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Compact Guide for Artists A Portrait in Soft Pastel © 2025 Tri Le. All rights reserved.INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Compact Guide for Artists: Portraits in Soft Pastel No. 1. Thank you for appreciating my artwork and for your interest in learning more about soft pastel techniques. The Compact Guide for Artists is a series of learning materials that focuses on one specific painting or demonstration, providing all the relevant information and techniques involved in that piece - from materials, foundational methods, and sketching, to detailed tech- niques such as shading, rendering details, and creating textures. This is the first guide I've created specifically for soft pastels, and together, we'll create a female portrait. To make the learning process more effective, I've divided the material into two parts: The PDF you're reading now, which in- cludes detailed written explanations with accompanying images, and a set of time-lapse videos (without verbal in- struction) that visually demonstrate the process. These videos are uploaded on YouTube as Unlisted, meaning only those with the link can view them. With this approach, I hope you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire process and the techniques used in creating the piece.Materials & ToolsMATERIALS & TOOLS The materials and tools use for my soft pastel works are generally quite similar across different pieces. However, each painting may require its own unique color palette to effectively convey the specific mood and concept of the artwork. In this section, I'll briefly share the materials and tools used for this particular piece. Soft Pastel Soft pastels come in stick form and are available in many different types. Some are high-end with a creamy tex- ture, like the Sennelier Extra-Soft Pastels, while others are drier and more powdery, such as those from Faber-Castell. For portrait work, I rarely rely heavily on soft pastel sticks - if I do use them, it's typically just for the initial layer. My portrait style leans toward detail and precision, which makes pastel pencils a more suitable choice. However, soft pastel sticks are incredibly useful for areas like the background or parts of the painting that call for expressive strokes and a looser, less detailed approach. In this particular piece, used several colors from the Faber-Castell Creative Studio Soft Pastel Crayons set. Personally, I really enjoy using this line for its powdery texture, which makes blending and layering in soft pastel work easier and more effective. FABER-CASTELL since 1761 Mini 72 Soft Pastels Passels ARE 348 Creative Studio Image Credit: Faber-CastellPastel Pencils When it comes to pastel pencils, use a wide range of types and brands. Although their core properties are similar, each brand and each pigment has its own personality and is suited to different techniques. The most basic and versatile option - suitable for most techniques - is the Faber-Castell Pitt Pastell Colouring Pencil. STABILO Carbothello Pastel Pencils and Koh-I-Noor Artist's Soft Pastel Pencils have a very soft quality, which makes them extremely useful for blending - especially the exceptionally soft pencils. Caran d'Ache is known for its high-end pastel pencils, featuring thick cores and beautifully pigmented colors. Personally, recommend using Caran d'Ache for detailed work. Similarly, details can also be achieved with Cretacolor Fine Art Pastel Pencils. These are the brands commonly use, but encourage you to explore and experiment with different types to find the ones that best match your techniques and personal comfort. FABER-CASTELL FABER-CASTELL PENCILS Faber-Castell Pitt Caran D'ache Cretacolor Normal hardness, flexible High quality, good for fine details Good for fine details Image Credit: Faber-Castell Image Credit: Caran D'ache Image Credit: Cretacolor CarbOthello GIOCONDA 48 DRAWING quality product SOFT PASTEL PENCILS Koh-i-noor Gioconda Stabilo CarbOthello Exceptional soft, great for blending Soft, good for blending Image Credit: Koh-i-noor Image Credit: StabiloPaper/Substrate There are many types of substrates (drawing surfaces) available for working with soft pastels. Among the most commonly used by artists are three main types: Soft Pastel Textured Paper - such as Canson Mi-Teintes, Winsor & Newton, or Strathmore. Sanded Paper - like UArt, Canson Mi-Teintes Touch, etc. Pastelmat by Clairefontaine. Textured paper is great for practice, but it can be more limited in terms of color performance and overall quality. Sanded paper is excellent for layering and creating expressive textures. Pastelmat is exceptional - especially if you prefer detailed rendering and smooth blending. For this portrait - as with most of my works - I used Pastelmat by Clairefontaine, in sand color, size 30x40 cm. Image Credit: ClairefontaineSharpening Pastel Pencils Now that we've gone over the essential materials and tools, let's talk about how to sharpen your pastel pencils. In my experience, the way you sharpen your pastel pencils has a direct