Portrait Practice — Why Sketching Matters + A Step-By-Step Eye Tutorial! (Patreon)

✨ Lately, I had the joy of hosting my very first 1-on-1 session on painting portraits for beginners — where to start, what to focus on, and how to approach each step. It also inspired me to revisit an old class I once took on fashion portrait illustration, and guess what? I caught the portrait-painting bug again! 🎨

Even though portraits can be tricky, I’ve realized how much I love the process — especially painting eyes (it’s truly my favorite part!). So I decided to share a little gift with you: a simple step-by-step guide on 2 slides showing how I paint eyes, from start to finish.

One thing I always remind my students: the key to a great portrait is a solid sketch. If something looks off in the sketch, it’ll only stand out more once you add paint. The good news? Faces follow general proportions, so once you learn the structure, the rest is all about observing the unique features of the person you’re painting!

I’m curious — would you be interested in more posts or guides about painting portraits? Let me know in the comments! 💌 I’d love to share more if it’s something you'd enjoy.