Commissioning a portrait is probably a lot simpler than you may think. My aim is not only to capture an acurate likeness, but to add some narative to the portrait, or to tell something of the subject's life, personality, or acheivements. So the process generally goes like this:
- We convene at your home or place of work, depending on where you would like the portrait to be set. There, we will chat in some detail about what it is you want from the portrait, its content and scale; and I will advise you on what may or may not work. If you wish the painting to be set in a particular background, then it helps for me to see where you would like to be depicted, or maybe you would rather keep it simple and have a plain colour background. The choice is entirely yours! I will take you through all these decisions so that at the end of the day I will have a clear idea of how you wouild like the portrait to look.
- I will then revisit you at the designated location to set the scene up, position and pose you, and take the relevant photos that I will then use as my main source of reference combined with my own observations that I will have made thus far. Please be aware that under no circumstances will I be sharing the photographs taken with any third party or on social media.
- That is pretty much your involvement covered, other than my showing you photographs of the work in progress should you so wish.
- The paintings can take anything up to 3 months to create, plus another month for the work to dry sufficiently for me to transport it.
Pricing:
The cost of a portrait varies greatly depending on its size, the number of sitters, and the level of detail involved. For that reason, I do not have a set price list. However, a simple head and shoulder portrait in oils would start at £1200 GBP. Please be aware that I will ask for a 20% deposit before I commence the painting to cover my time thus far and the materials I will need to purchase in advance. Additional expenses my also be incurred to cover travel and accommodation.
Shipping & framing:
Shipping or delivery costs will be added to the overall fee when the final settlement is made prior to releasing any works. I find that framing is very much a personal choice, such as fitting in with your home decor, so for that reason I do not offer a framing service. However, I am more than happy to advise.
Horses & hounds:
I am also happy to take on dog and horse portraits, or should you require I can include your pets in a portrait. My price for a dog head and shoulders, or whole body for small ones, start at £500 GBP. The process is exactly the same as above.
