Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists: An Essential Guide to Painting Facial Features, Fleshtones, Light, and Form

Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists: An Essential Guide to Painting Facial Features, Fleshtones, Light, and Form

by Steve Forster

4.7 (131)

4.7 stars from 131 reviews


$12.9952% off peak

Last checked: Jun 3, 2026

Price history: $4.99 $26.99

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Price range: $4.99 $26.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Andrew Tischler
  • Cesar Santos
  • John Singer Sargent

Fans of these books will like this...

  • Portrait Painting Atelier
  • The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression

Perfect for you if...

  • You've been stuck on flesh tones and want a structured, practical system for mixing and layering them convincingly.
  • You're an intermediate painter ready to move beyond basics and capture the subtle planes of the face and effects of light.
  • You prefer hands-on learning with video tutorials built in, so you can pause, watch, and try the same technique on your canvas.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You're a complete beginner looking for a gentle introduction. this book assumes you already know how to mix paint and handle a brush.
  • You're drawn to loose, expressive portraiture. This is classical realism focused on likeness and form.
  • You prefer learning through pure theory without practical exercises. Every chapter here has drills and techniques you need to actually do.

About this book

A comprehensive guide to oil portrait painting by Steve Forster, an award-winning portrait artist and co-director of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art. The book covers ten chapters, each including skill-building exercises and QR codes linking to instructional videos. Topics include fundamental materials and techniques, basic anatomy and feature development for underdrawing, color theory and palette structures, painting techniques with different shape and lighting approaches, and creative strategies for portraits. The guide also explores how digital painting techniques can support traditional painting methods. Designed for artists at all skill levels, the book teaches how to capture the human portrait with attention to form, light, diverse perspectives, flesh tones, and various light effects using realistic painting techniques. Part of the For Artists series, which includes titles on drawing, anatomy, figure work, botanicals, still life, facial expressions, landscape painting, plein air techniques, and sketching.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$13.49$26.99Nov '24Dec '25May '26Jun '26
$4.99$26.99

Currently on sale at $12.99 — 52% off peak. Price has dropped 4 times over the last 18 months. Goes on sale roughly every 74 days. Typically stays discounted for 56 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#11,585#1,213,155#2,414,724Mar '25Dec '25Feb '26Jun '26

Currently around #190K in the Kindle store — a niche title. Sales have softened 52% recently.

Rating & Reviews

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4.0★4.5★5.0★Oct '25Dec '25Feb '26Mar '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.7★ from 131 reviews

Gaining approximately 13 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.7 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$13.49$26.99Nov '24Dec '25May '26Jun '26PredictedJun '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $12.99. It typically returns to around $26.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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