Portraits from photographs
I believe a portrait painting should be informal in order to reflect the characteristics of the subject – my paintings are based on photographic reference and record relaxed, spontaneous moments that could never be posed – especially with children!
THE QUALITY OF THE REFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHS IS KEY TO THE QUALITY OF THE PAINTING!
Nowadays most people use their phone cameras as their main tool for capturing images of friends and family. These tend to be the images I am sent for portrait work, the benefit is that usually there is a good choice of images but often the low level of detail present provides a challenge for me. I cannot make up facial features, the tiniest variation in shading on the skin or eye shape change can totally alter the likeness in a portrait. Please read on for tips in getting the best images for me to work from…
Reference photographs taken in warm toned natural light are preferable to harsh camera flash or indoor lighting or direct sunlight which can be too bright and cause the subject to squint. Ideally the subject will be relaxed and at ease in front of the camera. For children it can be helpful to take photos whilst they are playing or watching tv, or talking to someone.
When taking photos of people or pets it is helpful for the camera to be on a similar level to the subject. If taken from above or below these angles can create distortions of the face and the proportions of the head and body are inaccurate. The background in the photo is not important for my portrait style, so finding a picturesque location to take your photos isn’t necessary. The key is to have one main image where the pose and facial expression is a good reflection of the character of the sitter, then multiple other photos can be used to guide me for colouring of skin and hair, clothing etc.
Most people have never seen themselves in art form, we live in a time where we are most used to seeing images on screens, it can take a while to take it all in when viewing for the first time, but certainly the more you look at the portrait, the more will emerge from the canvas.
