In this column you'll see a variety of topics addressed,
some philosophical, some aesthetic and some practical. As we
go forward, we welcome your comments and questions, as well
as your thoughts on particular topics you'd like to see addressed.
Getting Started in the Business of Portrait
Painting
|
Man with a Cat
(Henry Sturgis Drinker)
Cecilia Beaux
National Museum of American
Art,
Smithsonian Institution |
Comedian Steve Martin once said, "It's easy to be a
millionaire. First, get a million dollars."
I would say to you, "It's easy to be a successful commissioned
portrait painter. First, paint a thousand portraits. Then
paint a thousand more."
Commission portraiture is not a business that can be developed
in a matter of weeks or months. It takes years to establish
yourself as a commissioned portraitist, and a lifetime to
fully realize the excellence in your potential. I do not say
this to be the least bit discouraging, but to convey a sense
of excitement and optimism because I am confident that with
practice, both you and I will continue to become better painters.
In most other careerswhether in fields of retail, hospitality,
accounting, or nearly anything else you can think of, forward
progress is often marked by pay and title, but not always
by the capacity to become continually become better at the
work itself.
That being said, we all need to get started somewhere, and
this seems to me a fine time to begin.
Having made the decision to become a professional portrait
painter, there are a few basics or "bare essentials"
to consider to get started in this business of portrait painting.
As your business grows, you'll want to begin converting the
essentials into "optimals." This article is focused
on the essentials.
The 'essentials'the bare bonesare somewhat simple
and quite straightforward.
1. The original portrait sample
2. The presentation of your original work.
3. The photographed original sample.
4. The business card.
5. The price list.
6. Start-up costs.
1. The Original Portrait Sample
You'll need to create at least one sample portrait in each
size and in each medium you'll be offering. Your first original
samples must be the best portraits you've ever created to
date. They need to represent the size and complexity a client
can expect by commissioning a comparable portrait. Make a
commitment right now to produce work that can be framed in
standard size frames. You'll give your clients (and yourself)
the option to buy a custom frame, and avoid forcing unnecessary
expense on anyone's part.
If you are planning to offer only charcoal or pencil drawings,
and aren't comfortable working in color, don't be talked into
color. As a matter of fact, don't let yourself be talked into
any thing outside your current skill level. Likewise, if your
skill is in drawing heads/shoulders, but you struggle dreadfully
with handsoffer only heads/shoulders to begin. Work
on your area of weakness constantly in the studio or classroom
settingsbut don't use learning time to experiment on
your client's portrait. When you feel your skill in drawing
and painting hands is at an acceptable level, then broaden
the scope of what you offer. I use hands as an example, but
then "practice-on-your-own-time" concept goes for
any area of weakness whether fabric, foliage, flowers, furniture,
architectural features or any other background supporting
visual elements.
When you're ready to offer the half-figure with hands, create
an new original sample to depict the size and complexity your
clients can expect in commissioning a larger, more complex
portrait. Of course, by the time you've painted enough additional
portraits in the half-figure with hands size, your heads/shoulders
will be much better too. Then you will add to or replace your
first original samples with newer, better paintings.
Continue to replace or add to your original samples, one
in every size and every medium you will be offering. Vary
the samples by age and gender. It's not only difficult to
expect a client to look at a charcoal head/shoulders and imagine
a full-figure oil portrait, it's unreasonable. As you progress
over time, offer as much variety in your portfolio as possible.
It's difficult for some clients to look at an adult blond
woman's portrait and envision a three-year old redheaded boy.
And, since you've already committed to painting in standard
sizes, you can re-use the first frames, provided they are
still in suitable condition.
The point is, you don't have to do it all at once. Build
your foundation at the pace that works for you, and where
you see your skill level. You're only going to get better.
2. The Presentation of your Original
Work.
Yes, that means framed. If your original sample requires
matting, the mats need to be acid-free, clean and properly
cut. You can have framers cut the mats for you, but you can
also easily learn to cut your own mats, which will quickly
save you a small fortune. I have always cut my own mats with
a small hand-held cutter and a ruler backed in cork (prevents
slippage) up to a certain size. After about 18" x 24",
I'll get a wavy line, so for larger mats, I'll just get them
professionally cut. Depending on the scale of your works under
glass, you can get a table top mat cutter that will let you
cut larger size mats as well.
