Portrait Procedures
Planning a Portrait Commission
The portrait commission begins with an informal visit in the client’s home or office to plan the mood, setting, and medium of the portrait as well as planning the subject's apparel. A tentative portrait size is selected and a price is established. At this time a 30% deposit is required. Travel and accommodation expenses are added to the final payment, which is due at the final sitting.
For larger portraits, Mrs. Hardin does a small-scale color sketch, using photographic references to give the client an idea of what the finished composition will look like. When painting children under six years old, she takes a series of photographs for use in planning the composition, and in painting the portrait. This can be done on the same day as the initial planning session.
Painting the Portrait
Once the composition is approved, sittings are scheduled. Mrs. Hardin’s preference is to work from life sittings, painting on location in the client’s home, office, or favorite vacation spot. Occasionally she uses photography for complex details such as bridal portraits. In most cases, working from life, she completes a portrait of the upper torso in three to five days, a two-thirds portrait in five to eight days and a full-length portrait in two to three weeks. For larger paintings and multiple subjects extra planning and preparation is required and the total time is usually multiplied by the number of subjects.
SIngle Subject Schedule:
Head and shoulders or Upper torso portrait; requires two 2-hour sittings
Two-thirds portrait; requires six 2-hour sittings
Full length portrait; requires eight to ten 2-hour sittings
Multiple Subject Schedule:
For multiple-subjects, Mrs. Hardin will schedule one photo session together, and separate sittings for each subject. These may or may not be scheduled on the same day.
Posthumous Portraits
Mrs. Hardin will accept posthumous portrait commissions only after reviewing available photographs and/or video images. When adequate references are available Mrs. Hardin then interviews family members before beginning the portrait and will require a final session with a family member to make any necessary adjustments. The time required to produce a posthumous portrait is usually longer than life portraits.
Contact the artist:
To inquire about commissions and the purchase of artwork, call Cheryl directly at the number below, or submit the email contact request form.
334-707-2488