A portrait can capture someone’s appearance and personality in a way no other medium can. It can be the most special of gifts; something the recipient will treasure forever and pass on to their children. If you have never commissioned a portrait before it can seem quite daunting, but good preparation and a great relationship with your portrait artist will ensure its success.
It is important to realize that the lead time for a portrait can be as little as an hour or up to ten years, depending on the medium used and the demand for the artist. The price will also vary dramatically. The best thing to do is just to do a search on ‘portrait artist’ on Google and review the portrait artists’ portfolios that are listed to get an idea of the media and style of portrait that most appeal to you. Graphite pencil is usually the least expensive medium with oils costing up to many orders of magnitude more.
The artists’ websites will give you an idea of their lead time and other requirements such as whether or not they will require personal sittings. If the artist lives a great distance from your home it is usual to reimburse any expense they incur in travelling to your home for sittings. However, they may ask you to travel to their studio. If the prospect of sittings takes away the element of surprise, you can still surprise the recipient by giving them the entire creative process leading to the creation of their portrait. You can get around this by selecting an artist who works from photographs, of which there are many on the web.
It is very important to build a relationship of mutual respect with your portraitist from the outset. A written contract is vital to building that understanding. The artist will almost certainly ask for a deposit of up to half the cost of the portrait. This may sound like a high percentage, but the portrait, unlike original work, will have no value to another customer. With larger, more expensive works, the artist may request stage payments. It is usual for the artist to retain the copyright of the image, but this can be negotiated. Giclee prints offer you the option of having faithful reproductions of the portrait to distribute as you wish.
Where photographs are to be used, these need to be of very good quality. The best way is to have them taken professionally. A good artist will want you involved every step of the way and to sign off on each change as it is requested. This is very important as some media will not permit changes once applied to the paper or canvas. With some media, oils for instance, you can literally change everything, but this will be the equivalent of commissioning a new work and provisions to charge for such changes will be incorporated in the contract. A close liaison with the artist should prevent the need for changes arising. The bond you forge with the artist can last a lifetime and a whole series of portraits.
Other considerations include how the finished portrait will be packed and shipped, how it will be framed and even where it will be hung. A large portrait obviously requires a suitably large area of wall in a prominent position to be displayed. A small portrait may well fit into the recipient’s home much better – particularly if they have a den or study. Although modern portraits are often made with lightfast pigments, you should really avoid hanging the picture anywhere where it will be in direct sunlight, even for a short time each day.
If you establish the relationship with your artist and follow the process step-by-step, the reward will be a wonderful gift and a possession that will be cherished for generations.
Johanna Pieterman is a portrait artist with over 30 years experience in creating fine art portraiture for many customers around the world. Her website provides insight and information on how to order a portrait from any artist and expect the best result.