Commissioning A Portrait

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, please contact me through this web site.

I do commissions from photographs, primarily, but taking a good reference photo is difficult, and very different from just taking a “good photograph”. If you are local, I prefer to set up an in person meeting where I will take the photos myself, and time permitting, do a sketch from life either in charcoal or oil, if it can be arranged. Otherwise, send me the photo you want painted to get started.

Pricing and Fees

Pricing for commissions starts at $300.00 but varies by size and subject. All commissions are done on stretched fine linen using top quality oil paints. Sketches from life, if we are able to arrange it, are only available for human portraits.

I don’t charge fees for photography but if there are expenses associated with doing a photo shoot (such as air travel, etc.) then those fees would apply at direct cost.

If we cannot arrange to meet, I will accept photographs you submit, but please contact me before doing the photo shoot. All photographs must meet my acceptable reference criteria in order to be used for a commission. This is to ensure you get the highest quality portrait I can create for you. An oil painting lasts hundreds of years and taking the time up front to get the best reference we can is well worth it.

Reference Photo Criteria

All reference photos must be digital and ideally in camera raw format. The camera must be able to capture enough information for me to make a life sized print from the region of the photo containing the subject. This rules out most cell phone photos and most “point and shoot” digital cameras. I recommend a quality DSLR or mirrorless camera with a large enough sensor and pixel density to make large prints. If you already have a photo that doesn’t meet these criteria, but you are committed to using, please contact me. I may be able to enhance the photo sufficiently to be used as a reference. Otherwise, please try and follow these guidelines.

The lighting needs to be “mostly single source”, which is to say, no “fill lighting” and minimal ambient light, with a primary light coming from the front of the subject, but not directly in front. It should be off to one side and at an angle of 45 degrees (approximately). For natural light, this is mid-morning or mid-afternoon light, when the sun is not directly overhead.

If taking photos using natural sunlight, try to avoid very sharp shadows if possible. Shadows are important, but if they’re too sharp, it can look odd. Similarly, avoid overcast sunlight. This causes the light to be too soft and even (no shadows). The best way to check the sunlight is to look for a vertical object, like a tree or lamppost, and see the quality of the shadow.

For human subjects, the camera should ideally be at eye level with the subject to avoid camera distortions of the head. For full length portraits, this can cause foreshortening of the legs but I can adjust for that in my studio.

The exposure should be such that everything in light can be seen in detail. If you have any portions of the photo where the light is completely blown out and white, I may not be able to use the photo. Raw format photos can often be fixed even when the exposure is off, but it’s better to have good exposure to begin with.

Everything must be in full focus. “Boca” is very popular with portrait photographers, but usually makes photos useless to me as an oil painting reference. The goal of a reference photo is to capture what I would naturally see with my own eyes if I were there. Everything I look directly at I see in full focus, so I need to photos to have everything in full focus (this may require a high F-stop, like F11).

All of the above applies to any subject but is most important for humans. For animals, it can be a lot more difficult to get good light, so do your best. Good things to look for in animals are where the light and shadows are, and especially for dogs, and “catch light” in the eyes (which is the “glint” we often see in the eyes of a photograph). Take notice of features you really care about and make sure they show well in the photo (e.g. highlights on a dog’s nose to indicate it’s wet, muscles on a horse, etc.)

Backgrounds

I generally prefer to paint abstract backgrounds, but if you have a specific background in mind, make sure you let me know, and make sure it appears in the reference photo well lit and in full focus. I may or may not be able to accommodate your background, depending on what it is, what the subject is, the size of the painting, etc.

If you have any questions about any of the above, please contact me through this website.