How to Paint Realistic Acrylic Portraits Faster

Is it possible to paint a realistic acrylic portrait in an hour? Let me show you...

One-hour portrait study of my wife, 11 x 14, acrylic on canvas

Last week, I did a portrait study of my wife in acrylic in 30 minutes' time. Even though I liked what I accomplished in a half an hour, I wanted to see how much further I could take the painting in another 30 minutes. And so here is a video detailing the process...

In this video, you will learn blending techniques in acrylics, as well as how to achieve realism in your portraits relatively quickly. Now, I want to say that doing fast paintings like this will not take the place of tightly defined, methodical paintings where you're patient in building up the layers of color and nuances, but it will help you to get faster at painting and be a nice exercise to see what you can capture in a short amount of time.

What you see in the video thumbnail image is how the portrait turned out in approximately 1 hour of work. It is an 11 x 14, acrylic on canvasboard.

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For your reference:

Original reference photo

30 minutes in...

Another 30 minutes in...

Let me know how this video helps you in learning to paint confident realism in acrylics, especially portraits. If I can help you or answer any questions for you, just let me know!

All the best,

If you like this post, please upvote, follow and resteem. I post regularly on art, tips on painting and drawing, and encouraging thoughts.

See more of my artwork at: MattPhilleo.com