What counts as "sufficient reference material?"
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In order to make the best drawing or painting possible, I need sufficient reference material of the subject. I always prefer to gather my own reference material, so if you live in Connecticut or New York, plan on visiting either state, or would like to reimburse my travel expenses, then I will very likely take photos of the subject myself. This is not always possible or practical. Common cases in which I cannot gather my own reference material include the following:

There are also two situations in which I do not need to gather my own reference: client-provided photos are almost always sufficient for lockets, and digital collages do not require reference. Lockets and digital collages have their own image submission guidelines. Locket guidelines can be found here, and digital collage guidelines can be found here.

In these cases, the client is required to submit their own reference material. We will work together to ensure that I get the information necessary for a great work of art, but it's good to know whether or not you will be able to provide sufficient reference prior to beginning the commission process.

One final note before we move on to the guidelines: even if I am the one to collect reference material, it's always helpful to have more, so please feel free to send me anything else that you think might be helpful.

Guidelines

Unless otherwise specified, the "subject" referred to in the below guidelines may refer to a human, animal, building, landscape, or object. "Subject" also includes the plural (if the commission is, for instance, of several children.)

  1. Reference material includes photos, videos, and written notes.
  2. Videos and notes are not required as they will not be used as direct reference in the work. They are helpful, however, in providing a more rounded view of the subject. Send in content that you feel best reflects the character of your subject and/or captures what makes them most recognizable to you. Is your dog's asymmetrical nose their most endearing feature? Tell me that. If you're commissioning a painting of your house, let me know what holds special memories. Is it the maple tree in your front yard? Send a video of that tree with the wind blowing through the leaves. The more I understand what matters to you, the better I can create a work that resonates with you.
  3. The more the merrier! Send as many photos as you can, even ones that you suspect might be useless. Sometimes composing a work requires Frankensteining some photos together. The pose in one photo might be perfect, but if the leg is cut off, I can probably collage in the leg from another photo as long as the pose is similar enough. 10-20 photos is a good starting point, but if you can send me 50 or even 100, we'll be in much better shape. If the subject is deceased and photo availability is limited, send me what you can, and I'll let you know if I can work with it.
  4. Quantity is important, but quality is, too. Include some photos with a high resolution and good lighting. It's okay if these are taken using your phone as long as they aren't too blurry or too far away.
  5. "Good lighting" doesn't necessarily mean "even lighting." Interesting shadows serve me much better. Look at the below photo from Tom Grill's blog "About Photography:"

    I'll be able to make more use of the photo on the left than on the photo on the right. Prioritize photos like the left one, but always send both! This applies to landscapes, too -- send photos of the subject at different times of day (or under different weather conditions) so that I have lots of opportunities to play with colors and shadows. If the lighting is particularly dynamic (which is a good thing!), sending me at least one under-exposed and one over-exposed photo is especially helpful.
  6. Wide, open-mouth smiles are rarely flattering in paintings. Opt for a more serious expression or a soft smile that conceals the teeth.

If you're unsure whether or not the reference material available to you is sufficient, I will walk you through our options and do my best to work with whatever you've got. In the case that the commissioned artwork is meant to be a gift and obtaining sufficient reference material would spoil the surprise, consider gifting the commission process instead of just the final work. I can send you a personalized gift certificate that will make the presentation of the gift feel special, and the recipient will have the benefit of greater influence over the completed piece.

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