Beginner's Guide to Creating Portraits - by Steve Forster (Paperback)

About the Book

Meet modern portraiture head-on with this step-by-step beginner's guide to creating stylized portrait, written by the industry's leading character designers.

Book Synopsis

The portrait is one of the world's oldest artforms, but today's technology and culture mean it's time to take a fresh look at how today's portrait artists work outside the realms of realism and elevate their technique. The Instagram-friendly appeal of the portrait means that the modern version can be seen everywhere on social media as digital artists of all skill levels share their captivating characters, focusing on the face. This much-needed book for beginners to digital portraiture goes back to basics (simple anatomy, lighting, color, and perspective) as the starting point for even the most stylized of subjects. Professional artists with recognisable styles, including Loish, Simone Grunwald, and Francisco Garcés, still use these fundamentals. Readers learn from industry professionals how to infuse their subject with believable detail and atmospheric storytelling (especially relevant when working from photographs, as many artists do today). Experts demonstrate step-by-step their digital workflow, sharing techniques for rendering stylized skin tones, hair, and eyes. Sci-fi, fantasy, historical, and anthropomorphic portraits are created. Real-world individuals are highly stylized, yet convince the viewer. This is the essential guide for the next generation of portrait artists who want to create contemporary, stylized work that is compelling, emotive, and memorable.

About the Author

Steve Forster was born in Boston, MA, and grew up in central Florida. He received his MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art and also attended the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, where he met his wife, Rebecca. Since 2014 Steve and Rebecca have been Co-Directors of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art (LIAFA) in Glen Cove, NY. He currently teaches painting at LIAFA and previously also taught painting at NYAA for almost 15 years. He blends digital painting and a love of traditional media to create unique contemporary portrait stories. His paintings are regularly exhibited in solo and group shows nationally. Steve and Rebecca have three kids - Elijah, Evie, and William.