impact on your technique - it affects your blending methods, your ability to render fine details, and the overall precision in your work. Using the Knife & Blade To sharpen pastel pencils, using a blade is the most effective method. It allows you to care- fully remove the wooden casing and expose the pastel core inside. The blade I personally use is the X-Acto Z Series, which is exception- ally sharp. By exposing a longer section of the core, you can hold the pencil at a lower angle against the paper - which is especially helpful for blending techniques and achieving smoother transitions. Shave off thin layers To avoid breaking the pastel core, always shave off the wooden casing in thin layers in- stead of applying too much force. Continu- ously rotate the pencil as you sharpen to evenly remove the outer layers on all sides, until the pastel core is fully exposed. The pastel core length The length of the exposed pastel core is up to you - the longer it is, the longer you can use it before needing to sharpen again, but it also becomes more fragile and prone to breaking. suggest a length of around 1 to 1.5 inches, which is usually enough to complete an entire piece without having to resharpen during the process.Using the sandpaper To sharpen the pastel core to a point, nothing works better than sandpaper. You can either purchase sandpaper blocks specifically de- signed for pencils, or simply use regular fine-grit sandpaper. Start by gently sanding around the pastel core, and rotate the pencil continuously SO that all sides are evenly sharpened. This will give you a smooth, ta- pered tip that's ideal for detailed work. Tip of the core Gradually move toward the tip of the core, and be very gentle while sanding to avoid breaking the point. Sanding takes time and patience - keep rotating the pencil and don't rush the process. If too much pastel dust builds up on the sandpaper, simply brush it off with your fingers and rub firmly to reveal the grit under- neath SO it can be reused effectively. and this is the result Continue sanding until you've shaped the pastel core into a gradually tapered form -nar- rowing smoothly from the base to the tip. This shape is especially useful for blending techniques, as we mainly blend using the side edges of the core rather than the tip, which is reserved for fine details.What colors did I use in this work? As mentioned earlier, each artwork requires its own color palette to express its unique idea, concept, and mood. For this portrait, used almost exactly the same set of colors typically rely on for portrait work. Below are the specific colors I used in this piece. Group 1: Light Group 2: Mid-tone Group 3: Shadow Group 1 Group 2 Group 3Foundational ConceptsFUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS Before we actually start drawing the portrait, think it's worth taking a moment to go over a few key concepts and foundational principles. These will help you gain a deeper understanding of the portrait you're about to create. Some of these concepts may repeat or overlap with what I've shared in other learning materials, but in each art- work, focus more specifically on the ideas that are most relevant to that particular piece. The foundational topics in this section may include portrait structure, color theory, and shading theory. By exploring these ideas first, you'll be able to approach the painting with a stronger grasp of the many layers that go into creating expressive and in- tentional work. Portrait Sketching Sketching the portrait is one of the most important steps - not only to capture the intended likeness, but also to es- tablish a well-balanced composition and communicate your concept effectively. There are many different sketch- ing methods, ranging from constructive drawing, which builds up the structure from general to specific, to the Loomis Method, or the grid method, which uses reference-based comparison and accurate measurement. Each method has its own advantages, and often, you can combine multiple approaches to get the best results. In the past, I primarily used the Loomis Method on its own. However, as began focusing more on the concept and idea behind each piece, I started combining different techniques. Now, typically use the Grid Method to lay down accurate guidelines and overall proportions, and then build upon it using elements from both the Loomis Method and constructive sketching to develop the form further. Before we dive deeper into sketching, let's first analyze the structure and proportions of the portrait we're about to draw.Simplified Structure of the Portrait Looking at the illustration above, you can see that the head can be simplified into basic forms: a sphere for the upper part of the head, a more angular, box-like form for the face, and a cylinder for the neck. At this stage, we're not discussing shading yet - but I've added some general lighting to help you visualize the form more clearly. Understanding these simplified forms allows you to see the underlying structure and overall lighting more effec- tively, which in turn helps maintain