How to paint a figure

1. Paint your figure in as few brush strokes as possible.
2. Paint fast without thinking too much - these figures are not the main focus of the painting your viewer will use his imagination to fill in the details.

1	2	3

1. Mix up a fairly dark shade and in one stroke paint a carrot shape. Try to paint as one shape instred of drawing and outline and filling it in. Notice the slight slope to the shoulders.
2. While the paint is still wet add in the legs in 2 strokes. Try to paint one slightly thicker than the other. Its nice to have some white space between the legs, this gives an impression of movement.
3. Quickly add one stroke for the arm (don't make the 2 arms the same) and add a small oval shape for the head. Don't make the head too big it should be 1/8th of the body size (if you make it too small it's eay to enlarge but if it's too big it's difficult to make smaller!

Materials 

VanGogh watercolour: Ulramarine + Paynes Grey - Watercolour paper Gerstaecker 300gm.

A figure - side view

The try a figure from the side. Add a shadow by dragging out with clean water	Avoid adding dark shoes

How to paint 2 figures

1. Paint your figure in as few brush strokes as possible.
2. Paint fast without thinking too much - these figures are not the main focus of the painting your viewer will use his imagination to fill in the details.

1	2

1. Mix up a fairly dark shade and in one stroke paint a carrot shape with a "v". Try to paint as one shape instred of drawing and outline and filling it in. Notice the slight slope to the shoulders.
2. While the paint is still wet add in the legs in 2 strokes. Try to paint one slightly thicker than the other. Its nice to have some white space between the legs, this gives an impression of movement.
3. Quickly add one stroke for the arm (don't make the 2 arms the same) and add a small oval shape for the head (I used raw sienna and madder lake for the skin tones) . Don't make the head too big it should be 1/8th of the body size (if you make it too small it's easy to enlarge but if it's too big it's difficult to make smaller!
4. Paint in the skirt of the woman whilst the paint is still wet (don't worry if the blue runs into the red (I quite like that!). Continue with her legs in the same colour andat the same time. Then with a kitchen paper dab out some of the colour in her legs. (obviously you have to add colour if she's wearing a green skirt!)
5. Paint in her arm in one stroke and her head and neck. (using same mixtutre of RS + ML).
6. You don't need to add any more details than these.