The basics of oil painting are the same no matter what the subject matter and they go a long way, even with portrait painting. However, making portraits can be a little more tricky, particularly in getting a likeness, as this requires a good degree of observational drawing skill. Also, due to the intricate nature of faces, portraits may need to be built in more stages than most other paintings, depending on the style and level of realism one wishes to take the painting to.