consistency throughout the entire portrait. You can practice drawing these basic forms - the sphere, box, and cylinder - from different angles to sharpen your observation skills, analytical thinking, and ability to express depth and volume. Trust me, mastering these funda- mental forms will make a dramatic difference in how you draw portraits, and more importantly, in how you see your subjects in terms of space and dimensionality.Facial Features Proportions Facial feature proportions refer to the relationships between different elements of the face such as the distance be- tween the nose and chin, the placement of the eyes, or the length of the ears. While every individual has completely unique and varied proportions, having a basic proportional framework at the beginning helps you organize the facial features more easily and make adjustments as needed. To practice identifying facial proportions, we can apply the same simplification approach we used for the structure of the head. These facial features can also be reduced to basic geometric forms. These simplified forms usually consist of flat planes without detail, giving a clear and generalized sense of the volume and orientation of each feature. Eyes: Positioned right at the midpoint of the head when measured from the top of the skull to the bottom of the chin. Top of head The distance from the chin to the base of the nose, base of the nose to the brow Hairline line, and brow line to the hairline (top of the forehead) is generally divided into three equal parts. Eyebrows Eyes Ears: When aligned horizontally, ears typi- cally sit between the eyebrows and the base of the nose. From a profile view, the Bottom of nose ears are located roughly at the center of the head box. Chin The bottom lip usually falls at the mid- point between the base of the nose and the chin. These are just guidelines and suggested proportions. They serve as a helpful starting point, allowing you to adjust and modify the measurements based on the specific person you're drawing.Simplified Eyes The eye can be simplified into two main parts: the eyeball, which is a spherical form, and the eyelids, which wrap around it. The eyeball sits inside the socket and is treat- ed as a sphere, while the eyelids can be simplified into flat planes. Simplified Nose The nose can be simplified as a modified version of a box-like form for its overall structure. The tip of the nose resembles a spherical form, representing its softer, rounded shape. Simplified Lips The mouth and lips are made up of a series of planes that continuous- ly shift direction. You can break them down into these individual planes, each facing a different di- rection and therefore reacting to light in different ways. Simplified Ear The ear has a relatively complex structure, but you can simplify it by breaking it down into flat planes. This helps convey the thickness of the ear and capture the distinctive "Y"-shaped structure found within its inner form.SketchingSKETCHING Now that you've understood the overall structure and how to simplify the forms in a portrait, it's time to pick up your paper and pastel pencils let's begin sketching the piece together. As mentioned earlier, in this artwork used a combination of different sketching methods - including the Grid Method, Constructive Sketching, and the application of facial feature proportions to accurately place each element. In addition to the portrait itself, also spontaneously added a few extra subjects and elements to make the composition more engaging and better re- flect the personal style aim to express in my work. The Grid Method and How to use it The Grid Method is a traditional technique that has been used by artists for centuries to transfer sketches onto a final surface or to accurately scale up a drawing. Today, artists use the grid method in many different ways. As mentioned earlier, personally recommend using the grid as a tool for creating guide lines to help you more easily and accurately identify the forms - rather than simply copying a reference without truly understanding the space, structure, and anatomy of the subject. To apply the Grid Method, you can draw a grid over your reference image or initial sketch, then use those guides to locate the position of various elements, and mark them accordingly on your final drawing surface. In this portrait, I used the Grid Method to establish the overall form and to roughly sketch in simplified facial features, helping define the core composition of the piece.Sketching with Pastel Pencils To sketch, use a pastel pencil in a tone that isn't too dark - just dark enough to stand out slightly against the paper. When sketching, avoid using the pencil tip directly, as it can break easily, leave unwanted marks on the sur- face, and wear down the tip too quickly. Instead, hold the body of the pencil at an angle around 15 to 30 degrees to the paper - and sketch gently using the side of the core. This allows for smoother, more controlled lines and helps preserve both the surface and the pencil. 