7 Questions to Find Your Perfect Portrait Artist
- Searching for the best way to preserve your family memories and leave a legacy for future generations?
- Or want to add elegance and nostalgia while telling a story on your walls?
Then you’ve probably considered hiring a portrait artist to capture the beloved faces that you want to remember forever.
Portraiture has always been the classical European way to preserve family heritage, but stateside, few realize the benefits of catching a family likenesses in a timeless piece of art:
● Precious memories of your young children can be frozen in time
● Your likeness can remain eternally young
● A treasured dog or cat remains a member of the family forever
● A magical moment rewinds joy in your mind over and over
But before you hire the perfect portrait artist to immortalize your family’s story, there are 7 important questions to ensure you find the right match.
1. Where can I view your portfolio?
Even if you’ve already seen samples of the artist’s work, visit their website to make sure that they have consistent quality. Some amateurs have a few good pieces, but without seeing a body of solid work, you can't be sure they always turn out excellent work.
If you can, visit their gallery to see the art up close and personal. You might notice aspects of the color and textures that were difficult to view in a picture or scan. The end goal is to ensure that you love the artist’s style and can envision it complementing your decor at home.
2. Do you work from a photo reference?
Most modern artists compose portraits from photos. Luckily for you, that means you won’t have to pose, motionless for weeks or months on end.
“A photo can freeze action and depict subtle innuendos in the face or personality of the sitter that cannot be sustained in a long portrait sitting,” explains internationally renowned graphite portrait artist JoAnn Ray.
“I like to work from photos that really draw me in and tell your story," she shares. As you can see in this stunning portrait, "I Loved You First", the bride's eyes are glistening with tears because her reluctant father finally approved of the man she loved. Her Daddy had been holding out because no one was good enough for his first daughter. This portrait freezes that joy forever.
3. Do you take your own photos or will I be providing them?
Rather than working from your photos, some artists want to capture you with their own camera. Or the Master artist may provide instructions about how to plan special events so that the photo they work from has frozen a magical moment in time.
Either process can work well. Just make sure you know how the Master works. The photo you give to the artist can make or break a portrait, so work this out carefully together.
For the rest of the article, please contact Sandra Angelo at [email protected] or call 858-578-6005.
