Painting Portrait Tips / Lots of information about how to paint a portrait
Portrait painting business: Above an image from long time ago when I just started my career as a commissioned portrait painter.
For those who would love to do portrait painting on a commission basis, once again, I want to give some advice. The most important thing I must say is: Make sure you’re good enough. Continue reading “Portrait painting business”
These days, around the end of the year, Helma and I are busy clearing the attic. The plan is to make large cabinets with plenty of storage space. I am already looking forward to the carpentry because it has been a while since I have held a saw, hammer or chisel. Continue reading “Portrait painter, be professional, find a gallery”
For my assignments, especially commissioned children portraits, I always work from photography. You know that by now. I travel with my entire photo gear to the sitter´s home – hopefully to return with good material. Continue reading “Commissioned children portraits”
Last week we spent a week with family in Segovia, Spain, the city north of Madrid in the highlands of Castille. Continue reading “Sorolla in Segovia”
After twenty-five years of commissioned portraits there are many anecdotes I can tell. I have had some peculiar portrait commissions.
I have met a lot of people. Occasionally there was something special about a job, like the two times I got an enquiry for a female nude painting. In the first one, the client was the model´s husband; the client making the other request was the model herself. She wanted to give the portrait as a present to her husband on the day of the wedding. Continue reading “Peculiar portrait commissions.”
As a child I joined a guided tour in a small provincial museum. A staff member praised the mingle-mangle of the collection. He was really proud of his museum, especially the portrait gallery. Continue reading “Portrait painting myths.”
Carpentry for portrait painting. As I get the opportunity I love to do craftwork, preferably in wood. I always wanted to be a carpenter, I have written about this before. And I’ll confess something else to you. For a long time, carpentry gave me more pleasure than painting. Believe me. Continue reading “Carpentry for portrait painting”
More than once people asked how a novice portraitist must decide his prices. I remember I once said: If you don’t have any orders you are either too expensive, or you have too little quality. If you have too many commissions, it may be that you are too cheap.
An interesting book that I am currently reading is “The lives of Jan Six”, written by the Dutch historian Geert Mak. I do not know if there is an English translation. Continue reading “Art flows to where the money is”
Portrait painting and farming. Are there similarities? No. Although … I am a portrait painter and I married a farmer’s daughter. So: Portrait painter at the farm Continue reading “Portrait painter at the farm”
More than fifteen years ago, I sent this portrait as an entry for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters´ annual exhibition in London. I delivered the canvas myself at the Mall Galleries. Continue reading “Strange stories”