15 - 30 Degree Draw freely and loosely - there's no need to focus on details just yet. It's perfectly okay to make mistakes and redraw as many times as you need until you've established the basic structure of the piece, based on the concepts we discussed earlier. At this stage, also spontaneously sketched in a few additional subjects to help shape the overall composition of the painting.Based on the overall sketch, let's begin refining the details. However, instead of continuing with the light brown pastel pencil, switch to a darker brown to clearly distinguish this layer from the under- lying sketch. For the portrait, I begin adding finer details following the established structure - such as the iris, eyebrow shapes, nostrils, and ear shape. also add more definition to the supporting elements in the composition to maintain overall balance. Remember to keep holding your pencil at around a 15 to 30 degree angle to the paper - this is the way I hold it throughout the entire process, except when working on the very final small details.Shading TheoryLIGHT & SHADOW Before we begin shading and adding color to the portrait, let's take some time to discuss light and shadow. In this section, we'll analyze the lighting setup of the artwork alongside some fundamental shading theories, SO you can gain a deeper understanding of the techniques we'll be using in the next stages of the process. Value Value refers to the range of light and dark levels represented in a painting. These levels can be placed on a scale, where the darker the area, the lower the value, and the lighter the area, the higher the value - much like musical notes. For example, the pupils of the eyes, which are nearly black, have a very low value. In contrast, the highlight reflecting light in the eyes is nearly white, it has a very high value. Every other area - regardless of its actual hue - also carries a value. By understanding value, you'll be able to choose the right colors for specific areas in your painting. For example, dark brown or black can be used for the hair because they have low values. Orange can be used for the cheeks since it has a mid-range value, appearing similar to a mid-gray in a monochromatic version. A pale yellow may work well for the highlight on the tip of the nose, as it carries a high value.The Light Source Observing and identifying the light source before you start shading will make it much easier to apply the differ- ent shading components and represent the lighting con- sistently throughout your artwork. Additionally, if you include other elements in the composition, having a defined light source will give you a solid foundation to make them appear more natural and believable within the scene. In this painting, the primary light source comes from the upper left. There's also a secondary light source coming from the right side - a cool-toned blue light which af- fects a small area on the right side of the subjects. Let's apply this to a sphere as At the upper left, place a bright By blending the shading compo- an example. Start by dividing highlight - this is where the light nents together, we can effective- the sphere into two areas: Light hits the subject directly. ly represent the curved surface and Shadow, based on the direc- On the lower right, you'll find the of the subject - in this case, the tion of the light source. This darkest area, known as the Core surface of the portrait. These step is called establishing the Shadow. It sits right next to the shading components will contin- overall value - it's how you block secondary teal light source, ue to guide us throughout the in the general lighting of the which affects the right-facing entire shading process, helping subject before adding more spe- surface of the subject. to create depth, volume, and cific shading components. realism in the artwork.Highlight Core Shadow Direct Light Mid-tone Reflected Light Shading Components HIGHLIGHT: This is the brightest area on the subject, where the light hits directly. It's usually a small spot, often found on raised surfaces or prominent structures. Be careful not to overuse highlights or make them too wide subtlety is key. DIRECT LIGHT: This area receives light but not as directly as the highlight. It's still bright and usually shows the true color of the subject. Direct Light typically surrounds and transitions from the highlight. CORE SHADOW: Often the very dark part of the subject, found on the side opposite the light source, where light is blocked. When there's a secondary light source or reflected light, the core shadow usually appears in the center of the shadow area - sandwiched between the light and the reflected light. REFLECTED LIGHT: This is light bouncing off surrounding surfaces and softly illuminating the darker side of the subject. In this artwork, the cool-toned light from the right acts like reflected light. Reflected light helps enhance the sense of depth and form, making the structure of the subject more readable. MID-TONE: These are transitional areas - the blend between core shadow and direct light, or any area where the value sits in the middle of the light-dark