DAY 4: CHARLIE’S ADORABLE FACE
Day 4: The Face
🎧 Listen to today’s encouragement from Erica (0:55 minutes)
🎨 LIVE CHALLENGE REMINDER
If you’re participating in the live challenge, remember to share a photo of today’s progress, questions, wins, or breakthroughs inside the Telegram group so we can celebrate and support you. Every artist is at a different stage, and your progress may encourage someone else to keep going. Plus, active participants will be entered into our live challenge giveaway. 👉 JOIN THE TELEGRAM GROUP
Day 4: Bringing Charlie Together
Today is one of my favorite days.
Up until now, we’ve been painting Charlie one section at a time. Today we’re connecting those sections together and watching him come to life. Take a moment and look at your painting before you begin.
A few days ago, this was a blank canvas. Now Charlie is looking back at you. That’s pretty amazing.
I’ve highlighted the area in the above photo we’re focusing on – the FACE!
Remember you have access to the full reference photo of the painting (under Preparing for Success) if you prefer to use it. Now let’s move on to some guiding steps (remember, progress over perfection!).
INSTRUCTIONS
Read all the steps first, then come back to step 1.
To keep it simple, use the following colors: Raw Sienna, Unbleached Titanium, Titanium White, and Neutral Gray no. 5 (with a little bit of Raw Umber if you need it).
Today we’re merging Charlie’s main features together by painting the face. Rather than painting randomly, we’ll continue working one section at a time, just as we’ve done throughout the challenge.
Tip! Be mindful when you’re applying your paint to the face. It’s better to go for a blend that’s somewhere in the middle first, then go back for a second layer and add some darker hues for shading and lighter hues for some highlights if you’re not used to blending on the go.
1. Starting with the left eye, paint more of the surrounding area.
2. Then move on to the right eye and paint more of the surrounding area.
3. Now move on to painting the white part between his eyes. Make sure you clean off your brush before blending with Titanium White and Neutral Gray no. 5.
It’s like we’ve added an eye mask on Charlie.
4. Move on to the surrounding area of his nose, and the white section that lends itself all the way to the forehead. Go ahead and paint all of this while you have a good light-gray blend on your palette.
5. Now continue painting the forehead by blending Raw Sienna with Unbleached Titanium. For the darker hues, add in a little bit of Raw Umber just for a slightly deeper tone. Blend in a tiny bit of Titanium White when you want some lighter strands of hair. Connect the forehead to the ears.
When you’re painting fur, always be mindful of the direction the hair falls in. I often lay down a foundation of paint and then go back over it in my coming layers by painting near individual strands of hair. Even when I apply the first layer, I paint in the direction of how the fur is growing. Every brushstroke is done with deliberate intention.
Charlie’s eye mask, muzzle and forehead is now done. One brushstroke at a time, we’re allowing Charlie to come alive on our canvas.
6. With the same blend you used for the forehead, continue down the sides of Charlie’s face (cheeks and jaw) – everything that has this Raw Sienna/Unbleached Titanium blend.
7. Note where there are shaded areas, where it’s merging into a whiter hue or where there’s highlights. Always pay attention to the variation of color hues and blend as you go – do you need a little bit more browner tones? Maybe a clean brush before you add the whiter areas?
Review
Take a few steps back from your painting and really look at it.
Can you see what’s happening? The eyes connect to the nose. The nose connects to the face. The ears connect to the forehead. Charlie is becoming a portrait.
And you did that. One brushstroke at a time. And if your painting doesn’t look exactly like mine, that’s okay.
The goal was never perfection. The goal was to learn a process, build confidence, and discover what’s possible when you keep showing up.
Tomorrow we’ll paint Charlie’s body, add the finishing touches, and complete our portrait.
You’re almost there. Keep going.
