here you'll find answers to the most frequently asked questions about how to commission a portrait from photos



Back to QUICK SUMMARY - how to commission a portrait from your photographs

   

• What kind of photos do you need to work from?

• Can you make a composite portrait of several people, from different photographs?

• My photos are hard copies not digital photos- how do I get them to you?

•  How many photos do you need?

•  Can you make changes from the photo I supply?
 
•  When should I get in touch - what's your waiting time?

•  Will I be able to see the portrait before it is finished?

• What are the costs involved?

•  What are the possible payment methods?

• Do you take commissions from abroad?
•Do you give discounts for orders of more than one portrait?
•  When do I pay, and what are the guarantees?

•  Will my portrait arrive safely by post?

• Do portraits come framed?

• Will my portrait appear on the website?


Q. What kind of photos do you need to work from?

A short answer would be that the better the photo I have to work from, the better the final portrait will be! I always say that if you can find a good photo, then we are half the way there already. Ideally I need a photo like the ones you see to the left here  - fairly close-up and nice and sharp.  Remember that the photo is a substitute for someone sitting in front of me. If the photo is too distant or blurry then I won't be able to see enough facial detail in them. Overall, digital photos emailed straight through to me are by far the best option, although I can also work from printed photos. School photos are particularly good! Photos taken on phone cameras or downloaded from Facebook are usually too pixillated to work from.

TIP: If you are commissioning a portrait of your own child or pet, do a little photo-shoot! You may already have one particular photo that you would like to have turned into a portrait, which is nice and clear.  However if you are struggling to find good photos, I'd strongly suggest taking some photos specifically for me to work from. Then you can aim to get some nice clear pictures in reasonable light, with your children wearing what you'd like them to!

Of course this isn't always possible - you may want to order a portrait of someone you don't live with as a surprise, or it may be a memorial portrait. In that case I will do my best to work from the photos that you have. If you aren't sure whether they are suitable, just send them through to me and I'll let you know what I think


Q. Can you make a composite portrait of several people, from different photographs?

This can sometimes be done. It's best to send your photos through to me so I can tell you if I think it's possible. In general the best results are achieved when I can work from one single photo, or at least photos taken at the same time in the same location. This is because the tones and direction of light will be the same.

Group portrait in pencil   Group portrait in oils 
For instance, the drawing above (left) has a good naturalism as it was drawn from a single photo. The painting on the right was painted from two different photos of the girls, but taken at the same time and in the same pose. I mixed and matched the best shot of each child. This is particularly important for a painting, to ensure that skin tones and colouring are consistent.

Q. My photos are hard copies  - how do I get them to you?
If you have digital photos and know how to email them then you can send them straight through to me that way. However if you don't know how, or if you have older photos, I suggest getting copies of your pictures made to send to me by post (contact me for my address to send them to) Just take them to a photo developer and ask them to make a copy at at least 5" x 7" size. (Of course you can also post me the originals if you are happy to do so and I'll take good care of them).

If you have a scanner and know how to scan in at quite a high resolution - at least 300 dpi. - you could also email me the photos this way,  or post them to me on a disk.

Q. How many photos do you need?

 I will work from one main image, which should be your favourite picture. But it is very helpful to see several photos to get a more rounded impression, and to check that I've got the colouring correct as this can vary very much from photo to photo, depending on the lighting conditions, and type of camera.

Q. I have a photo of my child which is my favourite, but I don't like what they are wearing / what they are doing with their hands / the state of their hair / the fact that they aren't smiling, etc. Can you change that?

 I really  need to see the photo to give you an opinion on whether it's possible or not. I often make small changes such as moving hair out of a child's eyes, slightly adjusting arms, and so on. In general I would say that the less 'mixing and matching' and alterations, the better the result will be.

TIP: If you are going to take some fresh photos to send me, think about trying different angles! Of course, you may want your child looking straight ahead, and that's fine. But you can also try getting your child to look to the side, as this can also produce really nice results.

If you have more questions about how to commission a portrait from photos, you can contact me here.