I occasionally get questions about how I use wine in my paintings, so I thought that I would cross-post this "tutorial" from my DA account. Keep in mind, I am only telling you how I did this particular image. I am not telling you that this is the best way to do things, or giving instruction on lighting, anatomy, etc. Feel free to ask any questions you might have that are not answered here in the artist comments!


General Tips and Suggestions

*For my paintings, I have mainly used a shiraz (like on this image) and a merlot. There are many thousands of different types and brands of red wine, each with their own unique properties. Many brands are inexpensive, so you should have no problem experimenting to find the types of wine that you like best.

*If you find that the wine you have chosen is too "light," leave a little bit sitting out in a cup overnight. You will find that the alcohol evaporates and leaves behind a more concentrated solution. You can also speed the process up by heating the wine, keeping in mind that the boiling point for alcohol is much lower than the boiling point of water.

*I recommend testing out your wine on the paper that you intend to use *before* sketching. There is nothing worse than finding out that your medium is incompatible with your paper after you've already created lineart that you like.

*I CAN NOT vouch for the longevity of wine as a painting medium. I have only been making these for a year, and I have yet to see any other data on how wine pigments hold up over time. I suggest making prints of your paintings, just in case. Also, similarly, if you are planning on displaying your wine paintings, I recommend displaying a print rather than the original image (to limit exposure to pigment-bleaching light).


Step One: Lineart

*I used Bristol Vellum for my lineart, although I have gotten similar results with Bristol smooth. The pencils were 2B and 5B graphite.

*Don't be afraid to use references! I used my own tiger photos from the zoo to create the lineart here. The best sources of reference are photographs, video, and live study. If you are using a drawing or painting for reference, you are more prone to copying anatomical errors inadvertently. Don't forget, photographers are artists, too, so please respect their copyright! If you are "heavily" referencing a single image that you did not take, make sure it is either a stock photo or one that you have permission from the photographer to use.

*It is okay to leave some graphite grain, even if you want a smooth finish. The wine will smooth out the grain.

*You can also ink your image at this stage. However, be sure to test your ink underneath a wash of wine first! Even if an ink is labeled "waterproof," it may still be soluble in alcohol.


Step Two: First Wine Wash

*I paint this wash on with a fairly wide paintbrush. I don't dilute the wine.

*There is very little detail at this point; I am mainly blocking in the shadows and smoothing out the graphite.

*Wine dries very quickly, so work as fast as you can while minimizing mistakes. If you go "out of the lines," it is difficult to correct your mistake.

*Wine dries darker than it goes on. Wait until the wine is completely dry to layer on subsequent washes.


Step Three: Second Wine Wash

*Some fur texture is added here, and shadows are darkened.

*Wine works much like ink. Once dry, it does not lift back up again easily. Although this quality means mistakes are difficult to correct, it also means that it very easy to layer washes of wine on top of each other without ruining previous layers.

*Usually, it is better to layer many light washes rather than heaping on one or two thick coats. Surface tension will draw pigment to the edges of a thick splotch of wine, which will look strange if you are going for a smooth effect. However, it can create some interesting textures in some circumstances, so experiment!


Step Four: Final Wine Wash

*I skipped ahead a bit here; this is actually 8 or 9 layers in some areas. All of the desired textures are visible at this point.

*Keep layering washes until you are satisfied with the result. If your paper gets "saturated" and will no longer accept the pigment, don't worry. You can always darken in some areas with black ink.


Step Five: Colour and Final Details

*Colour is added with coloured ink. Watercolour paints work very well, too.

*Shadows and linework are darkened with black acrylic ink. Some other suggestions are India ink, ballpoint pen, or marker. This step may not be necessary in your wine painting. I rarely go over my linework, usually preferring the look of the original graphite.

*Small details, such as the whiskers, are added.

*At this point in time, you can also add highlights or corrections with white acrylic ink or gel pen. I was lazy and elected not to do so.



And that's it! Please let me know if you have more questions (or point out grammatical errors, since I'm too lazy to proofread). Happy painting! :)

Artwork is © MoonsongWolf