The Process
The first step in commissioning your portrait is to have a no-obligation conversation via phone or email about what you are hoping for from your portrait. We will discuss size, composition, timescale and from this I will be able to give you a quote. If you want to go ahead with the portrait then we would then decide on the best photo to work from (see below for more information on choosing a photo).
I work on heavy weight archival cartridge paper (220g) using a variety of grades of graphite pencils. After finishing the portrait I spray it with a fixative spray. I will then send you a scanned image of it and at this stage, if you are happy with your portrait, payment will be required. As soon as payment has been received I will send you your portrait by tracked Royal Mail delivery. You can also order extra high quality giclee prints of your portrait in various sizes, if you would like to gift them to grandparents or any meaningful others!
Photos
The best photos for a portrait are as close up as possible, head and shoulders (unless you want full length). Natural light is best, or if you have had studio shots taken these could work too. Even school photos are good. Avoid photos with a lot of strong shadows. The sitter does not necessarily have to be smiling, in fact I think a more contemplative pose often works really well for a portrait. Equally the sitter doesn’t have to be face on and looking at the camera. They could be looking into the distance, in profile or half profile or over their shoulder. If you are unsure which photo would be best to use, you can send me a number of different ones and we can discuss them together. The main thing is clarity and size - I need as high res as possible to be able to get a good likeness. As I probably won’t be meeting the sitter I will also ask you to send me some photos from other angles, so I can get more of a feeling for what the person is like.