spectrum. Mid-tones help connect other components smoothly and pro- vide form without strong contrast. CAST SHADOW: This is the shadow that the subject casts onto a nearby surface - for example, the shadow of the nose falling onto the upper lip. Cast shadows help anchor the subject in space and clarify the direction and intensi- ty of the light.DIRECT LIGHT MIDTONE HIGHLIGHT "REFLECTED LIGHT" CAST SHADOW CORE SHADOW By comparing the shading components to the painting, you'll notice that these components are relatively clear, thanks to the traditional and standard lighting setup. There are a few key areas in the painting that you should pay special attention to - such as the highlight reflecting on the eyes, the highlight on the nose and lips, the black of the pupils, the core shadow on the jaw, or the reflected light under the nose. Carefully observing these areas will help give you a clear vision before you begin working on the painting.Overall Value Before drawing any details, usually start with an underpainting layer, and highly encourage you to do this step as it offers several benefits. With this layer, you'll establish the overall value and shading components. This overall value doesn't need to be very accurate - just enough to help you identify the positions of the shad- ing components. The second benefit is that this base layer will make blending techniques easier, avoiding the need to press your pencil too hard to cover the paper's texture if it hasn't been worked over yet. And finally, it's also a good step to start building the color mood of the painting. For this piece, used a mood that combines warm and cool tones, with contrasting red and green, and this mood may carry through into the detailed stages of the painting.The EyesTHE EYES Although you can start drawing from any area you prefer, the eyes are usually the first facial feature choose to begin with. In portrait works, the eyes often contain a high level of contrast, covering a wide value range - from the darkest areas like the pupils to the brightest highlights reflecting the light source. Because of this, starting with the eyes helps us define the value structure more easily, allowing us to expand to surrounding areas while maintaining accuracy in lighting. Once completed, the eyes can also serve as a reference point for comparing values and bal- ancing the entire portrait. Step 1: Started with pupils Use black pastel pencil, or a very dark color such as dark blue or dark brown, to fully shade in the pupil area. This step helps you establish the key value for drawing the surrounding areas. Since the pupil has a very low value, it's easier to accurately determine the color needed for this part. Step 2: Iris & Eyeball Based on the value key, expand outward to draw the iris. In this painting, used a combination of dark brown, deep olive green, reddish orange, and light orange to render the iris. However, depending on the eye color of each person, you can adjust the palette accordingly. For the eyeball, used light blue, light gray, and pale yellow. Quick Tip: The outer edge of the iris is usually darker.Step 3: Extend to the eyelids Use warm and dark colors like dark red, brown, and orange to expand outward and draw the eyelid area. From this angle, we can see the inner eyelid, which often catches reflected light - you can brighten it up using orange or vivid red. At the same time, empha- size the highlight points to make the eyes appear more lively. Step 4: Extend above and below the eyelids Using a similar approach, apply colors like light orange, pale yellow, and even light green to draw the areas below the eye and under the brow. Be sure to blend the colors gently to create the curved form of the eye structure and the depth of the eye socket. In addition, use dark tones such as black or dark brown to emphasize the very dark areas like the pupil, inner corner of the eye, or the eyelash line. Step 5: Add color variation and details To make the skin tones more vibrant and express your artistic personality, you can use any colors you like, as long as they match the value of the area you're work- ing on. personally love combining warm and cool tones, as their contrast creates a unique visual inter- est. To enhance the colors, use light sky blue for the highlights, and reddish orange for the mid-tones. Finally, use black to draw the eyelashes and com- plete the first eye.Step 6: The left eye Using the same method as in the previous steps, we'll now move on to complete the left eye. Start with the pupil using a color with a low value, then expand out- ward to the iris and eyeball areas. My idea for this piece was to create contrasting eye colors a warm tone for the right eye, and now, a cool tone for the left eye. So for the iris, began with a green base layer. Step 7: Eyelashes and reflected light From this angle, the inner part of the upper eyelid is clearly visible, SO I emphasized it by adding red- dish-orange to create reflected light in that area. In addition, used light teal to brighten the iris, add highlights, and draw the eyelashes. At the same time, you