Custom Portrait Commissions
HAND-DRAWN AND PAINTED PORTRAITS
A face is more than its features. There is the gaze, a familiar expression, a way of holding the head, everything that makes a person recognizable among thousands. Faithful to the tradition of classical realism, the artist seeks to capture this presence with accuracy and sensitivity.
A portrait may mark a wedding, an anniversary or a birth, honour a loved one who has passed, or become a family heirloom handed down through generations. Delivered anywhere in the world.
Pastel, Graphite AND Black Chalk
THE DRAWN PORTRAIT
From Holbein to Ingres, the great masters captured the faces of their time in black chalk, graphite and pastel. Drawing allows a face to be modelled with great delicacy: the curve of a cheek, the shape of a mouth, the line of a strand of hair.
Black and white gives the portrait a sober, timeless elegance. Pastel, beloved by eighteenth-century portraitists, conveys the freshness and warmth of skin tones.
Oil on Canvas or Panel
THE PAINTED PORTRAIT
Built up in successive glazes, as the Flemish masters did, the oil portrait acquires a depth that only this medium allows. Transparent veils are laid one over another and the skin seems to glow from within.
The portrait may also be painted as a tondo. This round painting on a wood panel, prized in Renaissance Florence, notably by Botticelli, is a rare and refined format that gives the portrait the presence of an objet d’art.
THE ART OF PORTRAITURE
REFERENCE PHOTOGRAPH
For a face, everything begins with light. A soft source coming from the side reveals the relief without hardening the expression. The photograph should be sharp, taken at eye level, without filters or flash. The portrait faithfully follows its pose and lighting, so the choice of image is essential.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Each texture calls for its own treatment: the curve of an eyelid, the density of a black, the intricate lines of a tattoo on the skin. Nothing is set down on paper before it has been studied at length. These close-ups of a black chalk portrait reflect the exacting standard brought to every work.
THE PROCESS
Once your photographs are received and the quote is accepted, your portrait takes its place in the studio’s commission schedule. The drawing is then patiently refined, from the layout of the proportions to the final finishing touches, and the work is shipped with the greatest care. Timelines and care are detailed in the Collector’s Guide.
Terms
PRICING INFORMATION
Each portrait is quoted individually. The price is determined by the medium, the size, the composition and the complexity of the subject, such as hair, clothing, jewellery or glasses. Send your reference photographs to the studio to receive a tailored proposal.