How do you commission portrait paintings from your photos ?
If you have treasured photos of family or pets you may have wanted them
turned into hand painted portraits on canvas by a professional artist.
WHERE DO YOU GO?
WHO DO YOU ASK?
FIND OUT HERE WITH THIS GUIDE!
I have tried to keep it simple
and free of jargon so you can order a painting from your photos with
confidence!
Please keep in mind that each artist works and charges differently and
may take more or less time to complete your portrait so adjust
the guidelines accordingly and you will do ok.
FIRST YOUR PHOTOS
WHAT TYPE OF PHOTO IS SUITABLE?
You will have a photo that is special to you however the artist will
not know the person or pet, so your photo will have to be clear and
a big enough size so that the detail can be copied accurately to create your painting.
As a rough guide a head and shoulders photo should be clear and of
passport size or larger and the more detail present in your photo
the more can be transferred to your painting.
Do you have any special requirements -
for example do you want the background changed ?
Do you want a person added from another photo - or omitted ?
Do you want a head and shoulders portrait or do you want a full figure portrait.
Changes can take extra time and may occur extra costs
find out at the beginning - not all artists charge the same way.
Always, if in doubt show your original photo or email a copy for a full quote
a good idea as the requirements may vary according to how each artist works.
The artist
Choose an artist or art company that is experienced in painting
portraits from photos ( you may know an artist who paints great landscapes
for example but this does not mean that they can produce a portrait
to a high standard )
Ask to see sample portraits with the original photos that they
were taken from and only order if you like the finished results.
Be wary if someone can only show one or two samples of work -
it may be these are the only ones that have worked out and
the rest of their work is not so good.
A good artist will normally have a portfolio selection of recent works
to show you, be guided by this. Don`t be swayed by someone who says
of course my work is great as I went to art school -
they may have been a poor student !
Other considerations
Ask how long it will take from the date that you give your order.
If your portrait is for your moms birthday in two weeks it is no good
if you have to wait a month for completion.
Some art companies send abroad for paintings to be painted and may take
longer than a local artist.
Cost of portrait
Here it is up to the individual company or artist
and the prices vary enormously
with artists who are famous charging
many hundreds or thousands of pounds.
However a competent professional artist who is not such a big
name may only charge a fraction of this amount - perhaps only a
hundred pounds or so for a single person portrait
although be prepared to pay more for each person in your painting
remember time is money and more people to paint means more time to complete.
The internet
is a good source of portrait companies and artists and you
can compare prices and samples of work to suit your needs.
Many will start your painting for a deposit of 50% and let you preview
the finished result before you pay the balance ( usually,
payment is by credit card using paypal or similar payment system).
My name is David Gilchrist and I hope you find this guide has been helpful
I am an artist who specialises in painting and drawing
portraits from your photos and have many years experience
in this field.
If you have treasured photos of family or pets you may have wanted them
turned into hand painted portraits on canvas by a professional artist.
WHERE DO YOU GO?
WHO DO YOU ASK?
FIND OUT HERE WITH THIS GUIDE!
I have tried to keep it simple
and free of jargon so you can order a painting from your photos with
confidence!
Please keep in mind that each artist works and charges differently and
may take more or less time to complete your portrait so adjust
the guidelines accordingly and you will do ok.
FIRST YOUR PHOTOS
WHAT TYPE OF PHOTO IS SUITABLE?
You will have a photo that is special to you however the artist will
not know the person or pet, so your photo will have to be clear and
a big enough size so that the detail can be copied accurately to create your painting.
As a rough guide a head and shoulders photo should be clear and of
passport size or larger and the more detail present in your photo
the more can be transferred to your painting.
Do you have any special requirements -
for example do you want the background changed ?
Do you want a person added from another photo - or omitted ?
Do you want a head and shoulders portrait or do you want a full figure portrait.
Changes can take extra time and may occur extra costs
find out at the beginning - not all artists charge the same way.
Always, if in doubt show your original photo or email a copy for a full quote
a good idea as the requirements may vary according to how each artist works.
The artist
Choose an artist or art company that is experienced in painting
portraits from photos ( you may know an artist who paints great landscapes
for example but this does not mean that they can produce a portrait
to a high standard )
Ask to see sample portraits with the original photos that they
were taken from and only order if you like the finished results.
Be wary if someone can only show one or two samples of work -
it may be these are the only ones that have worked out and
the rest of their work is not so good.
A good artist will normally have a portfolio selection of recent works
to show you, be guided by this. Don`t be swayed by someone who says
of course my work is great as I went to art school -
they may have been a poor student !
Other considerations
Ask how long it will take from the date that you give your order.
If your portrait is for your moms birthday in two weeks it is no good
if you have to wait a month for completion.
Some art companies send abroad for paintings to be painted and may take
longer than a local artist.
Cost of portrait
Here it is up to the individual company or artist
and the prices vary enormously
with artists who are famous charging
many hundreds or thousands of pounds.
However a competent professional artist who is not such a big
name may only charge a fraction of this amount - perhaps only a
hundred pounds or so for a single person portrait
although be prepared to pay more for each person in your painting
remember time is money and more people to paint means more time to complete.
The internet
is a good source of portrait companies and artists and you
can compare prices and samples of work to suit your needs.
Many will start your painting for a deposit of 50% and let you preview
the finished result before you pay the balance ( usually,
payment is by credit card using paypal or similar payment system).
My name is David Gilchrist and I hope you find this guide has been helpful
I am an artist who specialises in painting and drawing
portraits from your photos and have many years experience
in this field.
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how do you commission portrait paintings from your photos