Join Darling Portrait Prize 2022 finalist Melissa Clements and discover the alchemy of colour mixing to create varied and luminous flesh. The key to a realistic and lifelike portrait is perfecting the art of mixing skin tones, Melissa Clements will walk you through her personal colour palette, letting you in on her secrets for creating a variety of flesh tones. Participants will be guided through the process of mixing colours before being invited to create their very own alla prima portrait.
Melissa Clements is a portrait artist based in Perth, Western Australia. She was a finalist in the 2022 Darling Portrait Prize and the Lester Prize in 2021 and has completed commissions for important institutions including the Supreme Court of Western Australia. Passionate about the power for art to sublimate human emotions, Melissa communicates contemporary narratives through classical painting techniques which she has learnt and perfected at residencies including at the New York Academy of Art. She has since begun sharing these techniques in Fine Art workshops in Australia.
Here is a list of suggested materials to have ready:
- Canvas panel (25 X 30cm)
- Canvas panel (12 x 17cm)
- Pencil and eraser
- Paint palette
- Assorted brushes, synthetic works well!
- Palette knife
- Painting medium, any thin medium will do!
Oil paint:
- Titanium white
- Alizarin crimson
- Lemon yellow
- Cobalt blue
- Burnt umber
‘If you do not feel confident free hand drawing a sketch of the reference photo on your canvas, you may choose to use graphite paper to save time and ensure your initial sketch it accurate’ – Melissa Clements
Puting a reference photo drawing on a canvas:
- Print the reference photo to the desired size.
- Place a sheet of graphite paper on the canvas, graphite side down, and place the printed reference photo on top.
- Using a pen or pencil, trace the outline of the reference photo.
- Remove reference photo and graphite paper. The outline you drew will have transferred onto the canvas.
