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#31 What people (really love) in a portrait

by Léa Wai
Dec 04, 2024

NOVEMBER CHALLENGE 🖤


Bonjour my little demon, ready to collect gem #31?

We are 18,921 😈 in the Portrait Gem Hunt! Whether you just joined or have been here from the beginning, thank you so much for reading.


TODAY'S GEM

 

People often ask me: What makes a portrait stand out?

It’s a great question.

 

I see a lot of artists overthinking anatomy, shading, realism, or even finding their own style. Don’t get me wrong—these are the building blocks of impactful portraits. They matter. But at the end of the day, they’re not what people remember.

 

For example, my most technically polished portraits are rarely the ones that resonate the most online. Sometimes, a quick demon study outshines a piece I spent ten hours perfecting.

So, what do people actually look for in a portrait?

 

Well...

 

It's all about the emotional impact of your portraits. What stays with them is how the portrait makes them feel. That strong emotion that sparks the moment they see it.

 

Linework, shading, style—they’re just tools. Tools to serve the story, to spark a feeling. Nothing less, nothing more.

 

Once you shift your mindset, everything gets easier. You’ll feel less pressure to make everything perfect, you’ll have more fun creating, and your portraits will resonate more deeply with people.

 

Voilà, that’s all for today. What topic should I cover tomorrow?

See you tomorrow!

Bisou,

Léa

 

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