Archie Wardlaw
reveals his tips for painting a likeness in oils, with particular emphasis on how to paint eyes
Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 18318in (45.5345.5cm)
A portrait can one be of the trickiest subjects to paint. Perhaps this is why it holds such enduring appeal. Cracking the puzzle of capturing someone on canvas is both challenging and therefore so rewarding when done well. The problem is largely one of proportions as your subject is a moving target and, to make it harder, we have evolved to recognise tiny differences in faces that mean a few millimetres can make or break achieving a likeness.