Portrait Comission-life study vs. photo
There is a common miconseption that to get a good portrait all you need is a good photograph. My experience as a portrait painter is that it is important to have a live sitting to develop a connection with their personality. Recently I did the preliminary photo shoot and sitting for Monsigor Milewski, who was the former Chancellor of Orchard Lake Schools. He has lived on the campus for sixty years and the school wished to honor his service and life with a portrait. Monsignor was the most charming and willing subject for a portait study. We started with a photo shoot and while the photos were very good it was the life sitting that made the difference. I placed a large mirror behind behind my easel facing the Monsigor so he could watch me paint. He was very engaged in the process and would comment occasionally on a brushstroke or on the speed of which the portrait was painted. He fell into this pose where his head was tilted and a relaxed smile was on his face. I shot a few more photos of this pose and continued with the painting which was not about getting an exact likeness but about getting the light and the true color, especially since he was wearing that glorious cloak! Once home I brought up the photo with his head tilted and painted a monochromatic study in transparent oxide red. Later I painted the lights but left much of the shadow the warm tone. Monsigor has such a wonderful personality and while I painted the study I thought of our converstion and the engaged look on his face. This was something that was missing from the photograph. If I had painted the study without the life sitting that connection of artist and subject would be missing. For me that is the joy of painting a portrait.
This a small study that represents what the final painting will look like. I will refer to the study more than the photo for the final portrait.