can begin expanding the shading area on the upper eyelid using dark reddish-brown. Step 8: Eyelids and color variation This is the step that helps bring the eye to life. used reddish orange and yellow to draw the upper and lower eyelids. For the inner corner of the eye, I ap- plied pinkish red to create a realistic effect in that area. For the eyeball, you can use light cool colors to create an interesting contrast with the surrounding eyelids.REVIEW We've just completed the eye section, SO let's take a moment to review the result SO far and go over some key tech- niques and tips 1. Start with the pupil and highlight in the eye to easily establish the value key 2. The outer edge of the iris is darker than the inner part 3. Use contrasting warm and cool tones to make the eyes more vibrant 4. Reflected light on the inner eyelid adds depth to the structure 5. Feel free to use any colors you like, as long as they match the value of the area you're drawingThe NoseTHE NOSE After completing the eyes, the nose is the next facial feature work on. For similar reasons, the nose also contains areas that make it easier to express value. Additionally, since the nose is close to the eyes, it allows for more con- venient observation and comparison. The nose has a very distinct structure and is the most prominent feature on the face. Therefore, key areas such as the highlight on the tip and bridge of the nose, as well as the nostrils, play an important role in helping you convey its form effectively. Step 1: Started from the Nostrils Start by drawing the nostrils, as this is a very dark area and an easy place to establish value. used a combination of black and dark red for this part. The deeper the area inside the nostrils, the darker the value. The dark red helps bridge the nostrils with the surrounding areas, such as the area above the lips. After finishing the nostrils, use white or a very light color to emphasize the tip and bridge of the nose, where the form protrudes and reflects light strongly. With these two key values - the darkest and the lightest - in place, you now have anchors to start exploring the colors in between.Step 2: Core Shadow & Cast Shadow Expanding the drawing area around the nos- trils, we'll render the shadowed areas of the nose, including the underside of the nose and the cast shadow that falls onto the area above the upper lip. Use a combination of dark reddish orange and dark brown, as long as they are not as dark as the value used for the nostrils. Step 3: Tip of the nose The tip of the nose is a particularly interesting area for me - it's where you blend into the highlight, but it still needs to be smoothly transitioned, avoiding any harsh edges. Naturally, the tip of the nose is a sensitive area and often appears slightly reddish. To convey this feeling, I usually use a range of red and pink tones. In addition, use blue-gray to depict the reflected light under the nose, creating a basic color contrast.Step 4: Reflected Light & Direct Light Next, we'll render the lighter values, including the direct light next to the highlight and the reflected light under the nose. For the direct light, avoid overusing red and pink tones, SO combine light orange and yellow instead. For the reflected light, recommend using cool tones like teal or green to give the colors more character and personality. Step 5: Extend the areas and play with colors To finish, expand the drawing area around the highlight, nostril wings, and sides of the nose. The colors you use will reflect the mood you want to convey, SO once again, feel free to use any colors you like. For this step, combined pink, orange, and even light purple.REVIEW We've completed the eyes and nose. Let's review and take note of the key techniques we've used SO far. 1. Start with the darkest value in the nostrils and the lightest value at the tip of the nose. 2. Use red and pink tones to naturally express the softness and sensitivity of the nose tip. 3. The reflected light under the nose helps to enhance and define the structure more clearly.The LipsTHE LIPS The next facial feature next to the nose is the lips. Lips have a shiny surface and reflect a lot of light, SO capturing the highlight on the lips effectively will help bring out liveliness and make the portrait more engaging. Step 1: Highlight and Blackpoint The line between the two lips is usually the darkest area, SO we'll start there. Use black to draw this line and to em- phasize the corners of the mouth. At the same time, use white or a very light color to add highlights on the lower lip and along the edge of the upper lip. Note that the lips have a surface made up of vertical folds, SO the high- lights should also reflect this texture. Step 2: The upper lip In this painting, the light is coming from above, SO the upper lip will appear darker. used a combination of brown and deep red to render this area before capturing the actual colors. Step 3: The reflected light To capture the beauty of light on the lips, think about the glossiness and the strong reflectivity of the lip surface. Using bright red and