Please contact me to discuss your commission and I will quote a fee accordingly, or work within your budget. Please note that I only accept commissions upon payment of a deposit of 50% of the fee. The remainder is payable on completion.
The processes of commissioning a Detailed Pastel and a Sketch portrait are different: please read more about how they work below.
Detailed Pastel
Portraits in pastel have become my speciality and are the most popular choice. Pastels are dry sticks of bound pure pigment. I use multiple layers of hard pastels and pastel pencils on fine sanded paper to achieve realistic, delicate detail. The result is soft, rich colour with a velvety finish. Due to the level of realism, I generally only paint pastel portraits of ‘sitters’ whom I have met and photographed myself (this is included in the fee but may be subject to additional travel charge if not local). I’m based in mid Wales and am happy to travel to clients within a reasonable distance. I also make regular trips to the Midlands to see clients there.
How it Works – commissioning a Detailed Pastel portrait
To create a detailed pastel portrait, I’ll arrange a convenient appointment to meet you and your animal. This will be weather dependant as I need good natural light to work with. During the appointment, I’ll spend time getting to know you and your animal and I’ll take several photographs which you’ll review with me at the time to ensure we’ve captured images you’re happy with. Meeting my subject helps me to capture their character and is a valuable part of this type of portrait. We’ll also discuss your preferences for background and frame style and if possible I’d like to see where it will be hung to ensure the colour and style works to best advantage. Following the shoot, I’ll email you a shortlist of poses from which to choose your favourite. Once you’ve made your selection, I’ll make a rough photoshop mockup for your approval before starting on the artwork itself. I’ll email you a scan of the artwork when it’s finished, prior to framing. I take a 50% deposit on or before the day of our appointment and the balance is due on completion. Fees start at £490 for this style, which includes the photo shoot and framing.
Sketch Portrait
I offer a number of options for Sketch portraits, which I can create from your own, clear, photographs:
Pencil sketch – graphite pencil on white paper
Tint sketch – two or three tints of pencil on toned paper
Oil sketch – burnt umber oil paint on stretched canvas
These portraits show the essence and character of the subject without fine details
How it works – commissioning a Sketch Portrait
To create a Sketch portrait, I’ll need good reference photos of my subject – photos should be unedited, high resolution and clear, without distortion. Please click here for advice on taking and supplying your own photos for a sketch. As well as your chosen pose, it’s really helpful for me to have a few different photos and a description of your animal to give me a good idea of character. Images should be in JPG or JPEG format and emailed as attachments to me at mary@portra.co.uk (max 50Mb per message) I’m happy to advise as to suitability. we’ll agree on a suitable crop and style, and I take a deposit of 50% on booking in. The balance is due on completion, when I’ll email you a scan of the finished artwork for approval before sending the portrait to you by insured carrier. Fees start at £130 which includes UK delivery. Please note, framing is not included with Sketch portraits.