DIGITAL PORTRAIT LAB: Painting with a Traditional Edge

Course Overview:  Most digital portraits look flat, over-blended, and artificial. This course is designed to fix that. In this 5-week program, students will learn how to approach digital painting like a traditional artist using strong value structure, controlled brushwork, and intentional edges to create portraits that feel real, not plastic. This is not about shortcuts or filters. This is about learning how to actually paint. Ideal for concept artists, illustrators, and serious beginners who want to level up their digital painting.

Classes Begin: Monday June 22nd, 2026

*Must have a tablet or pen display, and either Clip Studio Paint or Adobe Photoshop

Ages 15 & Up | Mondays, 6:00-9:00 PM PST | 5 Weeks

Format: Instructor’s Zoom Classroom (All Classes will be recorded)

This is a working class, not a lecture. Expect to paint every week.

At the end of this course you will learn:

• How to think like a painter, not a filter user

• How to control edges, values, and form with intention

• How to create digital work that feels like traditional media such as oil or acrylic

Module 1: Foundations of Portrait Painting – Three-Quarter Lighting

Students will:

• Build a clean workflow from sketch to finished painting

• Understand value structure using grayscale

• Learn to turn form using three-quarter lighting

• Practice controlled blending inspired by traditional painting

• Develop strategies for painting hair with structure and clarity

Module 2: Color Through Glazing

Students will:

• Apply color using blend modes over grayscale underpainting

• Preserve value structure while introducing color

• Use low-opacity brushes to simulate traditional glazing

• Control color temperature in light and shadow

Module 3: Full Color Portrait – Light Skin

Students will:

• Transition from grayscale to full color painting

• Manage a simple lighting setup in color

• Develop natural-looking lighter skin tones

• Avoid over-blending and muddy color

Module 4: Full Color Portrait – Dark Skin

Students will:

• Understand the value compression of darker skin tones

• Use subtle color shifts instead of over-lightening

• Paint rich, luminous dark skin without flattening or dullness

• Maintain structure while working within a tighter value range

Module 5: Painting with an Exaggerated Color Palette

Students will:

• Introduce bold, unexpected color choices for energy and mood

• Learn the ala prima approach for direct, confident painting

• Balance warm and cool color relationships

• Push beyond realism into stylized, painterly work