Commissions

Commissioned portraits give permanence to important events or stages in a person's life. Portraits capture events such as a new phase of a successful career, youth, engagement, marriage, family and many other possible occasions. In modern usage artists now refer to paintings of pets, horses, homes and even precious objects as portraits of these objects. Whatever the subject, a portrait is a special gift to yourself or to another that will be cherished for life--how many presents can you give that last like that?

The portrait process is divided into several steps in order to assure that the end result is a delight to its recipient. The process begins with a discussion of exactly what sort of portrait is desired. At this time we would talk about formats (head and shoulders, 3/4, full length), settings, and any incidental objects in the portrait.

Although it is sometimes possible to create acceptable portraits based solely on photographs, it is vastly preferable for the artist to work directly with the subject(s) of the portrait. In regards to time required for delivery of a portrait expect a minimum of 2 months for an oil portrait.

Portraits may also be created under the influence of other classical paintings, or in costume. For example, Bronzino created portraits of the powerful rulers of his time, but put these rulers in the guise of Apollo and Neptune. For amusement, one could take a classical portrait and paint someone into it. One source of artistic concept is to take inspiration from the pose and coloring of a classical portrait and apply the ideas to a modern portrait.

Currently, I would also accept commissions for academic copies. Please note that any such copies can only be made of the work of artists who have been dead for over 75 years. The copies cannot be made at the same size as the original nor can they be painted on antique canvas.

Please email me at John@JohnTSproule.com if you wish to discuss a possible commission.