| By Chris Saper
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.
Portfolio Elements
| |
Ernesta (Child with Nurse), 1894
By Cecilia Beaux
Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Next to your original portraits, your portfolio will be your most
important marketing tool. It is the key place you will show your
very best portraits, demonstrating the diversity of sizes, subjects
and compositions you offer for commissioned work.
You may already have found that many of your non-artist clients
(that would be most, if not all, of your clients) can be very literal
in their ability to envision, for example, a three-quarter painting
of a five year old redhead girl by viewing a head/shoulders image
of a teenage dark-haired boy. Part of your job is to help make your
client's visualization easy.
Like the original portraits you create as samples, you will want
your ideal portfolio to include at least one of each of the sizes
and media you offer for sale. If you offer a head/shoulders, half
figure, three-quarters, and/or full length, your goal is to have
at least one portfolio image of each. It's not necessary to have
one each of every medium in which you work - you might have a one
charcoal head/shoulders, one oil half figure, etc.
Likewise it's important to vary your subjects by several criteria,
including age, gender, ethnicity, setting, degree of formality -
e.g., family /corporate - or any other way that mirrors the client
base you wish to target, and importantly, the type of portraits
you want to paint. Tailor your criteria to reflect your local market
first. For example, it will be more important to include Asian subjects
if you live in San Francisco than if you live in Atlanta. Likewise,
it's more important to include Hispanic clients if you live in Arizona
than if you live in Hew Hampshire.
But more important than anything else is quality. Only your very
best work goes into your portfolio. Begin your portfolio with 8-10
of your best pieces. Don't be tempted to put in older, less accomplished
work simply because it might fulfill another criterion. As Peggy
Baumgaertner has said, "You will be judged by the weakest portrait
in your portfolio." Each time you paint a new portrait that
is better that your initial set of images, add it - and remove the
weakest image.
When you are starting your portrait practice, it's unrealistic
to think that you can just go into your archived images and find
your blond toddler boy, your 8 -year old brunette girl, your grandparent
double portrait, your corporate suit, and so forth. You'll have
to paint for your portfolio. If you are busy with your commission
work (or any other kind of work), plan and schedule portraits of
models who will fill in your criteria gaps. Paint each one as if
it was the most important painting of your life (which, incidentally,
should be your attitude every time you paint a portrait, paying
or not).
Putting your portfolio together
Now that you have selected the images to include in your portfolio,
you'll have to figure out how to get them printed. That means
several things:
- High quality paper, consistent in finish and color
- Excellent color accuracy
- Consistent photo sizes
If you have some skill in Photoshop or other image manipulation
computer programs, you can do your own printing. If you want someone
else to make your prints, you'll need to be sure that you provide
an excellent print to which his or her prints can be matched. If you'll
be ordering in quantity, you will need to personally view a match
print to check it for accuracy and quality.
There are some computer color calibration programs that can create
a universally accurate color descriptor in your computer - I haven't
yet found one that is very user friendly, but you might have better
luck : Work with whomever will be doing your printing to find out
how to get the very best matching information to him or her. Using
a color bar when you photograph your work will save you many headaches
later on.
Now that you have such beautiful prints of your beautiful paintings,
you'll need to decide what else goes into your portfolio. Different
artists will have diverse opinions, but to make the presentation
hold together you will want some kind of title or cover sheet, usually
with your name and contact information. And, oh! What an excellent
opportunity to utilize your carefully considered business identity!
You may also wish to include a short bio, resume or artist's statement.
I like to keep an updated fee schedule and place it as the last
item in my portfolio.
That's a lot of stuff. But it doesn't have to be done all at once,
and it doesn't even have to be done at all before you begin to show
clients what you can do, and accepting commissions. Just work on
developing your portfolio as you go along, and as you paint more
and better work.
See you next time,
Copyright © 2006 by Chris Saper.
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. |
saper
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