Colleen Thompson Art

09/09/2026

Sketchbook Self Portrait Study…I’m tired of looking at my face!!
Looking for new references to painting.

Any suggestions? I would love to hear them in the comments below. 😊

08/24/2026

08/19/2026

My favorite way to paint portraits—especially sweet little ones—is starting entirely in black, white and gray aka Grisaille.
Mapping out the light and shadows first makes layering on those soft skin tones so much easier.
There’s nothing quite like watching the color bring her to life! What do you think?

07/16/2026

I never thought I would enjoy painting people. As I practiced, I told myself “it’s similar to painting a pet portrait…it’s all about the eyes”.

Do you like the sparkle I added to this man’s eyes?

Practice portrait from online Portrait Workshop. Highly recommend, check Chris The Painting Coach out!

9x12 oil on gesso sketch book paper.

07/14/2026

It all started with a simple decision: face the fear of Skin. 🎨

Three years ago, the thought of painting skin tones and portraits absolutely terrified me. I knew the only way past the fear was to dive in and learn, so I started looking for guidance—and that’s when I found Chris Fornataro, aka the Paint Coach ()!

Chris has this incredibly easy, relatable way of breaking down the portrait process so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Thanks to his step-by-step approach, my confidence and my portraiture have grown more than I ever expected.

If you’ve been wanting to paint faces but don’t know where to start, I cannot recommend him enough. Give a follow—you won’t regret it!

Swipe through to see the journey behind this piece:

1️⃣ The finished portrait (keeping my grid looking pretty!)

2️⃣ First attempt before taking the course

3️⃣ The original reference photo

4️⃣ The black and white value study (crucial for getting those darks and lights right!)

5️⃣ Mapping out the planes of the face

Have you ever tackled an artistic fear that ended up becoming your new obsession to paint? Let me know in the comments! 👇