Why commission a painting? 

Portraits are about  connections across time. Think about standing in front of a painting that is a hundred years old or more. Chances are you won't be able to understand what that person's relationship is to their surroundings, but somehow you may know that person. This is a powerful moment of human connection that defies the ages.

Referrals

Other Paintings

Drawings

Activities

Awards

Bibliography

The Process
Ultimately your painting will be a product of collaboration between yourself and the artist. As a painter of Realism, Bates' clients have a tendency to have expectations for the work to match their own vision. As everybody knows, even the camera cannot always capture what a person really looks like, let alone what we see with our inner vision

Sometimes people's personalities are actually stronger than their physical likeness. And then there's the problem of how to handle physical imperfections we don't like; however changing too many details can throw things off or lose the likeness. Too much attention to detail can ruin the flow of a painting. Oftentimes the best paintings don't even show the whole face. It's something to think about.

What is involved?

'Sitting' is a bit of a thing of the past, yet firsthand contact and live study of the subject is extremely important.

Bates prefers to spend time with the subject if possible, but she has done several outstanding portraits from nothing but boxes of old photos.

The best paintings result from the following:
1. Photo sessions with the artist
2. Discussions with the client about what it is they see about the subject. Optimally this includes reviewing old snapshots for clues of the subject's special character.
3. Interviews by the artist of the subject or close family/friends. Anything which helps the artist understand the inner person and personality of the subject.

Refining the concept
After collecting the above material, Bates will begin creating study drawings and sketches. She will contact you for feedback on her preliminary concepts, then try to get closer to a concept drawing for the painting. Here are some examples of these kinds of sketches:

Early study for Portrait A

Final study Portrait C

What about the size of the painting? 
Pricing is based on the amount of weeks it takes to complete all of the artwork including sketches and is rarely influenced by size. Bates also recommends that you think about where you will hang the piece; Paintings are more like furniture; requiring architectural placement in the home or building. Try hanging cardboard shapes on your walls to help determine the size.

Content sometimes influences the size as well, and often it's wise to wait until the final concept is agreed upon before choosing the size. For example a full-body view easily accommodates a large size whereas a face-only portrait will likely be smaller.

How long does it take?
Preparation for the painting and concept refinement often take the bulk of the time and  is variable. The painting itself will take 4-6 weeks plus a month to dry.

Generally you will pay a reservation fee and be entered on the artist's schedule. When your scheduled time arrives it's important to be able to devote the time and energy to get through the concept process.

Referrals
The Artist pays for Referrals. You can receive cash or apply the amount to your own painting.

Other Art

Activities

Updated 05/15/07

206.393.3689

bates (at) jessbates.com
www.jessbates.com