Watercolor Portrait from a Photo
A course by Sol Barrios , Watercolor and Mural Artist
Learn the techniques to create intimate and suggestive portraits using water, color, and paintbrushes
With water as the main element, the watercolor technique is closely related to emotions and movement. Chilean watercolor painter and muralist Sol Barrios expresses the variety and complexity of human emotions in her portraits through her painting technique and contrasting dark and light colors that enhance and frame the faces she paints.
In this course, you will learn how to create a watercolor portrait that is capable of reflecting the personality of a person or character using a photo. Sol teaches you how to mix your own colors and guides you step by step in the creation of your portrait. From the first lines to the layers of color for the face, to finishing off with the hair and clothes, even giving advice on how to frame your final piece to complete your portrait.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 28 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (1.5K)
- 26,065 students
- 15 lessons (1h 43m)
- 28 additional resources (19 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Paint a watercolor portrait using a photo as your starting point, using Sol’s layering process to build the structure of a face.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For those starting out in watercolor, illustrators, and those that have made a start in the world of watercolor that want to learn Sol’s layering technique.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience with watercolor is necessary, nor do you need to know how to draw, but if you do, even better!
Regarding materials, you’ll need watercolor paper, round point paintbrushes, a flat paintbrush, a mixing tray, watercolors, black tempera, masking tape, a board or cardboard base, tissues, water, graphite pencils 6H and 2B, blender pens, an eraser, and a protective spray.
Reviews
Sol Barrios
A course by Sol Barrios
Self-taught artist Sol Barrios has been painting portraits for around six years, teaching classes, and taking the streets with paste-up murals. She started out as an art director for a cultural magazine and, little by little, she began specializing in the world of graphic arts to later flow into the world of painting through watercolor.
In her work, the contrast between dark and light colors is key, looking to put faces in the forefront of her art and define the unique characteristics of each human being.
She works for private art collections and has participated in many exhibitions in Chile, such as FAxxi and ArtStgo. Her murals can be found in the streets of Santiago as well as in restaurants, studios, and homes.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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What will we do in this course?
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U2
Preparation
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materials
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Watercolor techniques
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Looking for the reference
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Making the sketch
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U3
Starting the journey
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Mixing and preparing colors
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Painting the first layers
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U4
Details and strength
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Painting eyes
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Painting the nose, mouth and ears
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Painting the neck and contours
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Painting hair and clothes
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U5
We are arriving!
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Deepening and completion of the work
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Framing tips
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FP
Final project
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Watercolor portrait
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
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Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to build watercolor portraits layer by layer, mix skin tones, apply shadows and highlights, combine watercolor with graphite and tempera, correct mistakes, and professionally frame your finished artwork for preservation.
The course is aimed at people with basic knowledge of watercolor or drawing, ideal for intermediate learners who want to deepen their skills in mixed techniques and expressive portraits.
You’ll need watercolors, brushes in various sizes, watercolor paper, a 2B pencil, blending stump, eraser, black tempera paint, palette, masking tape, fixative spray, passepartout, and a frame for your finished piece.
Mix basic pigments like ochre, red, and blue with water until you reach the desired tone. Adjust transparency and test on paper before applying to your portrait to achieve natural, realistic skin tones.
To fix stains, use a clean, dry brush or a tissue to absorb excess water or pigment. Graphite mistakes can be erased with a rubber once the watercolor is completely dry.
Fine brushes are used for details, along with subtle layers of color, specific blends for shadows and highlights, and a combination of watercolor, graphite, and tempera for added realism and depth.
Soften shadows with gentle, controlled brushstrokes using diluted mixes and layered washes. The blending stump helps smooth graphite and create delicate transitions between light and shadow.
bien explicado, cualquiera con un poco de habilidad y paciencia puede hacer el retrato.
Excelente curso. Las instrucciones y guías son muy didácticas. En general, la explicación de la clase es clara y detallada.
El curso es muy didáctico y efectivo. Su técnica de la acuarela es minuciosa y bastante simple a pesar que se emplea para realizar retratos.
Excelente el curso, pausado, didactico, claro Lo recomiendo
Amazing! Fantastic teacher!