pink, I added a glow to the upper part of the lips. At the same time, the area below the upper lip, where it reflects light from the lower lip, can be exaggerated to emphasize the shininess of the surface, as previously mentioned.Step 4: Lower lip core shadow Moving down to the lower lip, I first used dark brown to draw the area beneath the lip (the cast shadow of the lip on the chin), then used red to render the shadow on the lower lip itself. Additionally, you might notice a small re- flected light along the bottom edge of the lower lip this is also an important area to observe and emphasize in order to capture the glossy surface of the lips. Step 5: Lower lip direct light From the shadow area, expand your drawing to cover the entire lower lip by combining light orange, red, pink, and pale yellow. Depending on the lip color, you can experi- ment with different shades - as long as the value of the lower lip is lighter than the upper lip, to properly convey the structure and lighting. Step 6: Texture, details, and colors often use bright red to draw the transition area between the gap between the lips and the lower lip, to convey the intensity of the light. As for the lip texture, as mentioned earlier, use vertical hatching lines to represent the natural folds. Combine yellow and red to carry out this step.REVIEW The main facial features on the face are now complete. Let's take a moment to review some tips for drawing lips. 1. The texture of the lips consists of vertical folds, SO all details should reflect this. 2. Lips have a glossy surface, SO the reflected light may appear stronger compared to other areas.Face & SkinTHE FACE AND SKIN TONE Now it's time to connect the facial features and draw the remaining areas of the face. In this section, I'll also talk about how to represent skin tone and value to bring more life and vitality to the portrait. Step 1: Connect the nose and the lips The area between the nose and the lips can be a good starting point because of its higher contrast. recommend choosing one or a few base colors for the skin - these will serve as the main tones and help create a foundation for blending techniques. In this portrait, used light orange and pink as the two main tones. Note: Laying down a base color doesn't mean you can't adjust the colors later this is just a layer to support your technique. Also, take the time to refine any necessary details, such as texture and highlights. Step 2: The nose bridge Similar to the tip of the nose, the bridge of the nose has a raised structure, SO the highlight will be more visible, helping to emphasize the distinct bone structure in that area. Use colors like light orange, pale yellow, pink, orange, green, and light purple to play with different values and areas. If the tip of the nose is rendered with reddish pink, the bridge can be shown with pale yellow, while the sides of the nose can have a slight green tint to further accentuate the contrast at the nose tip.Step 3: The cheeks Blending large areas can present certain challenges if you want everything to look smooth and harmonious. The key is patience - the more you rush or press too hard with the pencil, the more likely you are to create a rough texture and lose the subtlety in value transitions. Draw in thin layers, apply with a light touch, keep your pencil at a low angle (almost parallel to the paper), and use a variety of colors with appropriate values. For the cheek area, I layered pink, light purple, pale yellow, reddish orange, and dark red to represent different value shifts. Step 4: Connect the cheeks and the eyes The cheekbone area contains a prominent bone structure, SO we can emphasize the highlight here using pale yellow or white. Then, you can connect this area to the lower eyelid using a combination of green, reddish orange, light orange, and yellow. Additionally, you can link the cheek, eye, and side of the nose together to complete the shading in these areas.Step 5: Core Shadow & Reflected Light The human face has a curved structure, SO the shading components become very noticeable when the lighting is appropriate. In the painting we're working on, you can see that the darkest area of the face is on the right side, next to the secondary teal-green light. This area is the Core Shadow, and if rendered properly, it will enhance the depth of the portrait. I used dark red along with brown to paint this area. The value of the Core Shadow is not as dark as black, but still very dark.Step 6: Above the nose At first, intended to draw a surreal element in this area, but changed my mind and chose to paint it realistically. In this section, primarily used mid-tones to emphasize the bridge of the nose. Colors like light purple, green, light orange, and reddish pink were blended together to create a color range that is neither too bright nor too dark. Step 7: The forehead Using similar colors, will paint the forehead with mid-tone values before moving on to emphasize the high- light later on. Light orange and pink will continue to be used to maintain consistency with the surrounding areas. Step 8: The forehead highlight To better represent depth and form in the forehead area, pay attention to the bone structure in this region. The eye socket bone near the eyebrows slightly protrudes, then recedes above it, and protrudes again at the upper part of the forehead. Emphasize the highlights using pale yellow or white in these areas.REVIEW And we've now completed the most important part of the portrait: the face. Let's take a look back and review the tips we've covered. 