How Do You Paint A Background For An Oil Portrait?
Before photography, the only way to preserve a likeness of a person or beloved pet was to render the image by hand. As a result, the many sculptures, illustrations, carvings, prints and paintings of political, cultural and other figures that are in existence comprise a significant portion of the body of artworks in almost every society. Often, the portrait in oil is executed by way of remembering the subject or otherwise preserving their image; other common reasons artists create portraits are to portray the subject’s personality or simply to include them as part of the composition. Prepare the canvas with three separate layers of gesso, brushing on each layer with a foam brush. Allow each layer to dry completely before adding the next. When the final layer is dry, lightly go over the surface with fine-grain sandpaper until it is smooth. Sketch the image lightly in pencil or charcoal directly on the canvas, or on a separate piece of paper to guide you in pre-determining the composition
