As you know I like to paint animals but I would like to paint more human portrait as I find faces fascinating .so I am going to try and reproduce a masters work .
It’s in oil paints .i will take you through the steps and my mistakes .
So chose a masterpiece and did a drawing . Mistake no 1 I took the picture straight off my iPad so it was difficult to hold still and I didn’t get my grid lines quite right . I draw a grid first in order to enlarge the drawing .Having done that I made my second mistake I forgot to trace my sketch on tracing paper , when you paint over a drawing you often lose your image so if you trace you drawing first you can refer to your original drawing when painting.
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All the best with this Muddy and I look forward to watching each stage of the process.
Never knew the Mona Lisa had a beard though. lol.
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Oh this is going to be fascinating! 
I think trying the Mona Lisa would be a step too far 
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Then I roughly filled in the drawing with thin acrylic paint - you can paint over acrylic with oils .
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I am trying to use the style the artist himself used which is alla prima meaning straight in with wet paint on wet paint .
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It’s amazing following your paintings come together, Muddy.
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Thank you Mags I take pictures as I go so if I lose the image I can go back and correct it if possible .
And this is as far as I have got., I have to say it’s doesn’t look like the masterpiece at all they ain’t called old masters for nothing ! But I am quite pleased with it .
Can anyone guess the painter ?
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Oh Muddy, this is fabulous I like the eyes and the collar detail…how long has this taken so far?
Thank you Pixie It’s taken me three days but I don’t sit and do it all the time so let’s say about six hours so far .
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Another great piece of artwork Muddy . I bet you have lots of paintings we havnt seen . Interesting you say you trace the original I didnt know that . I think it’s very good .
I trace my own drawing ( or should do if I remember ) .
The old masters did too or used pin pricks in their original sketches .
This drawing I did straight onto board .
To add I don’t have a lot of paintings because the dog / horse portraits I do in pencil were all for someone so they take them away .
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Muddy, l cannot find a word big enough to say how much l love your painting.
Those eyes and lips… l found myself staring into his eyes as they seem so ‘alive’.
Do you know what this step by step thread reminds me of?
‘Painting With Nancy’, an art programme that was on years ago, with Nancy Kominsky
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The eyes I found quite difficult in this one I have redone one several times .The subject is so interesting ,He was born in southern Spain quite near to where I am now and was a slave to the artist .However he must have been very well thought of as he was greatly trusted and eventually his master freed him .
He became an artist in his own right . His expression ( in my mind ) says I am only your servant but I can paint too !
It’s fascinating to look into the eyes of a man that lived 400 years ago !
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I can guess the painter - because you have done the painting justice and produced a very fine copy of the original painted by Diego Velázquez - I have seen this painting of his assistant / slave a few times in print (but never the original)
You have reproduced the painting so well - especially those eyes! - and your version has more light, I think, than the prints I have seen, so I prefer it to the original (if one dare say that about such a famous painting!)
What a great talent you have @Muddy
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Thank you Boot and well done it is indeed a copy of the Portrait of Juan de Pareja by Velazquez.
Excellent painting Muddy! I love seeing your painting’s progress!
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Fantastic, Muddy, the eyes are haunting me - sad but with a hint of mockery, and I like the detail on the collar. You are very talented!
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