Throughout history, portraits in oil have graced the walls of homes, churches, and palaces. From the greatest of kings to the most humble of peasants, the stories of their lives are still shared today through their portraits. While the demand for oil paintings has nearly been lost in the past century, a photograph on the wall cannot imitate the depth, vibrance, impact, and timeless beauty of an oil portrait. As an artist who specializes in creating these works of art, it is my privilege paint your portrait.
Scheduling a photo session:
An oil portrait starts with a photo. But for the rare exceptions that the portrait is posthumous, a surprise gift, or of children when they were years younger, I prefer to take the photo myself. Why? How I compose a photo, and therefore the final painting, is often more important than how I lay paint on the canvas. During a photo session with a client, I look carefully at lighting, composition, and color, and most of this is instinctive. Even with most professionally taken photography, what makes a nice photo does not always make a nice painting.
The first meeting between painter and client consists of a sitting and/or photography session, scheduled at your convenience. Getting to know the person or people I will be painting is important. All it takes is merely an hour to chat. This period of time is important to build an essential element between painter and client: trust. I work to ensure that I produce a painting that you are ecstatic about, and if you feel comfortable around me and my camera then I can get an image that truly captures the subject.
During this time of interaction, I’m also watching for all the little signs that show personality. How do your eyes crinkle when you laugh? What does your real smile look like? How do you use your hands, what position do you settle into, what expressions come to the surface? In the case of two or more people in a painting, how do you interact with each other when not in front of a camera? I store all this information so that when I paint, I can recreate a true likeness that reveals the person, not just the picture.
After the photo session I begin developing the portrait. I weed through all the photos to find the one (or sometimes two) that I feel best represents the person and would make an excellent final portrait. You as the client are always a part of the final photo choice and you’re welcome to comment, as I will e-mail the preliminary work for discussion.
Once I have full approval on an image, I begin painting. Completion time varies depending on the complexity and size of the portrait, but I will work with your schedule to make sure you receive the final painting when you need it. Keep in mind that the fastest a painting can be completed is one month.
Full price list coming
Sorry for the wait.
If you’d like information about commissioning a portrait now, please email me: megan@kreationart.com