1. Blending slowly with thin layers will help you render smoother skin tones. 2. Accurately representing the values of shading components is essential for building the form and structure ofTHE BASE LAYER OF THE HAIR You can choose to draw the ear first if you'd like. However, find that the values of the ear are easier to establish when we have some value reference from the surrounding areas, specifically the hair. For that reason, will first draw a base layer of the hair (without detailing), to support the next step of drawing the ear. Step 1: Large areas using soft pastel sticks Soft pastel sticks are very effective for cover- ing large areas such as the background or, in this case, the hair. By using a variety of colors like brown, black, orange, gray, blue-gray, teal, and green, we can represent brown hair tones along with the cool-toned secondary light for contrast. Use loose and expressive strokes, drawing with both the edge and the tip of the pastel stick as long as you achieve the desired value. Step 2: Blending You can blend with anything you prefer - your fingers or tools but make sure to blend, and don't leave the pastel as it was in the initial stage. Blending not only helps you achieve smooth transitions, but also makes it easier to apply detailed pastel pencil layers afterward, as the paper will still have enough tooth to hold the pastel on the surface. Using fingers is my favorite method - gently rub the surface to mix the colors together.The EarTHE EAR have to admit that the ear isn't always the focal point of a portrait, but its structure is quite challenging to depict, and the lighting on the ear can be complex. In this section, we'll go through the steps to help you not only represent the ear's structure accurately, but also convey its thinness when light from behind shines through it. Step 1: Focus on the shadow Start with the shadow areas where you can most easily determine the values, using the hair values you've already established as a reference. In this piece, that includes dark brown, deep red, and neutral purple. Apply these colors to the shadow areas of the ear - the deeper the structure (such as the ear canal), the darker the value should be. Leave out the raised structures like the cartilage and outer rim of the ear for the next step. Step 2: Mid-tone và Direct Light To capture the translucency of the ear, use bright orange or reddish orange to paint the areas of the cartilage where light passes through. At the same time, use pink and pale yellow to paint the direct light areas (without adding highlights just yet). You can begin to blend the values lightly at this stage to start forming the structure of the ear.Step 3: Highlight & Reflected Light This is an important step to help convey the complex structure of the ear. Use off-white or pale yellow to draw the main light highlights. Then, apply cool-toned light colors to depict the reflected light on the right side of the ear. With this approach, you'll be able to see that the ear's structure is made up of cylindrical forms, and all the shading components are represented on this form. Step 4: The backlight In the areas where you previously used orange to show light passing through the ear, now use bright orange to emphasize those spots. At the same time, you can also use bright red to enhance the effect even further. Step 5: Core Shadow & Details Finally, focus on the very dark areas, and use a combination of dark brown and red to emphasize them. Take a moment to go back and refine small details if needed. And with that, we've finished drawing the ear, and the portrait is nearly complete.HairDETAILS TÓC In the final stage, add the details to complete the hair. To depict realistic hair, fine lines and details are important. However, more importantly, you need to understand that hair also has form and structure, and it is also affected by light. That's why starting with the base layer in the previous step is a crucial foundation for building the smaller details in this part. Step 1: Thin hair above the forehead To create a natural blend between the fore- head and the hair, we'll draw strokes using skin-tone colors over the part of the hair that lies near the forehead. Based on the move- ment of the hair, chose light orange to draw gentle, flowing strokes at the top of the forehead, creating the impression of fine strands of hair interweaving. Step 2: Adding highlight Hair has a shiny texture and reflects a high amount of light. Therefore, using pale yellow or white to highlight a few strands of hair will help you better capture the lighting and render the details more realistically.