Contemporary Hyperrealistic Portraiture
A course by Luiz Escañuela , Visual Artist
Learn to capture the details of the human figure with oil painting techniques and transmit emotions through your artwork
Hyperrealistic painting is capable of immortalizing human experience in a sensitive and impactful way. By exploring the scope and techniques of oil paints, visual artist Luiz Escañuela creates hyperrealistic portraits with a personal style that captures the texture and continuity of the skin as well as the irregularities that illustrate the changing landscape of the face over time.
In this online course, learn the foundations of hyperrealistic painting and compose your own piece using a photo as a reference. Luiz shares his own methodology and how to capture the essence of the skin, applying textures, contours, and small details before finalizing and revealing your finished artwork.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 24 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (52)
- 2,338 students
- 21 lessons (3h 29m)
- 24 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Portuguese, English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Turkish
- Portuguese · Spanish · English · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Do a hyperrealistic oil painting focusing on the human face.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in painting who wants to hone their skills and take their projects to the next level.
Requirements and materials
No previous painting experience is necessary for this course.
Reviews
Luiz Escañuela
A course by Luiz Escañuela
Luiz Escañuela is a visual artist from Brazil with a degree in graphic design. He began to create his first signature works at the age of just 20. After specializing in oil painting and hyperrealism, he went on to develop his own methodology for depicting the human form, which focuses on details such as pore mapping, blemishes, and any irregularities that mark the passage of time.
He has gained notoriety for his series of large, hyperrealistic portraits showcased in both national and international exhibitions and workshops. In 2019, he was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Arts category.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences and inspirations
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U2
The preparation
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Materials
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Photoshop and reference image
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How to prepare the medium and canvas
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Transferring the reference image to the canvas
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Configuring the workspace
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U3
The painting
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Basics of painting 1
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Basics of painting 2
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Base color application: light, shadow and mid tones
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Texture: the tone of pores
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Texture: the contour of pores
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Texture: contour fading
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Texture: the sparkles
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Nose, eyes and mouth 1
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Nose, eyes and mouth 2
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Hair, beard and fur
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U4
Post-painting
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Varnishing and conservation
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Photograph the work
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Title, concept and defense
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The work on social networks and a good portfolio
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FP
Final project
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Contemporary hyperrealist painting: portray the human figure
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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
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
This course is recommended for those who already have basic painting and drawing skills—ideal for intermediate students wanting to deepen their hyper-realism techniques.
You’ll need cotton canvas, oil paints, medium, solvent, a variety of brushes, a palette, acrylic gesso, colored pencils, soft pastels, tracing paper, and access to Photoshop for working with references.
You’ll learn advanced hyper-realistic painting techniques, canvas preparation, grid use, image transfer, skin tone mixing, texture detailing, and conceptual defense of contemporary artworks.
The quadrant method makes it easier to transfer and organize details, helping you keep accurate proportions and realism in your final painting.
Basic Photoshop skills are recommended since the course involves image editing, grid creation, and digital reference adjustments.
The course combines studies of contemporary realism and encourages incorporating elements of Brazilian iconography to enrich visual storytelling.
Yes, the course teaches specific techniques for building skin tones, detailing pores, textures, and light effects in hyper-realistic portraits.
Adobe Photoshop
El curso me pareció excelente. Luiz explica su proceso de forma clara y directa, lo que hace que el retrato hiperrealista se sienta alcanzable incluso para quienes no dominamos la técnica. Las demostraciones están muy bien estructuradas y realmente ayudan a entender cómo llevar un retrato desde la base hasta los detalles finales. Sin duda, un curso muy útil y motivador.
me encanto el curso, me gusto mucho que de tanto detalle en cada uno de los videos y que cuente desde el momento 0 hasta el final de la obra
LO VOLVERIA A COMPRAR
my best course so far
Ótimo curso! Amei!