Contact me about creating your handmade oil painting:
727-385-2199​​​
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Frequently Asked Questions:
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CAN YOU USE THE PHOTOS I SEND YOU?
Possibly! If the existing photo you have in mind has a nice balance of light versus shadow to show the turning of the form (somewhere between 50/50 light to shadow and â…” light to â…“ shadow across the face) and is dense enough to be blown up to a size useable as a reference for the painting, I should be able to use it.
If the photo you have in mind doesn't work, a new photography session will be needed to make a great painting for you.
HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?
Single-subject human portraits, simple background on Ampersand Gessobord:
9” x 12”: $330 (108 square inches)
11" x 14": $380 (154 square inches)
One or two-subject human portraits, simple background on Ampersand Gessobord:
12” x 16”: $430 (192 square inches)
16” x 20”: $480 (320 square inches)
I’m happy to discuss custom assignments and sizes you might have in mind, including pet portraits and landscapes upon your request. Since these types of commissions are typically less complex than a human portrait, they would likely be somewhat lower in cost than the prices above.
Human portrait vacant shadows and/or black and white oil paintings can be quite elegant, but would also be less expensive than the human figure color oil painting prices above since it takes less time to make them.
Add sales tax to all orders. Add shipping if outside of the Cleveland, OH area to all prices above.
Photography, if needed, is separate from the prices above, and would be paid directly to the photographer.
IF MY EXISTING PERSONAL PHOTOS DON’T WORK AS A REFERENCE PHOTO, WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD?
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We would discuss and coordinate a photoshoot. If you’re in the Cleveland area, I have a portrait photographer who knows exactly what I am looking for in a reference photo. He would be happy to work with you directly at a very reasonable price.
Arrangements would be made between you and him to conduct the shoot, then he and I would review the photos he took. I would send you a choice of the photos I think would work best for a painting, and we would proceed from there with the portrait commission if you’d like.
If you have your own professional photographer in mind, that’s fine too, I’d just like to speak with them briefly before your shoot, and again after the shoot to review the pictures taken.
If you’re not in the greater Cleveland area, I would work with a professional photographer local to you using the same process as above.
HOW LONG WILL A COMMISSION TAKE?
For most paintings, figure one to two months to complete.
I usually paint in layers of opaque paints, topped with see-through colored glazes. Each layer has to dry before I can move on to the next, and depending on the drying times of the colors used, it can take a few weeks to complete a painting. Scheduling may also be a factor depending on how many paintings are in my pipeline.
The painting also needs to be completely dry prior to being sealed with varnish for protection before it is shipped or transported locally.
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU USE?
I use Old Holland brand oil paints exclusively for every work. Old Holland as a company has been in continuous existence, making the highest quality paints available, since 1664 (105 years before the birth of Napoleon).
I use either Ampersand Gessobord or primed linen on acid-free board for most of my projects.
SHOULD I FEEL FUNNY OR SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT COMMISSIONING A PORTRAIT?
A portrait is never really for the person sitting for the portrait.
If a child is being painted, that painting is really for the child’s parents or grandparents. If an adult is the subject, the portrait is really meant for their spouse, their parents, their children, or their children’s children. If it’s a corporate portrait, it’s for display within the company.
Someday in the future, a parent will be able to say to their son or daughter, “This is a hand-painted portrait of your grandma from when I was your age.” That’s the magic of a good portrait.
CAN I SURPRISE SOMEONE ELSE WITH A PORTRAIT OF THEM?
Some artists can work exclusively from photos without having met the person and create a great likeness. I will also be working from a photo reference, but it would be preferable to meet the person I’m painting, even if it’s over video chat for just a few minutes. This makes for a better, more nuanced portrait.
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WHY SHOULD I ASK RICH PORT TO PAINT MY PORTRAIT?
I’ve received professional training in a variety of painting styles from the excellent evolveartist.com. I enjoy the challenge of getting an accurate likeness: a skill that eludes most artists.
I’ve learned the hard way that while capturing the big shapes is most important, being slightly off on the corner of a mouth, eyelid, or eyebrow can have a substantial effect on the expression on a person’s face.
Now my Evolve online community calls me ‘Mr. Portrait’. The importance of really working to render accurate features and good form that seems to leap off of the surface of the painting will always be top of mind in each of my portraits.
I want you to be thrilled with your portrait and proudly share it with all of your family and friends!
CAN YOU PAINT DECEASED PEOPLE OR PETS FROM THE PHOTOS I PROVIDE?
Maybe. If the photo has a nice balance of light versus shadow to show the turning of the form (somewhere between 50/50 light to shadow and â…” light to â…“ shadow across the face) and is dense enough to be blown up to a size useable as a reference for the painting, I should be able to use it.
If the original photo is black and white, the painting should also be black and white.
ARE THE FINISHED PAINTINGS FRAMED?
The paintings are not framed so that you can choose a style of frame that fits with the decor of your home or office where it’s being displayed.
WHAT SIZE ARE THE PAINTINGS?
A nice size for a single-subject portrait is 9” x 12”, 11" x 14", or 12” x 16”.
A nice size for a two-subject portrait is either 12” x 16” or 16” x 20”.
I paint in a relatively realistic, dense style, so if a larger size than these is desired, I’d be happy to discuss the dimensions you’re interested in.
A loose rule of thumb for optimal viewing of a finished work is to stand back roughly 3 times the diagonal distance of the painted image. Keep this in mind when thinking about where in your home or office you’d like to place the finished work.
WHAT IF I WANT ALTERATIONS?
I will show you the finished painting via email or video chat so that you can see and approve the portrait.
If there are changes you’d like me to make, I can do them and then repeat the process with you. Corrections can be made to a dry painting, but excessive changes, especially to a portrait, can make the painting look overworked. Once I have your final approval, I will varnish the surface of the painting, and then deliver the painting.
Unfortunately, no corrections can be made to the painting once it is sealed under varnish.
DO YOU PAINT MOVIE STILLS OR MASTER COPIES ON COMMISSION?
I painted the movie stills you see on the Rich Portraits portfolio page as homework for evolveartist.com and to show that I could render a good likeness, but selling movie stills as paintings is a violation of copyright law.
Master copies can be painted on commission, as long as the original artist has been deceased for over 70 years. Making master copies is one of the primary ways artists have been trained to paint for centuries, and was a component of my training as well. I welcome the challenge!
