How To Paint A Digital Portrait – Step-By-Step With Pictures

When I got my iPad, painting a realistic digital portrait was the first thing I wanted to try. As a traditional oil painter, I don’t want my digital portraits to look like digital paintings. I wanted them to look like real oil paintings. In this article, I’ll show you how I do it.

Digital portrait painting title card

Procreate was the first program I tried, but I didn’t get the results I wanted. After giving ArtRage a try, I found that painting a realistic digital portrait was much easier for me to achieve. It’s a program that just seemed to work for me. I know many artists that use Procreate and other painting programs with great success.

NOTE: If you don’t have a digital program to paint in, you can still follow along using whatever types of paint you have. The basics are still the same.

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Is Digital Painting Real Art? Thoughts From An Oil Painter.

Graphic title slide showing a hand holding a stylus and a painting in vibrant colors of a portrait of a woman. Text reads Is Digital Art Real Art?

Digital painting – is real art or not? I’ve struggled with this question ever since I picked up a tablet and started painting digitally. Through the years, I’ve created art by making real, tangible pieces with paint on canvas that I can hold in my hands. Real art could only be made with real art supplies – not pixels, right?

After having done both traditional and digital painting, I think the answer is that as far as talent and creating a work of art in today’s world, digital painting is “real” art. If you are only measuring digital art based on it taking on a form that is handcrafted with a variety of materials, then no, it doesn’t qualify as “real” art. But is that second sentence true or is it just a perception? To find out, I’ll explore the definition of fine art, the biases in art, art-shaming and

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Can I Make A Digital Painting Look Traditional On The iPad?

Ever since I picked up an iPad and started painting, my number one goal was to make my digital painting look like a traditional oil painting. I wasn’t convinced it was possible and, of course, I can still tell the difference. However, a lot of people that view my work can’t tell the difference between my digital and traditional paintings.

make digital traditional title

Yes, it is possible to make a digital painting look like a traditional oil painting. Use the same process that traditional painters and a program that gives a natural application of paint. This will give you a good result. Throughout the rest of this article, I will show you a practice painting I did using

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How To Paint A Corgi – 9 Helpful Dog Portrait Tips

This article on how to paint a corgi has been on my “to do” list for almost a year. I actually had it written and was ready to publish when my website had a catastrophic failure and I lost the entire thing. Life certainly has its ups and downs and this past year has been full of challenges.

Portrait of Penny corgi painting title

Fortunately, things have a way of eventually balancing out and creating art is one of the ways that distracts me from the harder things in life. I’ll tell you more about Penny the corgi and her amazing human at the end of the article. But for now, let’s dive into

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10 Tips For Painting A Dog Portrait Featuring A Japanese Chin

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dog painting pin close up

dog painting pin 4 up

In today’s tutorial, I will go over 10 tips for painting a dog portrait. The images in this post came from screencasts of a painting I started on the iPad with ArtRage and then finished on the desktop with ArtRage 6. I use the same approach to digital painting as traditional painting, so whether you paint on a canvas or a tablet, the steps below will apply.

Title graphic 10 tips

If you’d like to watch the speed painting I created from the screencasts, click the

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6 Tips On How To Paint A Tomato

Have you ever wondered how to paint a tomato? Maybe not, but there is a lot you can learn by painting this simple, delicious subject. In this tutorial, you’ll learn 6 tips for painting this tomato’s portrait.

How to paint a tomato title card

If you are new to painting, it’s always good to start out with a simple subject. But as I show you how to paint a tomato, you may realize

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How To Paint A Cat On The iPad Pro – Digital Painting Tutorial

Tippy Cat Art Tutorial Pin 1 Tippy Cat Art Tutorial Pin 2 Tippy Cat Art Tutorial Pin 3

Learn how to paint a cat following along with this painting tutorial on the iPad Pro. Whether you are a traditional or digital artist, this approach will help you develop your skills and get results. As with any tool in the artist’s toolbox, it takes practice and patience to achieve a quality piece of fine art. Artists are visual learners and seeing the process step-by-step can help you understand how to create portraits of your own.

Learn how to paint a cat digital painting tutorial

This portrait features a very special cat named Tippy. He was a feral cat (thus the tipped ear) who decided he liked humans and living indoors. I met him at a local pet store where the lovely women of Diva Cat Rescue had him up for adoption. He was such a handsome boy I had to paint his portrait to help get him and the organization

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8 Tips For Painting Black Fur – Traditional & Digital

I love black dogs (and cats) so I thought I’d share some of my tips for painting black fur. I recently came across an inspiration photo on Sktchy that looked EXACTLY like my dog Claire that had passed many years ago. Claire and I were very bonded, so it was like getting a “hello” from heaven when I saw the picture. I knew right away I had to paint her!

8 tips for painting black fur traditional and digital in artrage step-by-step tutorial

I did this quick study on my iPad using ArtRage, but the tips I’ll be giving here apply to painting in oil or acrylic as well. This is the same approach I use when I’m on the easel.

ArtRage is as close to traditional painting as it gets. It’s fun and convenient and,

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Painting A Cat In ArtRage Featuring Rémy The Gargoyle

Remy the gargoyle cat portrait painting in artrage Painting a cat in ArtRage featuring Rémy the Gargoyle

Here I am once again painting a cat study in ArtRage. AND – once again – it’s a bare naked Sphynx cat. But this is no ordinary hairless kitty. Nope. This is Rémy the Gargoyle who is gaining fame due to his gorgeous eyes, adorable little elf ears and curious view of life on Instagram.

Painting a cat in ArtRage step-by-step featuring Rémy the gargoyle

How Painting A Cat In All His Naked Glory Can Make You A Better Artist

My parents hate it when I paint naked cats as they find them to be “ugly”. That’s their opinion. A lot of artists like Jennifer Gennari love painting Sphynx cats because they are so challenging. If you’re an artist and want to improve your skills, these

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Tips For Painting Silver Objects – Tutorial

Painting silver objects tips Painting silver objects step-by-step

In today’s article, I’ll be going over 9+ tips and tricks for painting silver objects. When I took up painting again a little over a year ago, I found myself wanting to paint reflective surfaces for some unknown reason.

Tips for painting shiny objects

Painting silver objects or shiny things can seem very daunting at first, but when you break the reflections down into

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