Contemporary Portraits with Graphite
A course by lantomoArtist and Portrait Specialist
A course by lantomo, Artist and Portrait Specialist
Combine analog and digital techniques to create realistic pencil portraits filled with emotion
What’s the key to a good portrait? It must convey emotion. And when you look at it, you feel what the artist wanted to express. That is precisely what defines the work of Antonella Montes, better known as Lantomo. Her portraits are charged with emotion; she creates them using a sophisticated blend of digital and analog techniques, focusing on graphite as the primary tool.
In this Domestika course, learn to create both realistic and conceptual portraits based on a photograph by combining graphite with splashes of watercolors. Hone your skills and transform a drawing into raw emotion.
What will you learn in this online course?
22 lessons & 29 downloads
What Will We Do in this Course?
1 minute, 39 seconds
Concept of the Portrait: What Do I Want to Tell?
19 minutes, 0 seconds
Who Can I Draw?
6 minutes, 12 seconds
The Digital Sketch
17 minutes, 37 seconds
Materials
6 minutes, 55 seconds
Line Drawing 1
17 minutes, 23 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know Antonella Montes, aka Lantomo. Follow her artistic career up to this point and find out what her main influences are.
Then, choose a photo for your portrait. Import it into Photoshop and create a digital outline with all the elements of your composition so you can transpose them onto paper.
Lantomo explains which tools are essential, which are optional, and how to use them. Learn how to transfer your drawing to paper using a grid and add some splashes of color before grabbing your graphite to work on the chiaroscuro aspects of your portrait.
Time to get to work! Draw the entire portrait with pencils, graphite, and a lot of patience. Lantomo highlights some of the most difficult aspects of the portrait process that, if done well, transform your drawing into a captivating work of art.
Finish your portrait by adding a black background to make it stand out and learn how to mount your drawing so that it lasts a long time. Finally, Lantomo shares some tips on digitalizing your portrait for sharing on social media.
What is this course's project?
Create your very own realistic graphite portrait (size A3) and add your unique, personal touch using details that evoke inspiring emotions.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators and anyone interested in drawing, portraits, and graphite techniques.
Requirements and materials
Some prior knowledge of drawing is helpful, but is not necessary to take this course.
The materials for this course include A3 or similar size flat (not textured) drawing or watercolor paper, pencils of varying hardness (6-8 of your choice ranging from 6H to 8B), erasers, a pencil sharpener, a stick of soft graphite, a stick of black pastel, several charcoal pencils, watercolors, and a brush.
Reviews
- 3 months ago
Excelente profesora. Es un curso estupendo
- 5 months ago
Excelente curso, me encanto. Muy clara la explicación y esta en todos los detalles.
- 5 months ago
È un corso molto esaustivo! È strutturato in modo da seguire l’intero processo nonostante non si abbiamo base solide!!
- 7 months ago
Merci beaucoup pour ce cours, il est vraiment excellent.
L’enseignante explique très clairement quand utiliser les crayons de la gamme H et quand passer à la gamme B, ainsi que la manière de les employer selon les différentes zones du portrait (peau, cheveux, yeux, etc.).
Cette approche structurée et précise rend le travail beaucoup plus clair et efficace.
Merci pour ce très beau travail.
- 11 months ago
Me está gustando mucho este curso. Me encanta pintar caras y aprender nuevas técnicas.
She is currently represented by galleries such as Galería Bat Alberto Cornejo in Madrid, Galería 3 Punts in Barcelona, and Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay, Australia. She is also active at international fairs and expos.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- What Will We Do in this Course?
- U2
Concept of the Portrait and Preparation of the Final Composition
- Concept of the Portrait: What Do I Want to Tell?
- Who Can I Draw?
- The Digital Sketch
- U3
Preparing the Drawing
- Materials
- Line Drawing 1
- Line Drawing 2
- Overlapping Elements
- U4
Making the Portrait
- Hair 1
- Hair 2
- Forehead
- Eyes 1
- Eyes 2
- Cheek and Nose 1
- Cheek and Nose 2
- Mouth and Chin 1
- Mouth and Chin 2
- U5
Background and Conservation of the Portrait
- The Contour and Final Touches
- The Background
- Conservation of the Portrait and Digital Archive
- FP
Final project
- Contemporary Portrait in Graphite
What to expect from a Domestika course
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.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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.
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.
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.
Connect with a global creative community
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Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to create contemporary realistic portraits in graphite, blend mixed media like watercolor and pastels, select and compose references, apply advanced shading, and preserve your artwork from initial inspiration through final digitalization.
The course is designed for intermediate level, perfect if you already have basic drawing skills and want to refine realistic portraits and mixed media techniques.
You’ll need graphite pencils of various hardness, smooth paper, blending stumps, an electric eraser, stencil brushes, pastels, watercolors, painter’s tape, and access to Photoshop for digital compositions.
Basic drawing experience is recommended since the course covers intermediate and advanced portrait and composition techniques.
The course teaches you to use graphite for the base drawing, add detail and expressiveness with watercolor and pastels, and manage the workflow to avoid material contamination and achieve professional finishes.
You’ll be able to create hyperrealistic contemporary graphite portraits, add creative and colorful elements, and apply custom backgrounds using traditional and digital mixed media techniques.
Yes, the course covers how to choose reference images, transfer them to paper using traditional grid methods or digital grids in Photoshop, and place details precisely.