PHOTO GUIDE
A good reference photo is key for a beautiful portrait. Below you will find some tips and requirements to make your commission as perfect as possible.
IMAGE QUALITY
The most important thing for a good portrait reference is the resolution or of your picture. With high image resolution I will be able to see, and therefore draw, every little detail. Faces and other important features that you probably want to be the highlight of the portrait should especially be in focus.
This also applies for pictures taken with mobile phone cameras. Nowadays these are usually fine, but many pictures from mobile devices are taken without much thought into them. There are some exceptions depending on lighting conditions and how close you are to the subject you are photographing, but from an artists perspective it’s easy to see a big difference between a photo hastily taken by a mobile device or one taken on a high quality digital camera.
TIP: Zoom in on your photo: can you clearly see the fine details in the eyes, nose, and facial features? Can you see individual hairs? If the answer is yes, it is likely a suitable photo to draw.
LIGHTING
Photos taken outdoors in natural daylight work better than photos taken indoors with artificial lighting. Whenever it is possible, try to take photos outside in natural lighting rather than inside with flash. Even though it is often preferred to take photos on a sunny day, try to avoid photos with strong sunlight or too dark shadows that would make colors fade away.
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TIP: If indoors is the only option, take photos near a natural light source such as a window.
TIP: Avoid using flash, as it often washes out the colours, masks much of the detail in a photo and can cause unflattering shadows, red eye,
or glowing eyes.
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DISTANCE TO SUBJECT
If you would like to commission a full-body painting or drawing, try not to stand too far away from the subject when you take a picture. If the subject is quite small in the photograph, and you need to zoom in and enlarge the relevant portion, it would likely result in a blurred image.
The same goes for a head and chest portrait - I can’t zoom into the head to see more details. More zoom doesn’t mean more detail within the photo.
TIP: For a head and chest portrait, be sure to take a photo where the person or pet is filling the entire frame without cropping the parts (ears, hair, part of neck and so on) which you would like to include in the portrait.
COMBINING MULTIPLE PHOTOS
If your portrait includes more than one subject, it can sometimes be wise to work from separate photos in order to capture each subject in the best way possible. I can then edit the photos together in Photoshop to create a flattering composition.
Choose some of the best photos of the pets or people, but I recommend taking new ones if possible. A group portrait can look a bit strange when all the subjects are taken from different angles or different lighting.
TIP: I look at one main photograph when drawing, but it always helps to have a choice of several photos in order to see the true appearance and coloring.
MORE ABOUT PHOTOS
The rule of thumb: the clearer and more detailed your reference image is, the better your portrait will be!
If there is not much detail to see when I zoom in on your picture, I can't produce a highly accurate portrait for you, and the drawing will likely not turn out with the high standard that I strive for. I will (and do) turn down clients with poor reference photos. This is in your own interest as I don't want people paying good money for a product that lacks in quality.
With that being said, don't worry about not having a perfect picture. Yes, I need to see detail and important features in order to create a quality portrait, but I am an artist after all. I can add different backgrounds and I can change minor things for you.
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If the pet or person you'd like to commemorate in a portrait has passed away, you may not have an ideal photo to submit. In these cases, please feel free to send me as many photos as you can so that I can gauge the most accurate details and colouration. I will always strive my best to work with photo limitations in these scenarios.
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