Commisioning a Portrait

Commissioning a portrait of a loved one is a very special event. The
finished portrait is an expression of this love; a moment captured in time,
held near and dear for generations to come. As such, it’s advisable to
carefully consider important variables such as size, medium, setting and
content.

As I work almost exclusively from photographs, it is important to have
access to as many photos of the subject as possible in order to capture the
essence and spirit that you love so much. While I prefer to take my own
photos, I can also work from good quality photos that you may already have
available. Of course, if you are located outside of the Seattle area, that
is the only alternative and so the more photos you can send, the better. If
you will be taking your own photos of the subject, be sure to use good,
natural lighting, set your camera to the highest quality image and do not
use the flash.

Portraits of children and animals work best when the subject is dressed
comfortably, relaxed and engaged in a favorite activity or with a favorite
book or toy. A stiffly posed child dressed in a special occasion outfit is
generally not representative of who they really are. Also, the more shots
in each setting the better. On occasion, I have taken up to 100 shots of a
subject to get 6 or 7 really good reference photos: thank goodness for
digital cameras!

Once the reference photo is selected, I will meet with or call you to
discuss the portrait price, size and medium. Generally, the more subjects
in the portrait, the larger it should be to allow for sufficient detail.
Portrait size and price will also depend on medium (pastel or colored
pencil) and view (head and shoulders or full figure).