‘A good portrait ought to tell something of the subject's past and suggest something of his future.’ Bill Brandt.
I think there is something really special about an original hand painted portrait, it should absolutely capture a likeness of the subject - but also some of their personality and sparkle too. There is a lot of love when someone asks you to create a portrait, it’s always to capture someone really special, a child, a grandparent a beloved pet. In my original ink and watercolour pieces I aim to capture that sparkle in the portrait, a sense of who that person is, their energy – that can’t be captured as easily in a snapshot
We take a million photos a day, even the nicest ones languishing on our phones. Forgotten about, lost when the phone breaks or we need more storage. A piece of original art is something to be treasured. Carefully wrapped, framed, given as a thoughtful gift. My most popular portrait sizes are A6 and A5 – so quite small. These can easily and inexpensively be framed and sit snug on a gallery wall or bookshelf.
Portraits are often ordered as a surprise gift which makes for a lovely and unique piece to treasure.
Pippin was such a lovely dog to draw. His owner’s sister sent me a few photos to work from, but this one really stood out. The quality of the photo was great, so I could really see the colours in his fur and all the details of his whiskers. I loved his quizzical expression too.
I started out drawing quite a rough sketch just trying to capture the proportions and expression on Pippin’s face, I knew the bulk of the work would be slowly building up lots of layers of watercolour to create the tones and texture of Pippin’s fur.
“Charlotte painted a beautiful watercolour portrait of our two year old son from a photograph. When I saw it for the first time I was overwhelmed with the likeness.
Charlotte is fantastic at painting young children because she captures their essence and character so well.”
How to choose a photo
I am more than happy to work from photo to create your portrait. I can work from a snapshot taken on a phone, but the better quality of the photo the more detail I can capture. Most clients send a few shots via e mail and I can advise which I will think work best. I like my work to have a sense of lightness, as if drawn from life.
Sizing – good things come in small packages.
I find that the most popular sizes for portraits are either A5 or A6. This keeps the cost of the portrait affordable and works really well as it’s not overpowering or dominating piece of art. A small portrait can sit tucked on a bookshelf, desk, or form part of a gallery wall with other pieces. This is especially useful if you are commissioning a portrait as a gift as not only is it small and personal, you don’t need to worry too much about the recipient’s interior décor.
Pricing explained
My pricing works that the larger the piece, the more detail and time it takes to create, and the more figures the more work involved too. So, for a single subject (e.g. just one person) portrait sized A6 will be £45, and a single subject A5 would be £55 and the price increases with the size. If you would like more than one person or pet in the portrait I charge an additional £20 on A6 scale and £30 on A5.
I ask for a 40% deposit upfront to book in my time and then the remainder when you are happy with the final piece which I will send you a picture of for approval. I accept paypal payments too.
As standard I supply my portraits mounted so they are ready for framing, wrapped recyclable plastic to keep them clean on their journey to you and with a branded sticker.
If you prefer your portrait to be fully framed I have a fantastic relationship with a brilliant framer locally and I can source a frame to your requirements. I can advise the style and colour of frame I think would work best with the portrait, or be led by you if you know the style you would like.
Please do drop me an e mail, I am happy to discuss portrait projects with no obligation.
Is there anything else you’d like to know about my portraiture? Please do drop me a line in the comments below.