Karen Wilharm-Painting the Portrait in Pastel

https://www.karenbwilharm.com/

In this 3 day workshop, Karen will explain her process along with the concepts of proportion, light on form and color theory as they apply to the portrait. Her intention is to create a strong illusion of three-dimensional space and an unmistakable likeness with her subjects.

Karen will lead students through her process of painting the pastel portrait from the initial drawing to the final stages of refining. Using a photo reference, she will begin with teaching strategies to accurately draw the head, place the features and indicate the major light and shadow shapes. Karen will then demonstrate how to identify and lay in “average colors” of the shadow and light regions. She will show how she adjusts her general color notes by mixing and layering to “turn the color dials” on hue, value, temperature and chroma to achieve the desired relationships. During the final phase the portrait she will introduce techniques such as scumbling, glazing and hatching as she carefully makes corrections, refines edges and creates subtle nuances to bring the portrait to a polished finish.

Host or Publisher Franciscan Life Process Center Kathleen Bechtel, Art Director