How to paint oil portraits like the Old Masters

Mona Lisa. Girl with a Pearl Earring. Madame X. The infinite variety and beauty of humankind—like the mysteries behind sparkling eyes, a sly smile or an averted gaze—has captivated artists since the beginning of time. This expanded edition of Chris Saper's best-selling guide, Classic Portrait Painting in Oils , reveals keys for mastering how to paint beautiful portraits in oil to create soulful works of art. Through easy-to-follow lessons and expert oil painting tips and techniques, you'll find secrets for working from life, using reference photos and more to create rich, realistic portraits imbued with timeless character.

• 14 step-by-step demonstrations teach how to paint 7 diverse subjects of varying skin tones from life and from photographic reference
• Additional exercises reveal expert oil painting techniques for defining facial details, like eyes, mouths, wrinkles, facial hair and eyeglasses
• Professional tips for working from life, including ideal session times, posing, seeing and mixing color and even how to work with children
• The basics of using natural, artificial, creative and "Rembrandt" lighting to light your subject and convey a mood
• Expanded key concepts of "perfect practice," the importance of regularly painting subjects in real time and an insistence on excellent photographic reference material, including a checklist for how to take—and self-edit—your own quality photos
• New material on how to approach and execute paid commissions, including step-by-step demonstrations for painting both corporate and family subjects