Type of Portrait

Before the invention of photography, painting was the only way to record the appearance of someone. They also existed to show power, importance, beauty, wealth and taste of the person. We know that camera’s technology can create the perfect image, but nothing can replace the very human connection that is so evidently shown in a painting. 
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They are many ways to create a portrait painting. Here, we explain the different type of portraits that can capture your memory that can last a lifetime. 

Oil paintings are one of the greatest classic media. They have been around for a very long time and have stood the test with great durability and lively colour. They are also a great investment to have in the future as compared to other medium. One of the other characteristics of oil paint is that it allows the paint to dry slowly, which help artist to adjust and have better control of the movement. 

Digital painting is the art of creating artwork on a computer and tablet with a a stylus pen. Digital can be created in any form, whether it is watercolour, oil, or even sketch!  A digitally prepared portrait is done manually from a blank canvas. The best about digital is that we can have access to textures and instruments, and our artist personal favourite of CTRL-Z  (it can be easily undone!)

Pastel painting is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of powdered pigment and a binder. This medium is popular, and usually given as a gift as it is more cheaper than oil and has the fastest time to lead to complete! 

Mixed media art involves mixing different creative mediums to create work that incorporates two or more art forms on a canvas/ paper. For example, the one below we use pencil, pastel and spray paint for the finishing background.

Mixed media is all about breaking the boundaries between different art forms. There is no limit when it comes to mixed media!

​Pencil sketch is a drawing without any colour used, mainly the drawing will be in black & white. It is drawn using freehand and not usually intended as a finished artwork. The different types of gradients will create a tone of shades in black and white. Like pastel, it is also great for gift and has short time lead to complete. 

Digital illustration involves the use of digital tools like digital painting to generate art directly from the artist’s hand, through an interface that translates that movement into a digital display. Many of these tools involve using a stylus to draw on a digital canvas, it can be then printed on any type of paper or canvas. The final outlook normally turns out to be fun and cool! 

See more of our Portrait Pastwork Portfolio at Artisan Malaysia Online Gallery here. ​

Is this post helpful? If you have any other questions about portrait art. Feel free to email me at enquiries@artisanmalaysia.com