Choosing the Photo
Human and animal portraits are my most requested commissions. In my portraiture I aim for a high level of realism, most often photo realism. To achieve this I rely on high quality reference photos, which are provided to me by my clients. When we first kick off a project, we spend a little time evaluating photographs to determine if they are good reference material. I’m going to share with you some of the things I look for when choosing great reference photos for portrait drawings. Most reference photos don't check every single box and THAT'S OK! I can take some artistic license and always do. I encourage folks to email me their photos for evaluation before committing to a project. There’s no charge for this and there is no obligation to book a commission. Send several, if you’re not sure. That said, here is a short guide to help you understand the reference photo evaluation process.
Image Quality
Image quality is perhaps the most important consideration when choosing a photo for reference. A low resolution image simply can’t provide enough information to adequately reproduce a subject’s likeness. There are rare occasions where I do work from blurry or pixelated images when I'm creating a memorial painting from an old photograph. In those cases, I apply what I’ve learned from studying hundreds of faces but the result may not be truly representative of the subject. If you are intimately familiar with your subject, the portrait may seem inaccurate due to the latitude I’d have to take to complete the piece. Hense, as a general rule, the better the image quality, the better the likeness of the faces and the better the painting.
Too low resolution
Crisp, high resolution
Get Close
The portraits I do are generally focused on the subject's face, head, neck or shoulders. An up-close photo allows me to better capture the intricacies of the subject's features and emotions rather than a far away photo where these details may be lost.
The subject is too far away
Close up, detailed
Contrast
Contrast has two components in the evaluation process.
1. Exposure / Lighting
An image that is too bright and blown-out or too dark will lack sufficient detail. I can somewhat compensate for this through the painting process, but we’d want to avoid extremes.
Too low exposure
Too high exposure
Great exposure
2. Light and Shadow:
Variation of light and shadow translates to more interesting paintings than those that are more evenly lit. A single light source or dramatic shadows can make the piece that much more striking. This isn’t necessarily a requirement, but if you have two comparable images and one has a greater range of light and shadow, that may be the one worth choosing.
Although even lighting is fine, light and shadow tends to make for a more dynamic painting
Deeper shaddows on one side translate into a more attractive art piece
Visual Interest
A striking pose can be a game changer in a portrait. Like shadow, this isn’t a requirement, per se, but is always worth considering. Think about what you want to shine through in the portrait. Is it the subject’s personality? Their emotion? Their style or likeness? All of the above?
As a suggestion, for a dynamic portrait, a straight-on view may not be the best view. You will often get a better sense of the person’s likeness if they are turned slightly so that you’re seeing a 3/4 view.
Sometimes straight on views are less captivating
A 3/4 view pose can improve the potential outcome of the painting
Ultimately these pointers serve as a guide but we don’t want to let perfect become the enemy of good enough. If you’re thinking about commissioning a portrait, but still unsure about your reference photo, don't hesitate to send over your photos via email and I'll be happy to share my feedback with you. If you're all set, you can book your portrait via the button below!