mix

Sap Green and Cadmium Red again

and paint the shadow running down to

the jaw on the left. The lip bleeds into

it a little; this is OK as soft edges on

the shadow side are helpful.

4

I mix Yellow Ochre with a touch of

Cadmium Red to make a warm

skin tone painted with a 1/4” fl at

brush which gives a value to the light

side. I’m also mixing Alizarin Crimson

and Viridian Green to make a dark

tone that will re-establish the broken

line dividing the lips. The skin around

the mouth was quite wet after the last

move, so I take my time mixing colour

to allow it to dry. These marks are

placed when the under-layer is dry.

5

I fi ll in a warm light red on the

lower lip made with a mix of

Alizarin and Cadmium Red. Once the

lip is dry I add a touch of Viridian

Green to the lip colour and paint the

shadows on the left of the mouth to

further sculpt the form of the lips. I

add some Sap Green and re-establish

the shadow beneath the

lower lip, the shadow

above and to the left of

the upper lip, and in the

philtrum. When there is more activity

in the light side, it helps to reinstate

the darks.

SIDE PROFILE

The main concern here is to fi nd the

slope of the upper lip. Look at the

shape of the space of skin between

the upper lip and the nostril. The lower

lip tends to sit back from the upper lip,

and there is a triangular background

space between them. Consider how

far out the chin comes in relation to

the mouth. It helps to visualise a

vertical line dropping from the tip of

the nose or the lip and consider how

far that line is from the chin.

Next month: Aine shares her tips for

painting the nose.

http://www.ainedivinepaintings.co.uk

tip

wHEN YOU LIFT THE

BRUSH, LEAVE A

FLUID MARK THAT IS

THE SHAPE YOU ARE

AIMING FOR

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5

2

4

56 Aine Divine.indd 58 11/05/2016 11:48