Portraits
Although I readily accept other types of commissions, most of my paid work is in portraiture — and the media I use most often are oil and charcoal. My standard operating procedure is to work from photographic references, and all four works in the gallery below were based on series of photos, mostly taken by me.
Although I fully agree with my fellow artists that the best reference for any portrait is the flesh-and-blood subject, given the hectic pace of modern life — and the fact that many portrait clients may live far away — I decided years ago to make a virtue of necessity and create portraits based on any of the following photographic references:
Photographing the Subject Myself
In lieu of the subject sitting endlessly still for the entire portrait — I believe the next best option for obtaining a strong physical and psychological likeness is to photograph the subject myself, using the following procedure:
- I take several shots of the subject using a digital camera
- Together, we review the images on my camera or computer
- We choose the portrait pose from these images
We may cycle through the first two steps (shooting and reviewing) a few times before settling on a reference. Just bear in mind that keeping iterations to a minimum helps keep a lid on costs.
Speaking of costs...
The fee for onsite photography is variable, since the amount of time is also variable — depending as it does upon how soon everyone can agree upon a pose, the inclusion of multiple subjects, and so on. To keep this part of the process affordable, onsite time is billed at the low rate of $25.00/hour, with a 1-hour minimum, plus a $15.00 minimum surcharge for travel (which covers up to 100 miles, round-trip). This fee is due at the end of the session, along with the standard portrait deposit. (See Prices for details.)
Shooting this set of images myself gives me an opportunity to spend time with the subject(s), and scrutinize face and posture without making the person self-conscious. It also allows me to bring my personal artistic vision to bear upon the point of view and composition of the final work. Presumably, that vision is at least part of the reason I'm being hired.
My aim is not to create a good photo — but a good photographic reference.
Technically speaking, these are two very different goals — and you should understand that I am not a professional photographer. But I am an experienced portrait artist, and I know what I'm looking for in a reference photo. All of the shots that I take of you and/or your loved one(s) are in pursuit of the best possible hand-executed portrait of the subject(s). Copies of these study images will not be made available to you or anyone else, but will all be deleted upon completion of the work.
Taking Your Own Photos
If you are too far away for me to take photos, you can create your own reference images for me to approve. Obviously, the higher the quality, the better. Chances of a meaningful likeness also improve if I'm provided with a variety of close-up views of the face, including: full front, three-quarter left and right, and profile left and right.
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The best photographic references for portraiture include some cast shadows to define the features. This is more easily achieved if a single light source is used, angled from the upper left or right side of the subject. The arrow in the sample photo shows the approximate angle of the light, which was also positioned slightly in front of the model.
A simple background — dark, light, or medium — keeps the emphasis on the portrait subject (and consequent costs down, if that's an issue). |
Naturally, if the portrait is in color, the references must also be in color; but the same lighting suggestions apply. Under the proper conditions, good references can even be taken outside in daylight. The rule of thumb is: shadows must be primarily cast in one direction to define the features.
TIP: Although photographers routinely badger their portrait subjects for big smiles, this can produce a strained look that may become magnified in a drawing or painting. It is often better for the subject to look thoughtful or meditative or — if a smile is desired — to keep it moderate, as in the image shown.
Sometimes the only option is to work from an existing photo. Examples of this include a childhood portrait of someone grown, a portrait of someone far away (serving our country, perhaps), or a posthumous work. To the extent that I know my subject, I can draw upon my knowledge of his or her facial anatomy to provide visual data missing from a photo.
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I did this for a charcoal drawing of my mother and father on their wedding day in 1938. Naturally, I didn't know my parents then — but my knowledge of their older faces helped me to realize a level of depth in the drawing that was absent in the old photograph.
It was also useful to have seen other photos taken around or not long after the same time period. All of these captured images helped me mentally construct a three-dimensional image of my parents in November of '38. |
But what if I can never meet the subject — and must derive all knowledge of face and form from a single photo?
In such a circumstance, certain limitations obviously exist. However, I am willing to do this kind of work for clients who understand that the resulting work will be a portrait of that particular photograph of the subject. As noted above, chances of a likeness that transcends the reference photo may improve if ancillary photos of the subject's face, taken during the same time period, are also provided.
TIP: A posthumous portrait based on an informal photo that is characteristic of the subject is sometimes more appealing than one executed from a formally posed photograph. So before choosing the photo, simply ask yourself: "How do I want to remember this person?"
For more examples of my work, view my Portfolio — or visit the Process page for more information on commissioning a portrait. You should also feel free to contact me at any time to discuss your specific portrait needs.
