Johnnie Liliedahl: Giving Thanks

Learn to make a work of art using photos as references in 10 easy steps.

Watch Johnnie as she reveals the secrets of transforming a photograph into a painting, while achieving an incredible likeness. She gives you sound advice and specific examples on how to analyze your photographs and create your own value guides using ordinary tools at hand. Everyone can paint their favorite person using these simple techniques.

Buy both video programs in this series, “Sitting Pretty” & “Giving Thanks” to see her paint two faces for you while she explains how to choose a palette of fleshtones, eliminate distracting elements and create an integrated color scheme for the whole painting. If you’ve ever wondered how the pros do it, this video will explain it in detail.

Follow the steps suggested in this program, shown below, and you’ll be painting beautiful portraits in no time.

• Convert your cropped photo to a standard canvas size. 
• Enlarge your photograph.
• Mapping the Fleshtones.
• Grid your canvas for an accurate drawing and likeness.
• Choose a color scheme.
• Draw with oil or pencil.
• Mixing the fleshtones.
• Applying the paint in an artistic manner.
• Selecting garments to complement the composition.
• Designing a background to create a mood