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”
As you know by now, painting commissioned portraits is an essential part of my daily artistic activity and has been for more than twenty-five years. I like to talk about it over and over again and hope that you can benefit from this.
Let me repeat this week what I consider to be the most important properties for a portrait painter.
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”
The delivery of a portrait. After all these years, I am used to it. For the client, however, it´s a special moment. This time, transfer was in Amsterdam at Galerie Morren, who mediated this commission. In addition to the customer and his wife, a number of family members were also present. There was good wine and delicious snacks: portrait delivery is always a party. Continue reading “Satisfactory deliveries of some commissions”
Portrait painting is my daily job. But don´t think that everything always runs smoothly for me. It sometimes happens to me that a portrait fails. In the case of a commission it is a big problem. Of course over the years I have developed a routine wherein I, step by step, can detect a possible problem and fix it. Needless to say, that belongs to my profession. But sometimes it happens that I desperately wonder how to proceed when I find my self in deep trouble.
Once I was in such despair that I decided to destroy the portrait on my easel. Eventually I realized that that was ridiculous. After a while I decided to start over again the next day. I went into the garden to work and have some distraction. Then, when I came back in my studio, I saw the abortive work on the easel. As the painting already was screwed up I decided, I could just haphazardly do some muddling.
And what was the result? In fifteen minutes the portrait was back on track and after an hour it was finished! I was satisfied and later certainly the customer was.
What now is the essence of my story? (Evident of course): If you tend to get stuck do not despair but take distance and relax. The solution may be within reach, but you don´t see it because you’re so wired up.
Sheer willpower can sometimes be destructive!
I was about four years old. In the parish house of our village, around Christmas time, a performance was organized for the children of members of the Catholic Labor Union. I was late, the show had started already. In the half-light I found an empty seat in the back of the hall. On the stage stood a man in front of a huge desk with a large sheet of paper. In smooth lines he drew all kinds of everything on the paper. First a seat and, right beside, a table. At that table he draw a lamp. Even more to the right and slightly above the lamp he drew a light switch. What he did then I shall never forget in my whole life. He pressed on the drawn switch and turned on the lamp!!! Real electric light came shining from the drawing paper! I was ecstatic! I felt a sort of sensation I could only put into words years later. This man did his show for nobody else other than me! As if I was the only boy in the hall.
Then he said, he would make a quick drawing of someone from the audience, I thought he must have me! But I was way in the back of that dark hall. In a reflex, I stood up and leaned against the back wall. That was the right move! The man looked into the hall and said, “That little boy back there,” and pointed at me. I was chosen and had to come on the scene! He quickly drew in a few surefire lines my face in profile.
I kept the drawing for years. The experience of that day has always remained with me crisp and clear. The blissful feeling of being elected and becoming part of the great secret of the art of drawing, determined my direction.
Years later, I met the man by chance. I talked about that day, but he could not remember me. Obviously. But he is etched in my memory. His name was Father Hilarius.
Today part 2 of the interview that Erica Robb made a month ago. Once again I want to explain that I have no qualms in admitting that working from photography has become an integral part of our profession. Many colleagues are secretive about this and I think that’s baloney. But… I also would encourage everyone to work from live model. That is fundamental. It creates the craft, where skills originate. And it is great fun to do!
As you already know, I work almost exclusively on commission. It sometimes happens that a client wants to see a detail added to the portrait. An object that the person is very attached to or something that refers to his or her profession. I am always careful about this and wary of it as I do not think it necessary. If I cannot dissuade the sitter, I make the object or detail as unobtrusive as possible. The girl in this portrait plays in a circus as a clown, in her spare time. I did not want to depict her completely dressed up. She only holds a red clown´s nose in her hand. It’s a reference to her hobby, but she herself is the protagonist.
Every so often people ask me how to start getting portrait commissions. And also someone asks for tips on pricing. Do not expect me to give you a presentation on business plans. I am not an expert, not in the least. I believe that it just comes down to using your common sense.
What do you want?
1. portrait painting as a hobby?
2. portrait painting as a full time professional artist?
It comes down to quality.
If it is just your hobby, mainly family and friends will be your clientele and prices will be relatively low in the beginning. If making a living from painting is your goal, then the question is: is your quality good enough? Is your artwork spiritual and essential? These are questions you need to answer yourself. Because in your immediate environment people always think you are fantastic (the so called applause of uncles and aunts; that fame is worthless). Self-criticism is important. You’ll have to decide where your level is compared with colleagues. The internet is a very useful tool. Look for good painters who do commissioned portraits. Relate their work to yours. Once again be very critical and honest with yourself, I can not emphasise this enough.
Well, assuming you think the quality is high enough to announce yourself in the market, then the next question is about the revenues.
What are my prices?
Try to find out what colleagues charge and adjust your price accordingly. You have to remember here that your geographical location plays a role. Do you live in a big city, in the US for example, or in a remote village in the interior of let´s say India. That makes a huge difference. Some more advice: try to find a good gallery that wants to represent you. Setting your prices that way you can still decide to increase them in the future. It is impossible to lower prices overtime. Clients from the past will feel cheated. If there is a lot of demand you may consider to raise the rates. If you hardly ever get assignments it means that you are too expensive or that your quality is not appreciated.