Portrait commissions of children

Portrait commissions of children have their special challenges. With each assignment, the model is new to me. Therefore an extensive acquaintance is essential. It is important to get to know each other. This applies to adults, but even more to portraits of children. They might see me as an intruder, a strange guy with a camera.

I can tell whole stories about my experiences with commissions for child portraits. During the many years I have gained some experience, but there is no guaranteed recipe for success. And there is also no clear guideline. Except that you as an “artist” must radiate peace. You especially have to be very patient.

Sporadically I had my share of difficulties, as in the portrait “Mother and Daughter”. The girl was unmanageable. The mother panicked and tried to calm down her daughter. Things almost went out of hand so I had to intervene in an authoritarian yet elegant way, that took the kid by surprise. At the end I was very exhausted but I had good stuff to work from. (The client was happy with the portrait.)

Let me end with a fantastic quote of the famous Art Teacher Robert Henri in his book THE ART SPIRIT related to portrait commissions of children: “Feel the dignity of a child. Do not feel superior to him, for you are not”

See also this post