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The first thing to do if you are thinking
of having a portrait painted is decide on the following things:
Oil paints, pencils or colour pencils?
If you have already browsed through my
gallery, you will see that I work in three mediums. Oil Paint, Pencils
and Colour pencils. Each one creates a different mood to the portrait
and has its own attributes. Oil paints are a very traditional medium for
portraits, they have been around for hundreds of years. Once it is dry,
the paint is very permanent. Pencils can create a very romantic mood to
a portrait. Because of the absence of colour, the pencil concentrates on
the tones and form of the subject. A colour pencil portrait is more
unusual. Colour pencils are becoming more and more popular as a medium.
If you are after a colour representation of the person/pet and are on a
budget, these are perfect as a colour pencil portrait will cost less
than an oil painting. Very soon I will be adding Watercolours and
Pastels to my gallery so if you are after one of these now, please
contact me and I will show you some examples.
The Size
You will probably choose the size of
your portrait according to your budget. If you can afford a larger
painting then go for it ( I would say that wouldn't I!). This is because
the larger the painting, the more detail can be added. Large paintings
e.g. 20"x30" can have real 'wow' factor. However if you are on a budget,
a small painting can be just as charming and give an excellent
representation of the person/pet.
The Background
The background should compliment the
colours and texture of the subject. For pencil and colour pencil
drawings, the background remains as the white of the paper with a
little blending to soften. This brings the pencil portrait out of the
page. For Oil
paintings I have outlined a couple of different backgrounds below. If
you have an idea for your background, please let me know. Please note,
for 8"x10" and 12"x10"paintings I only offer background 1 due to the size.
 
Background 1 Background 2 Background 3
Background 1 is the standard
background. It keeps the focus on the person/pet. I will choose
colours to compliment the subject, however the above colours are
universal. You are welcome to request a particular colour for
the background. Background 2 can be the background from the
photograph you have supplied like a chair they are sitting on or
a window overlooking the garden, or whatever you like.
Background 3 is scenery that I can add in if the photograph's
background is not very interesting. It can be mountains or a
field or even just grass. Feel free have a look at around my
gallery to
see more examples of backgrounds
Once you have decided on all of these
contact me either by phone or by email. If you
email me, I will
reply to you as soon as possible ( I check my emails at least twice a
day).
The photographs that I am sent to work
on are the biggest factor in the outcome of the portrait.
The better the photos, the better the painting. This is
very true. I have put down a few pointers to help you when selecting or
taking photographs.
I usually get my clients to email photos to me, however you are welcome to post them. I recommend
that you send them by recorded delivery for their safety. I will return
them by recorded delivery at no extra cost.
If you are able to email me photographs
they can be either digital photos or scans of original photographs. When
you scan them, try to set your scanner to a DPI of around 250-300. If
you are not sure how to do this just scan as they are and I will let you
know if they will be okay. If you are able to change the resolution of
your digital photographs, try to make it as high as possible, without
making it difficult to email ( some emails can only carry up to 20mb )
If you need help with emailing photographs please call me for help. I
know how frustrating all this technology can be!
If you are taking photographs especially
for the portrait I have given a few tips below!
Get right down to you pet's level. It can be an awkward portrait if the dog or cat is
looking up or down at you.
Try to take as many as possible. The
more photographs, the better.
Make sure the photographs portray the
right colour of the person's skin tones/pet's coat. Sometimes photos can
alter the true colour of a subject. I recommend taking photographs in
the daylight. Please try to avoid using a flash. Natural light is
best.
I can combine bits of information from a
few photographs. So if you have a picture with the perfect pose but it
is blurry, as long as I have another photo that describes the colours
and details of the subject I can put them together to complete the
portrait (artistic licence!).
If you have only a few photographs
which are not very good quality, but you are unable to get any more,
please send them to me anyway. I may be able to use them and still get
an excellent likeness.
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