Procedure for Commissioning an Oil or Pastel Portrait by Portrait Artist Elaine Lilling

PROCEDURE

" I offer a FREE initial consultation (within a hundred mile radius of Richmond) which includes discussing the wall space, as well as the painting's impact on the room and its furnishings. Clothing, accessories, background, and possible posing situations are also discussed at this preliminary meeting. Then a photo shoot and/or sitting schedule is arranged."

"Although I can paint from a single photograph or sitting, I normally do a 1-2 hour photo shoot of my subjects, taking 100-150 shots in a variety of spontaneous and modeled poses. From these photos, I usually develop 2 or 3 compositions I feel have artistic merit, and do a full-size charcoal sketch of each. I then present these studies to my client for final approval. In certain unusual circumstances, I may also present a color study for final approval. But that's not something I normally do."

" I prefer to paint near life-size, rather than in miniature. But Portraits may be commissioned in any size to accommodate wall space or antique frames. Portrait fees depend less on the actual size of the painting than they do on the pose (head and shoulder, three quarter, or full length), number of subjects, and complexity of background and costume. Painting techniques vary from subject to subject. Depending on the techniques used, oil portraits can usually be completed in 3-6 months. However, paintings with many layers and intricate glazing may require a year or more of intense work. Pastel paintings generally take 2-3 months to complete."

To commission a portrait please drop me an e-mail, or call me at 804-745-7653. You'll find my fees to be very reasonable, compared to those charged by most portrait brokers, and my workmanship of museum quality. If you are really serious about creating and preserving a family heirloom, I would really appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further with you.

If your browser is not Java enabled, but you would still like to visit my virtual gallery of pastel and oil portraits, or commission a pastel or oil portrait of yourself or loved one, please use the navigational buttons below to see portraits I have painted of children, adults, and pets.

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