Acryllic Shading?

Question

Im working on a portrait painting of a legendery dog in our family that just passed away. ive done a lot of work with acryllics but no portraits. The dog is all white but I want to put some very very light shading marks on it. I cant seem to get the right color to look like shading for a white dog. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for me? Thanks so much

Answer 1

it's hard to say about you problem without seeing the model first, but my experience says if you are about to paint a white dog, first of all you need to mark up shadings (usually different shades of brown) when you apply undercoat paints, then when you are working on the texture while you are coming up to the surface, gradually lighten up colors and apply the highlights to finish the work. it will look white in the end

Answer 2

Shading in acrylics is pretty hard when you already have the painting 'done'.

I would suggest you do it by glazing. Mix medium with small amounts of color and pretend you do a watercolor on top of your actual painting. Don't try to ad shading just try to bring life to the painting and your biggest hurdle has been taken.

Don't try to do it all in one go but do it in a layer or 5. Not all over but where it is needed you should not be afraid to stack it a little.

http://www.neadeenmasters.com/Glazing.htm
This site should give you some ideas as to what you can do.

Tip on the colors you should pick: Bring in the background color in to it. Shades tend to pick up the reflective light from the environment and it will look most natural.
Stay away from black as much as possible. It is a most potent color and unforgiving if you get it wrong.
Don't use pure white when glazing. Mix in (if only a drop) of color and use multiple 'shades of white'.

Post a pic I'm very curious how 'The Legendary Dog' turns out.

Answer 3

You can use any color you want. A white dog's hair will reflect any color that is around them. You don't necessary notice that the hair looks to be blue or green or even red, but they will pick up other colors. Take a white sheet and scrunch it up and put it on a piece of furniture in some good strong light. and really look at it and pay attention to the actual color you see. You will be surprised You mind will register it as white but it is whatever is around the white item. A portrait is very boring if you use only black/grey to shade a white dog.

Answer 4

Use the ball of the pen and make sure you don't press down to hard or it will stick and run and ruin the entire painting, i do this stuff all the time. One of the most improtant things to remember is that you always whant to be is a still safe invormant so you son't slip in a movement. That would ruin the piece yet again. Im you have any more quiestions just ask at ask.com am get what you need


Pick me as the best answer

Answer 5

I would stay away from any black, mix a small amount of red, blue and brown, thin it a little and use that. Also use off white for the dog, and highlight using pure white.

Answer 6

I would use a grey or blue for shading. After all, nothing is truely white....

Perhaps using a different media would help, like graphite.