How to paint rip mca with your fingers

If you have never seen the video Shadrach by the Beastie Boys, it is an amazing blend of music and art. After the passing of MCA this past Summer, I decided to do a portrait of him from that video.

First, cover the entire canvas with a thin even coat of gray oil paint, mixed on a plate from white and a little black. This will ensure your paints will blend together. Next put your oils on 2 plates

Pick up your plate with your darks and block in some color with a lighter value blue. It should be a big sweeping shape that frames the portrait like so.

Next, take some darker blue and some black and block in the basic shape of what will be MCAs figure. Add a little red to the center of the canvas off of your bright color plate.

Take other brights in red, yellow, and white to help frame the face. The video is a moving abstract work of art, and your fingerpainting should reflect that movement.

Back to your dark plate to add in the basic shapes of MCA's hat and hair. This is done with both shades of blue and some black.

With the black, you want to scrub in lines that frame the brighter colors. Also take a look at how I blended some into the red by his face to make his head pop out.

Next up, an abstract hand holding a microphone up to the face. The hand is red and yellow, the mic is blue and black.

Block in the face with the same fleshtones you have used plus a little white mixed on top. Make sure to study eye placement and leave the eye cavities out.

Add the eyes in next with white and black. Start to add some shadow and highlights to the face as well.

The more shadows and highlights you add, the more the figure will jump off the canvas at the viewer.

I took my pinky and some white and drew a white line around the figure. It makes it pop as well as gives it a stained glass look and feel.

About done! Just step back and take a look to correct anything that may be sticking out at you. When satisfied, sign in the corner with some red on your pinky.

That's it! Good job! Follow me for more helpful tips, creative projects, and buying guides from Lowe's. You can also view all my paintings at my online gallery = pinterest.com/justinballew

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