Graphite or charcoal portraits are the most affordable medium to work in and give a very stylish, minimalist effect . I always draw on good quality heavyweight white cartridge or coloured Canford, Ingres or Sugar Paper.

Soft Pastel portraits take much longer to complete and will of course tend to be more expensive, but its a beautiful medium for portrait work and it will look stunning in any room in your home. They are also very delicate so need to be handled gently and framed behind glass. This can be done if required or I can work with a framer of your choice if you prefer.

Once materials, budget and size of your portrait  is agreed I can arrange a photo shoot at your home taking several photos for you to choose from and then, if time permits, I’d like to do a few quick sketches so I can get the essence of your personality down on paper for future reference. Working from life can take several sittings which can be from as little as 30 minutes to a couple of hours at a time this of course would be reflected in the cost of the commission.

Commissions - working from Life or from your Favourite Photos

I am always happy to work from life but there are times when that is just not possible. For instance you may want to have a portrait done as a gift or a surprise for someone special. Maybe you have a lovely photograph that you would like transformed into a piece of art that would grace any room? You might even have a few photos that you like but for instance the expression or clothes or background is not suitable - that’s no problem as I can work from various sources and combine them together to get the composition just right. However to work from photos they must be of a good quality and fairly large i.e. not blurred or indistinct . Photos taken in natural light would be preferable as flash tends to whiten faces unnaturally which is not very flattering!

I do prefer to draw or paint exactly what I see but there are times when a little discretion can be applied for instance to soften or enhance a feature. You can send me your photos by email if you wish to the email address on the Contact Me form or you can post them to me - which- ever you prefer.  I will of course return them in good order along with the finished artwork. As a  rough guide an A3 portrait in graphite or charcoal starts at £200.