Suggestions?
 

Does anyone have any suggestions for painting a father and 25 year old son together?

I have been asked to do this. The mother had one done many moons ago of herself and the two girls. Now she wants one of her husband and Alex.

She is torn between doing them as they are now, or finding photos of them when they were young. I told her I doubted she would have what I needed for that, but she is looking anyway. In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out how I would paint two grown men? From what I remember about the painting of the girls, it was VERY casual. The mom relaxed in a chair holding the 2year-old, with the 5 year-old resting on her leg, so I would assume they would want something casual of the men. I feel like she is flexible enough to let me do whatever I want, any suggestions?

Inside? Outside? Standing? Sitting?

I'm sort of excited about trying this since I'm so used to doing young children, not to mention these are two very handsome men!

Also,
 

The one she has is approximately 24" x 36", so she is going to want something similar in size, if that helps any?

Tough call, Mary, as the possibilities are infinite.

I think I'd put "Dad" in front, or at least somehow in prominence and stature. (That doesn't mean he couldn't actually be half-sitting while the son stands behind. Just means I'd give the father his place of honor. [Just self-analyzed that to note that I'm writing as a father, but I'd expect the same if my dad were still around and sitting for a portrait -- something he might have tolerated but which would have greatly amused him.])

Do these two have hobbies? If they golf, I can picture one composition, if they hunt, another, pool sharks, another still. I see them in contrasting poses, at the very least, in some dynamic design helix rather than side-by-side.

I guess a visit to the SOG Galleries might be a useful place to start, though you've likely already been there.

Steven,
 

OH..well, I emailed the wife and asked this woman what their hobbies were, thinking golf or hunting would be the typical response, these are wealthy people, he a lobbyist in DC...but the answer I got, I don't think Cynthia would appreciate me repeating:o And she stated that she just didn't think that would make a nice portrait. Only that she would like it casual, in button downs and jeans.

I have no useful suggestion, but I am obsessing over trying to figure out what their hobbies could be that could not be mentioned here.

Okay Mary, here's your composition. Now I think you're going to have to tell us about the hobbies. It gets dull here during the winter months and I'm always open to new pursuits.

Are your Clients Herpetologists?
 

Mary,

I think the two-adult composition is the hardest to manage. You have two equal masses that need to relate to each other and balance without becoming boring or dull. You also don't want to put too much attention on one party and neglect the other or cause speculation about dominance of either party (this is the problem with a lot of wedding photos). With a father and son portrait you should be safe with giving the father the dominance, but the son may steal the show anyway.

I love the composition in this linked painting. It's called "The Fallen Angels", painted in 1833 by Francois-Barthelemy Cibot. These men are nude, or arguably so, and I'm linking the painting instead of posting it.

http://www.joslyn.org/permcol/images/1995_60.jpg

I love the way the red sash and the snakes tie the two men together and give unity, flow and undulation. And can't you just hear them plotting what to do to get even?

I had a long conversation once with this painting, years ago, at the Jocelyn Art Museum in Omaha where I was the only one in the museum except for a sleeping guard. It had a lot to tell me about the nature of evil, beauty, ego... all the "good, bad and the ugly" nature of the universe.

Mary,

The problem with two's is that we want them to be three's, or one's.

In the first example below Bart Lindstrom uses the fence to suggest a third element. But in the next example, Sargent's "Mrs. Warren and Daughter," he brings the subjects so close that compositionally they almost show as one. Nice for mother and daughter but maybe not for father and son.

The next example is a little more figurative but shows an interesting interaction.

Sargent's

More of a figurative approach ...

And lastly, the ultimate two subject composition ...

Hmm, Mike,
 

I feel sort of like I resemble the blonde in the last painting today..LOL.

I have spent lots of time with these two men, however, it was probably 15 years ago, so Alex is all grown up now, but the father I know fairly well. The wife wants it casual and I picture them in button downs and jeans, possibly the father in a chair..club or wing maybe and Alex sitting on the arm that would bring them really close together with them being touchy feely like the mothers and daughters in the other two portraits. Does that sound ok?

Mary,

Two subject composition is tough duty. I would try and give some variation in either head height, depth (front/back), body language etc. See if you can find another element like the arm of the chair or maybe a background lamp to play up and balance the overall composition. Michele did this very effectively just recently (using a lamp in 2 person composition.) Maybe one of those free-standing slender lamp stands about five feet tall. The son to our left, the father seated with legs crossed oriented toward the son, and the lamp to our right with the shade half way between their heads in height.

Personally, for men I don't think a close touchy pose is in order. The fact that these two men appear in the same frame suggests more than a little emotional closeness.

One more thought, often times body language can be suggestive of the "relaxed and casual" look. A man can look totally relaxed and at ease, even formally dressed, depending on body language.

You might try doodling on paper with just the big shapes.

I'm tapped out from here, I'll pass the baton.

The pose where one sits in a chair, and the other stands behind the chair with a hand resting on it is nice. A wingback is good for a formal look. I can't imagine why a person with his background would want to be portrayed in jeans, but hey, I just have a bias againt jeans I suppose.

They could also both stand, one facing you, one facing 45 degrees another way, with his head turned toward you.

When I did a portrait of a couple I talked with them for a while, to get a sense of their personalities. The woman was the more outgoing, while the man was happy, supportive, and kind. This told me all I needed to know about how to pose them, and what expressions to encourage. What are these guys like?

Another great one is nude Greek wrestling. Just how casual can you get?