Now, before you leave, share a photo of your progress inside the Telegram group and tell us: What part of Charlie are you most proud of so far? We want to celebrate your progress with you.
xo,
Erica
DAY 4: CHARLIE’S ADORABLE FACE
Day 4: Bringing Charlie Together
🎧 Listen to today’s encouragement from Erica (0:55 minutes)
🎨 LIVE CHALLENGE REMINDER
If you’re participating in the live challenge, remember to share a photo of today’s progress, questions, wins, or breakthroughs inside the Telegram group so we can celebrate and support you. Every artist is at a different stage, and your progress may encourage someone else to keep going. Plus, active participants will be entered into our live challenge giveaway. 👉 JOIN THE TELEGRAM GROUP
Today is one of my favorite days.
Up until now, we’ve been painting Charlie one section at a time. Today we’re connecting those sections together and watching him come to life. Take a moment and look at your painting before you begin.
A few days ago, this was a blank canvas. Now Charlie is looking back at you. That’s pretty amazing.
I’ve highlighted the area in the above photo we’re focusing on – the FACE!
Remember you have access to the full reference photo of the painting (under Preparing for Success) if you prefer to use it. Now let’s move on to some guiding steps (remember, progress over perfection!).
INSTRUCTIONS
Read all the steps first, then come back to step 1.
To keep it simple, use the following colors: Raw Sienna, Unbleached Titanium, Titanium White, and Neutral Gray no. 5 (with a little bit of Raw Umber if you need it).
Today we’re merging Charlie’s main features together by painting the face. Rather than painting randomly, we’ll continue working one section at a time, just as we’ve done throughout the challenge.
Tip! Be mindful when you’re applying your paint to the face. It’s better to go for a blend that’s somewhere in the middle first, then go back for a second layer and add some darker hues for shading and lighter hues for some highlights if you’re not used to blending on the go.
1. Starting with the left eye, paint more of the surrounding area.
2. Then move on to the right eye and paint more of the surrounding area.
3. Now move on to painting the white part between his eyes. Make sure you clean off your brush before blending with Titanium White and Neutral Gray no. 5.
It’s like we’ve added an eye mask on Charlie.
4. Move on to the surrounding area of his nose, and the white section that lends itself all the way to the forehead. Go ahead and paint all of this while you have a good light-gray blend on your palette.
5. Now continue painting the forehead by blending Raw Sienna with Unbleached Titanium. For the darker hues, add in a little bit of Raw Umber just for a slightly deeper tone. Blend in a tiny bit of Titanium White when you want some lighter strands of hair. Connect the forehead to the ears.
When you’re painting fur, always be mindful of the direction the hair falls in. I often lay down a foundation of paint and then go back over it in my coming layers by painting near individual strands of hair. Even when I apply the first layer, I paint in the direction of how the fur is growing. Every brushstroke is done with deliberate intention.
Charlie’s eye mask, muzzle and forehead is now done. One brushstroke at a time, we’re allowing Charlie to come alive on our canvas.
6. With the same blend you used for the forehead, continue down the sides of Charlie’s face (cheeks and jaw) – everything that has this Raw Sienna/Unbleached Titanium blend.
7. Note where there are shaded areas, where it’s merging into a whiter hue or where there’s highlights. Always pay attention to the variation of color hues and blend as you go – do you need a little bit more browner tones? Maybe a clean brush before you add the whiter areas?
Review
Take a few steps back from your painting and really look at it.
Can you see what’s happening? The eyes connect to the nose. The nose connects to the face. The ears connect to the forehead. Charlie is becoming a portrait.
And you did that. One brushstroke at a time. And if your painting doesn’t look exactly like mine, that’s okay.
The goal was never perfection. The goal was to learn a process, build confidence, and discover what’s possible when you keep showing up.
Tomorrow we’ll paint Charlie’s body, add the finishing touches, and complete our portrait.
You’re almost there. Keep going.
Now, before you leave, share a photo of your progress inside the Telegram group and tell us: What part of Charlie are you most proud of so far? We want to celebrate your progress with you.
xo,
Erica