Experimental Portraiture: Fusing Oil, Acrylic, and Spray Paint

Get to know Nikolas Antoniou, your teacher for this course. He talks you through his journey to becoming a painter and the artists who have inspired his style.

Learn to analyze a portrait for feelings and emotions. Then, delve into the materials needed, from colored pencils to brushes and spray paints. Nikolas shows you how he uses the materials in his own work before explaining how to create light using white spirit.

Discover how to choose the right reference image, paying attention to the light source, angles, and gaze. Experiment with your chosen image using Photoshop to enhance it before transferring it onto canvas. Then, explore the power of color along with which ones Nikolas likes to use and why to trigger certain emotions.

Time to start painting! Begin by preparing your canvas with acrylic and spray paint before creating a grid for your portrait. Nikolas shares his simple technique for drawing characteristics from your reference image onto your canvas. Then, learn to create layers with shadows that give your artwork a three-dimensional feel. Experiment with creative accidents to add interest and personality to your piece.

Add the finishing touches by blurring and cleaning lines and deciding on a wow factor to focus on. To finish the course, Nikolas shares his advice on recognizing when your painting is finished and letting the viewer be a part of the creative process.