My project for course: The Human Figure in Watercolor

Hi everyone, my name is Juan Carlos and I'm a hobbyist. I've been painting landscapes in watercolor but never dared to paint people, that's why I took this course, which I really enjoyed and helped me a lot to understand human figure painting.

This is my first attempt, so I'd really appreciate good critiques to help me improve.

I think this photograph has a good balance between shadows and highlights, while keeping a lot of information to work with.

Anyway, I edited the photograph using Affinity Photo software. So first I gave it more contrast with Levels Adjustment, made the highlights whiter with White Balance Adjustment, exaggerated a little bit the shadows and highlights with Shadows/Highlights Adjustment, and finally I pushed shadows to the blues, midtones to the reds and highlights to the yellows with Color Balance Adjustment, all this while controlling the tones with Gradient Map Adjustment. Oh, I almost forgot! I recolored the posing strap with the Selection Brush Tool and Recolor Adjustment.

Then I used the Procreate app on the iPad to simplify the figure, so I drew on top of it (in different layers) the structure in green, outlines in black and chiaroscuro in red. I also included a grid in blue to help me transferring it to the paper.

I transferred the figure by hand to a sheet of copy paper, the size of the watercolor paper sheet, using a pencil. I had to add a stripe to the bottom to complete it, since I used a letter size copy paper and the final watercolor paper sheet was 12.2" x 9".

Then I transferred the figure to the watercolor paper using a carbon paper sheet under the copy paper with the figure and redrawing it following the lines, trying to not apply too much pressure. The watercolor paper sheet was still attached firmly to the block, I just stuck blue painter's tape to frame it.

Watercolor paper:

• BAOHONG brand
  


• 12.2" x 9"
  


• Fine grain
  


• 100% cotton
  


• Block of 20 sheets
  


• Made in China

For the first spots of color I cover most of the paper with water using a #24 flat natural hair brush (a mix of sable and squirrel hair, probably...). Then, using a #8 round sable hair brush I applied some violets, orange, green and blue, trying to save some white areas. For this project I only used professional watercolor tubes from the Winsor & Newton brand.

My palette of colors for this step:

• Winsor Lemon
  


• Alizarin Crimson
  


• Winsor Blue

For this step I applied some violet, orange and blue on the darkest areas of the figure using a #8 round synthetic hair brush.

My palette of colors for this step:

• Cadmium-free Yellow
  


• Cadmium-free Red
  


• French Ultramarine

Here I applied a very diluted pink to legs, arms and left side, as well as a very diluted yellow to chest, hips and right side of the torso, using again the #8 round sable hair brush.

My palette of colors this time was:

• Winsor Lemon
  


• Permanent Rose

Instead of adding some flat background I took advantage of the shadow projected to the back of the figure (on a curtain, which I turned it into a wall to make my life easier lol). I painted it in a dark violet from a previous palette using again the #8 round synthetic brush. I also applied some yellow masking fluid to the hair and shadow using a tooth brush, and cover some little highlight areas on the face, torso, arms and posing strap using a quill pen.

Palette of colors for the violet:

• Alizarin Crimson
  


• Winsor Blue

Using a #4 round synthetic brush I applied some dark browns on the darkest areas, and defined some details as well, especially on the face and hands. Also, I applied more blue to the posing strap.

Palette of colors for darkest areas and details:

• Winsor Blue
  


• Perylene Violet
  


• Burnt Sienna
(would have loved to try a Venetian Red but the guys from Amazon decided to make my life miserable)

To finish the painting, I removed all the masking fluid and painter's tape. I also erased some pencil marks (guide marks for the framing tape) around the sheet.

All the pictures of the painting steps were taken using a smartphone camera, I only edited the white balance using Affinity Photo.

As I mentioned before, all constructive critiques and tips are welcome!