Commissioning a Portrait
Traditionally, commissioning a portrait can be a costly and time consuming affair involving long sittings and travel expenses. These days, few of us have the patience, time or budget. In these high tech times, most of us will have some stunning photos of our loved ones on our ‘phones, most of which will never see the light of day. I can paint a portrait from a photo at a significantly reduced price by cutting out the need for sittings and travel. Not only that, if you already have a favourite photo you know that I will be capturing the image/expression you love! All I need is a wonderful, high quality photo (please check copyright if taken by a professional). Ideally, please also send a few extra photos or video clips to give me the best possible insight into their characters. I can help you get the right photo which will make a good portrait.
I usually work on a grey/duck egg card in graphite with white highlights. Because I believe the eyes are what bring a portrait to life I pay particular attention to them and paint them in full colour, which looks lovely against a monochrome face. This is not set in stone so please ask if you would like to discuss different colour options.
It is possible to make inexpensive prints of the original in case more members of the family would like a copy! Excellent quality and value framing can be organised if required.
The final price will depend on the intricacy of the photo (head and shoulder or half body etc) but a good guide is as follows:
- One person £550
- Two people (or person with dog or horse) £975
- Three people/animals £1325
If possible, please plan ahead to ensure I’m not busy with other commissions, but I do love the challenge of the occasional short notice portrait!
