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PHOTO GUIDE

The most important thing to consider when commissioning a portrait is the reference photo's you provide. The better the photo the better the drawing!

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Below are some tips when it comes to taking photos:

QUALITY

A good quality photo is needed so I can pick up the finest details. This means I can make the drawing as realistic as possible. It's extremely difficult to work from blurry photos as the drawing process turns into guesswork. 

LIGHTING

It's best to take your photos outside in natural daylight, as it will show the natural colours/shading of your subject. Don't worry if this isn't possible, I can edit any photos taken indoors to get the closest natural colour/shading match.

POSE

There is no 'right' or 'wrong' pose. Consider which photos have the most sentimental value to you and show the subjects' character best. It is best that the whole subject is in the frame so there is no guesswork on some features.

ANGLE

When merging multiple pictures together for one larger composition, it is essential that all the photos are at a similar angle and level so the portrait looks as natural as possible. If this is not possible I have some options below.

Here are some examples of what makes a good and bad reference photo, curtesy of my lovely studio assistants Widget and Mitzie!

  • These photos are too dark.

  • The features are not clear & blurred.

  • Taken too far away.

GOOD

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  • They are in a nice pose with personality.

  • Taken in natural daylight/bright lighting.

  • Features are clear and defined.

BAD

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PASSED PETS/FAMILY

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If your pet or a member of your family has passed away, and you only have a select amount of photos for me to work from, don't worry. I will always try my best to work from whatever photos you have. I use a sharpening and texture tool when editing reference photos to enhance the details as best as possible.

 

Shown is an A4 graphite drawing of my Grandpa from an old 6x4 printed photograph.

MULTIPLE SUBJECTS

Sometimes it's near impossible to get the perfect photo of everyone together, or sometimes that photo doesn't exist if you'd like to combine passed members with present ones.

 

Don't worry! You can take separate photos and look through ones you already have (taken at similar angles and levels) and I can then merge them all together, like I have done with these portraits!

If you need any help choosing the perfect photo(s) or have any questions, pop me over a message!

Now check out my Sizes and Prices page for stage two!

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