Landscape/portrait
 

I met with a client today who would like his four children painted into a landscape. He doesn't want a traditional "portrait" with the four children staring at the viewer. He would like his children to be in the landscape actively doing something. He likes the impressionistic look for the background and mentioned Monet. He said you wouldn't even have to be able to recognize their faces, but rather he and his wife would know who they were. They range in age from seventeen to nine.

I have been brainstorming and thought about the Monet picnic scene. I think it is Monet, where the people are in a park and are reclining on the blanket on the ground.

If any of you out there understand what I am talking about and have any ideas, or examples please let me know.

Thanks,

If I had this assignment I think I would go to one of our local municipal parks. One in particular has a beautiful small arching bridge over a pond, water falling off rocks in the background. The whole length of the bridge is maybe 20 feet. Many trees, flowers and vegetation adjacent.

You can get some interesting compositions on a small bridge with multiple folks. One sitting hanging their feet off the edge, others in various other positions. At least you don't have to create a dead on likeness for the four. Good luck with that.

Alicia,

As you've indicated, you're not being asked to paint portraits within a landscape motif, you're being asked to paint a landscape with figures. Are you comfortable with landscapes? Since the parents don't even particularly care if the kids' likenesses are captured, you might want to think about making the choice of landscape peculiar to the family in some way -- otherwise you've got four generic figures in a generic setting. Perhaps they have a favorite beach, or a mountain or lake cabin, a boat at dock in the background, or a vacation spot that will "place" the figures in a setting that portrays the family's interests or history. If that means having everyone climb onto the bench outside the hamburger joint with arms wrapped around the fibreglass Ronald McDonald, so be it. (That's a joke -- don't do that!)

I have to agree with Steve on this. The landscape should say something about the subjects. And, I would also try to capture a likeness of some kind. Just because the cliens said they did not care, I am sure they would be very pleased if you did. Also, would you be happy with it if you did not capture a likeness of these children? In life we can recognize a person from a great distance, because it is not the small details that give us the likeness. So you can still paint these children with very little detail, but still have someone who knows them tell which child is which, and that they are the children of your client - and that the painting is not just a generic landscape with figures. After all, why bother having them pose if you can't tell it was them in the final painting? In the end, your client and you will be much happier.

I have another question : is your normal style of painting impressionistic and very similar to Monet? If not, I would flat out refuse the request unless you are very good at imitating the style of others. In the end, as an artist, you are trying to establish a body of work that is instantly recognizable as your own. Doing one like Monet and another like Rembrandt is fun, but unless you are going to do 20 or 30 like each and have two distinct yet different styles that you will work in consistently, I would pick one style; and if they hired you, your clients should be happy with your style, and not ask you to change it. After all, it should be the reason they picked you in the first place.

Isabelle Dayton on my site does paintings that are less focused on a likeness and more on telling a story about a family in a setting. You might want to take a look at her work.

p.s. It may seem counterproductive to refuse a commission when you are trying to earn income from your art. But in reality, it is not. Key to getting continued commissions and sales of your art is an established and consistent style. This one commission may make you money now, but will it lead to repeated sales? If you are a landscape painter and the style of landscapes you do is similar to Monet

Landscape/Portrait
 

Mike,

I didn't mention that he wants to shoot the pics at the same park, surrounding the state capitol where his wedding pictures were done (a romantic!). So we have the location down pat. There aren't any bridges, unfortunately. But that is a great idea. This will be a surprise for his wife so we don't have her insight.

Steven,

As I mentioned above, the park has a special significance to the family. I am comfortable with landscapes, I love to do them and have done many and none of them included Ronald McDonald, but that's a thought.

Michael,

The client mentioned Monet, but he also stated that he really doesn't know what he wants. I think it will be up to me to present him with a few ideas. I did tell him though, that I was not an impressionistic painter; I can paint a loose pretty landscape (did in the past and sold it), but that I didn't do my portraits of people like that, and really if that is what he wanted he would be better off going with an artist who paints in that style. I agree with you on that point Michael.

I also plan to capture their likeness without being too tight or close up. I showed him a portfolio of my portraits and also of my landscapes and he liked them. I think the biggest challenge here will be coming up with a great composition and not just have them look like they are standing around.

Thanks for the link Cynthia, you take such good care of us. I think this is probably what he is thinking about.

Hi Alicia,

I just wanted to remind you that there are a couple of threads on threesome compositions at http://forum.portraitartist.com/foru...s=&forumid=69. Although there is a huge world of difference between three and four subjects, some of the discussion on focal point, clustering of figures, etc, should still be helpful.

Thanks Chris,

I know this will be a challenge. I went back and read that post. I believe you have posted a picture with a group of children in it, haven't you?

Yes, it's here in the thread Peggy B started, "Compositional Sightlines".http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...=&threadid=726

One of the very best foursomes I've ever seen is by award-winning Paul Newton. His single subject painting honored at the Portrait Society of America meeting this spring is here at http://www.portraitsociety.org/2002/winners/newton.htm. He was recognized in some recent months in International Artist (I think) but unfortunately I couldn't locate him or this painting on the web, as this is where the foursome was shown.

I think you are in a complicated position, and I hope it goes well for you. In the past I have had a client who claimed not to care about likeness going in, but Wow! talk about tiny micromillimeters! Likewise I have found myself pressed into less than comfortable formats (only myself to blame), and have regretted each one. I now am much better at recognizing when I should decline a job. I think it is extremely important to find out whether the client and artist have a good match, before ever starting down this road together.

Thanks Chris,

I will heed your words of wisdom and also those of Michael Fournier. I will make sure I am comfortable with the situation before I take it on. Will also make sure he agrees and understands. No amount of money would be worth the effort nor would it help my career to do it. I do like landscapes though, but also would paint the kids where they were identifiable (to anyone).

Thanks for the link.

Chris,

Couldn't locate the foursome at that site.

Apologies, Alicia; I went back to clarify. The foursome was in the International Artist magazine. The link is the painting that received an award from PSA last spring.

That's OK, Chris, thanks for trying.

Once Again
 

Here again is a reminder of the value of being able to paint everything. I'm convinced that stuff is stuff. If you can (and do) paint all subjects regularly, all your work will benefit. We paint form, color, values etc.

Stuff is Stuff!

Fechin said the subject was only an excuse to paint.

Tim,

This is awesome! Thanks so much for posting it and I'll keep that in mind, I'll just keep repeating it...stuff is stuff...Fear is a terrible thing for an artist.

Not to move off the topic of this thread, but you will do yourself an enormous favor by reading "Art & Fear". Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ex...strokeofgenius

Thanks Chris,

I'll order it. I read the reviews and it sounds like something I need just about now.