Use a frame that is simple, of a color and scale that supports
the portrait, and is free of scratches or nicks. The frame
needs to present your portrait at its best. This does not
mean picking up cheap, mismatched frames at garage sales!
A frame doesn't need to be expensive in order to look expensive.
3. The Photograph of your Original
Portrait
Obviously, you can't carry your framed portraits with you
where ever you go, or ship them around the country to show
potential clients your work. High quality photographs of your
finished work are essential to show your portraits at their
best, and will constitute the beginning of your portfolio.
Although I'll address photographing art work in a subsequent
article, suffice it to say that your photograph needs to be
in focus. It needs to represent color as accurately as possible.
It should show the portrait only (with or without frame)not
your assistant's fingertips, shoes, background clutter from
your yard or garage, or anything else that you would not see
when viewing the portrait. The choice to show the frame with
the portrait is a personal one, but I generally recommend
against it for a couple of reasons. First, it sets a subconscious
limit on the ability of many clients to imagine the portrait
in its home (or other) setting. Second, it's very difficult
to photograph a framed piece without showing the small shadows
cast on the canvas by the frame. Whatever your choice, be
consistent.
As your body of work grows, you'll be adding photographs
to what is now becoming your portfolio.
4. Your Business Card
Potential clients need to know how to contact you. To begin,
you need little more than a white or ivory card with your
name and contact information. They're simple and easy to print
from you own computer or you to can go your local Staples,
Office Max, or other office supply store to have them typed
and printed for you.
The font needs to be of a type and size that are easily read.
Full color business cards are readily available, inexpensive
and quickly printed from a variety of businesses. Check your
art magazines or conduct an internet search to find them.
If you plan to have a portrait image printed on your card,
always order the color proof. Always.
5. A Price List
I don't mean to be overly simplistic, but you'll need to
price your portraits at a level where enough people buy them
so that you're covering many walls in your community. But
you don't want to price them so low that people begin to think
that work that's too cheap can't be goodparticularly
if the artist devalues its worth. In the beginning your price
may not necessarily have any relationship to your cost in
producing the portrait. Ultimately, of course, you'll need
to understand the nature of your cost of doing business and
how to manage it.
To begin with, you'll need a price that is specific to every
size and medium you offer. You'll need to determine whether
you'll offer a framed or unframed price. If you're just starting
out doing unframed pencil head and shoulders, then there will
only need to be one price on your list!
You'll need to determine at what point you'll need a business
license (state and local) and to begin charging tax. Contact
your local tax jurisdiction for information.
6. Start-up Costs
In comparison to nearly every other type of business, the
start-up expenses for a portraiture practice are ridiculously
low. You don't need retail space, retail inventory, personnel,
working capital loans, an advertising budget or any of the
other expenses normally associated with new business development.
You may choose to add some or all of these elements in the
future, but they're not required to start. There is no better
sales tool that having happy clients with well-painted portraits
on their walls.
None of the things I've mentioned throughout this article
are expensive, either in terms of start-up costs or ongoing
expenses. The most important equipment you'll need is a good
easel and a camera that can produce suitable photo references.
If you'll be painting in other than natural light, you need
suitable lighting.
In closing
a note on practice:
Teachers routinely stress the importance of practice. They
aren't just talking about repetitive acts; they are talking
about the concept of "perfect practice."
In math or chemistry, perfect practice means systematically
and accurately showing the steps involved in getting an answer.
In vocal training, it means vocal exercises and scales that
incorporate proper breathing, posture, mouth and tongue positioningnot
just hitting the notes in a song.
In portraiture, perfect practice means working with proper
tools and under conditions that enable growth, rather than
truncating your potential from the start.
Some of the worst culprits:
-poorly lit models in live sittings;
-bad working light;
-inadequate photographic resource material; and
-incomplete or poor quality materials.
What's especially troubling is that each of these roadblocks
are within our control to eliminate.
Give yourself the best opportunity to make the first thousand
portraits count. Paint from life as often as you can. When
you paint from photographs, paint only from suitable resource
material. This work of portrait painting is really difficult,
and our time is too valuable to waste.
See you next time.
Chris Saper has painted commissioned portraits for fifteen
years, following a seventeen-year career as a health care executive
in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to her painting schedule, she
is an active portrait instructor, teaching both portrait painting
and business skills. Chris is the author of Painting Beautiful
Skin Tones with Color and Light. |