Approaching a Stranger as a Potential Model

[Gene Snyder]

Hello All,

I did a search on this topic in the forum and didn't have any results, however if it has been addressed before, please point me in the right direction.

My question is how do you approach someone, a stranger, to paint their portrait? You see that person that you just have to paint, that you know would be the perfect model, that has the perfect features, everything in place and you just see the finished portrait in your mind. I ride the commuter train from Baltimore to Washington D.C. everyday and there are many people that I see on the train who I know would be perfect for a portrait. How do I approach them?

I almost think of this as a cold call kind of thing. I find it difficult to just drop in on a person, unannounced, and try to explain why I have this urge to paint them. Some people, I think, would shy away from that or think that I'm just an "artist", many of us are doomed from the start with that dreaded "artist" label... Some probably wouldn't take the flattery too well or think it's some pitch.

Let's face it, it's not something that happens everyday and it just doesn't seem natural for a total stranger to approach someone and say in so many words, "You look great, can I paint you?"

Aside from the obvious "It does hurt to ask" response, what approach would you take and how would you do it?

Thanks

"You look great. Can I paint you? Here's my card." That's exactly how I ask. Saying you have an "urge" or they would be "perfect" can be a little, uh, intense for many people. A complimentary yet professional demeanor works well, at least for me.

We have talked on the Forum about complimenting children for portraits and several of us thought it was inappropriate (me included) to approach a child or their parents out of the blue, in a non-art setting. I don't think that's what you're asking but thought I'd mention it.

Many people are flattered to have an artist ask to paint them. Many are too shy and will waste your time. Make sure you have a lot of cards on hand. Good luck!

Best
Lisa

[Michele Rushworth]

I think women have an easier time of this than men. I'd feel downright nervous if any man gave me his card and asked me to model for him, so anything you can do to ease that tension would be great. Immediately showing them a pocket sized portfolio of your work can go a long way to showing that you're for real.

So that you don't intimidate your potential subject (especially if the person you are asking is a woman) you might want to suggest that the photo shoot take place in a public and crowded place -- a busy park for example.

And, as Lisa suggested, talking to the parents of a child you'd like to photograph, not directly to the child himself, would be best.

[Linda Brandon]

Hi Gene,

I had this problem when I moved into new studio space and wanted to try out several ideas for drawing people from life in my available natural light. Many of my friends offered to sit for me... once (nobody has offered to do it after the first time). (By the way, the deal was that I kept the resulting drawing or painting. I gave them a nice photo of the original and lunch.)

You have to impress people with your professionalism, so you should give them a card and possibly a small sample of your work, as in a flyer. Tell them your fee right away and you could even hand them a copy of your model agreement if you think you need to do that.

Michele has a good idea about meeting in a public place. I would add that you tell the person you want a portrait session and describe briefly the kind of clothing you'd like her to wear. This will keep her from wondering whether this is a request to be a nude model; when you say "artist model" this seems to be what jumps to some people's minds.

[Jimmie Arroyo]

I used to get extremely nervous when asking people (the majority women) to pose for me. I would only ask people when I had cards or a sketchbook on hand. To simply ask without any evidence you do this for a living would put a doubt in most people, I assume.

Recently, I have been asking, or better yet, getting requests to be drawn from clients that I've tattooed. We have a computer in the back room where I can pop up my website in a couple of minutes. During the slow season, I bring my drawings to work, and can show the person that I'm legitimate. Funny thing is, no one has said no; it's usually an immediate yes, but I stress that they have time to think about it. I do ask if they are willing to do nudes, but only if they are comfortable with it. I let them know how their drawing will be used and a contract is involved. I also ask if they'd like to bring someone with them to make them more comfortable.

I try to avoid compliments. I won't tell them they look good, but instead they have a good artistic look. Putting the person at ease is my first priority. Tattooing may give me a big advantage, but I'm still surprised how easy it's been to have someone pose.

[Michael Georges]

I have done this many times. The key is to have a business card, preferrably with a clear example of your art on it.

Introduce yourself, hand them your card and tell them that you are a painter and are always looking for attractive people to model, you saw them and you would love to use them in a painting or two. Tell them that you will give them a print of whatever you paint with them in it, and last tell them what you will pay them per hour. Tell them that they should call you if they are interested, reference that they can see more examples of your work on your website and then walk away. It works well.