Posthumous Portrait

[Vincent Ragozzine]

I have been asked to do a posthumous portrait and the reference available is kind of limited. I have been provided with several snapshots of varying quality and I am not sure which one(s) to use for the portrait or how best to go about it.

An added difficulty is that in the years before her death the subject was taking a medication which made her appear somewhat bloated. You will be able to see the difference in the attached photos.

So, does anybody have any advice for me on the subject?

Larger versions of the photos are available if you'd like.

[Vincent Ragozzine]

More of the photos available for the project.

Thank you,

Vin

[Marcus Lim]

Hello Vincent,
I've recently completed a posthumous portrait for a major client in Singapore, and i must applaud your courage to undertake a challenging portrait such as this.

Like you, i was given very few photo resources - and one video cd of the subject. All the photos were only good enough to get a visual of how this person looked, but none of them had the right feel and pose for the painting work.

Through the video CD I managed to capture one image frame which was just what I was looking for. The trouble was it was only a shoulder length image!

So with the image, and the other reference photos given i had to communicate constantly with my client, and even did an actual size charcoal draft to present the complete idea to them . That got their approval and the rest is history.

My point to drive home with you is that with all these photographs that you have, it's important to talk to them and have them decide which one best represents their collective memory of the subject.

Even when you don't have the complete image you need, build one with a charcoal / oil study with their consultation. Once they're happy with that study, you naturally have their approval to go ahead with the final image. Hope this is helpful information to you.

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Vincent, for me, with these photos, it is virtually impossible to paint anything .
I suggest that you go looking for more pictures, maybe they have some where she does not smile that they have overlooked.

I am afraid this is the kind of commission that you would regret accepting and you should consider turning down.

Ilaria

[Debra Norton]

Vincent, another possibility is to get someone with her coloring, age, etc to pose for a properly lit photo session and use those photos along with the ones you already have. Maybe she has sister or cousin who could do this for you.

[Vincent Ragozzine]

Unfortunately, turning the job down is not an option. It's not a commission but a gift to a relative's business. Which also means that it will be hung in a public place.

The "client", I suspect, would be happy with most anything but my sense of professionalism and my awareness that it will be publicly displayed make me want to make the piece as exceptional as I can make it even with the poor reference.

It is also, for reasons that I won't bother you with, unlikely that I will be able to obtain more photos but I will continue to try. There are no relatives of similar form and stature to help pose but I might be able to find someone here who is close enough to do so or at least help with parts. I may be left with Marcus' suggestion of doing a value study to see if I can work out some of the issues. Between the various options given here and my own memory of the deceased I may be able to come up with something. Hopefully some better photos will surface though.

Thank you all for your advice so far. Please keep it coming. I can use all the suggestions I can get.

Vin