I'm not Marvin (obviously) but I just wanted to jump in and point out that the buying public pays VERY handsomely to obtain the works of more "painterly" painters such as Richard Schmid and Morgan Weistling. If either of these men offered commissioned portraits, I think they would easily take their places among the most sought after portrait painters in the country.
I don't think visible brushwork necessarily equates to a non-flattering portrait - this is highly dependant on the skill of the artist. Traditional portraiture is by nature very refined and realistic, but I think the buying public would also support a market for more "loose" work if there were a large number of highly capable portrait artists working in that manner.
Then again, maybe I think differently because I live out West where I gather high society is a bit less "sophisticated" than on the East coast and in the South
