Commissioning a Portrait:  How It Works

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, the first step is to meet with me to discuss the project, including the subject(s) and setting, the medium and size of the artwork, and the price (see Price List).  This meeting can be at my studio in downtown Pacific Grove or at another mutually acceptable location.  We will go over details of the project, which are incorporated in a Commission Agreement to be signed by artist and client.

We then arrange a time for me to photograph the subject(s), in the studio and/or on location.  The photo session is not usually lengthy, typically about an hour or so, although it may have to be repeated in the event of unsatisfactory lighting or other problems.  The artwork is completed in the studio with no additional posing necessary.

When the artwork is finished it is shown to the client for approval.  If the client is unable to come to the studio, a digital image will be sent and the artwork shipped on approval.

I see portrait commissions as a collaboration among artist, client, and subject in the creation of an artwork.  We all get involved in a process that combines photography and painting (and maybe a little theater) to make an artistic statement.

But what kind of statement?  What is a portrait?  I don't think portraiture, as an artistic genre, is just about painting a likeness.   For me, portraiture involves making artistic observations of people and what they are like and the things they do, and distilling from those particular observations some of the truth and beauty that only art can convey.

If you want more information, contact me by phone (831/655-1566) or e-mail (huitt@redshift.com) and I'll be happy to answer any questions or arrange for you to see
more of my work.