Month: May 2026

A good portrait is built in stages.
If you skip stages, things fall apart—proportions, values, everything.

So instead of thinking:

“I need to paint a portrait”

Think:

“I need to solve one step at a time”

Let me show you exactly how I approach it.

Step 1: The Blank Canvas (and the plan)

Before touching the brush, I already have a plan.

• Where is the light coming from?
• What is the main shadow shape?
• What is the focus?

If you don’t decide this early, you’ll keep guessing later.

Sometimes I tone the canvas slightly so I’m not working on pure white.

Step 2: Block-in (big shapes only)

This is where most beginners rush.

Don’t.

At this stage:

• no details
• no eyelashes
• no small corrections

Only:

• big shape of the head
• big shadow vs light

If the block-in is wrong, everything after will be harder.

Step 3: Proportions and placement

Now I start checking:

• Are the eyes too high?
• Is the nose too long?
• Is the angle of the head correct?

I don’t guess—I compare.

This is where I combine measuring and understanding.

You don’t need perfect lines, but you need correct relationships.

Step 4: Establish values (this is everything)

This is the step that makes or breaks your portrait.

I simplify into:

• light family
• shadow family

No over-blending.

I keep the planes visible.

If your values are right, the portrait will feel solid—even without details.

Step 5: Add color (keep it simple)

Now color comes in—but controlled.

I don’t use 20 colors.

I often work with something like the Zorn palette to keep things simple.

Think in terms of:

• warm vs cool
• not exact color matching

Too many colors = confusion.

Step 6: Edges and transitions

Now I start refining:

• soft edges where forms turn
• sharper edges where I want focus

Not everything should be sharp.

Edges create depth and realism.

Step 7: Final adjustments (not overworking)

At the end, I don’t “add more.”

I adjust:

• small value corrections
• subtle highlights
• balance

And sometimes the best decision is to stop.

Overworking can kill a good painting.

A simple way to remember the process

1. Plan
2. Block-in
3. Proportions
4. Values
5. Color
6. Edges
7. Adjust

That’s it.

Where most people go wrong

They jump from:
👉 blank canvas → details

And skip:

• structure
• values
• simplification

That’s why things feel out of control.

For your next painting

Don’t try to do everything at once.

Focus on one stage at a time.

If your painting looks wrong, don’t panic—just ask:

👉 “Which step did I skip?”

Go back. Fix that step.

Final thought

A strong portrait is not about talent.

It’s about building it correctly, step by step.

Do that consistently, and your results will change.

My E books could help you improve faster: https://www.rensoart.com/e-books-practical-tips-color-harmony/

My E books could help you improve faster: https://www.rensoart.com/e-books-practical-tips-color-harmony/

At some point, this happens to everyone.

You look at your painting and think:

“I can see what’s wrong… but I can’t fix it.”

That’s frustrating.
But it’s also a very good sign.

It means your eye is ahead of your hand.

And that’s exactly where you want to be.

What this actually means

Your eye is your ability to see:

• proportions
• values
• shapes
• mistakes

Your hand is your ability to:

• draw accurately
• place shapes correctly
• control the brush

When you start, both are weak. You don’t see much, and you can’t do much.

Then something changes.

You start to notice more:

• “The eyes are too big”
• “The values are off”
• “This doesn’t feel solid”

But when you try to fix it… it doesn’t come out right.

That gap—between what you see and what you can do—is where learning happens.

Why this feels so frustrating

Because now you have taste.

You can recognize what looks good and what doesn’t.

So your brain says:
– “I know this is wrong. Why can’t I fix it?”

The problem is not understanding.

The problem is execution.

Your hand hasn’t caught up yet.

Most people make the wrong decision here

They think:

• “Maybe I’m not talented”
• “Maybe I need better materials”
• “Maybe I should copy more carefully”

No.

What you need is more mileage with intention.

Not more random practice.

What you should do instead

1. Slow down and simplify

If your hand can’t match what you see, it’s usually because you’re trying to do too much.

Go back to basics:

• big shapes
• simple values
• fewer details

If you can’t paint it simply, you don’t understand it yet.

2. Train your eye AND your hand together

Don’t separate them.

When you see a mistake, don’t just move on.

Ask:

• Where exactly is the problem?
• Is it proportion, value, or edge?

Then fix only that one thing.

This is how your hand learns.

3. Use smaller, controlled exercises

This is why I make students do things like:

• value studies
• limited palette paintings
• quick sketches

You’re not trying to make a masterpiece.

You’re trying to build control.

4. Accept the gap

This is important.

That gap between your eye and your hand will always exist—just at different levels.

Even advanced painters feel it.

The difference is:
– they don’t panic when it happens.

They know it’s part of the process.

A simple way to think about it

Your eye is the teacher.
Your hand is the student.

Right now, your teacher is getting better faster than your student.

That’s not a problem.

That’s progress.

What this means for your next session

Instead of trying to make a perfect painting, do this:

• Pick one thing to improve (values, proportions, edges)
• Keep the painting simple
• Focus on correcting mistakes, not hiding them

That’s how the hand catches up.

Final thought

If you can see your mistakes, you’re already ahead of where you were before.

Now your job is simple:

– Keep practicing
– Keep correcting
– Keep it simple

Your hand will catch up.

It always does.

My E books could help you improve faster: https://www.rensoart.com/e-books-practical-tips-color-harmony/

• Step-by-step: from blank canvas to finished portrait
• Why Your Eye Is Ahead of Your Hand (And That’s Normal)
• How to Train Your Eye in 10 Minutes a Day
• The Difference Between Copying and Understanding
• Why Your Portraits Look Flat (Even If Your Drawing Is Correct)