Painting Duplicates?

[Julianne Lowman]

I have recently been commissioned to paint several pieces, then duplicate them (not copy, print or Giclee). How is this done?

Do I create one complete piece, then do the next one the same as the first, or do I set up two canvases side by side and work both simultaneously?

I'm thrilled to be able to do this since they want 3 or 4 originals with copies!

[Michele Rushworth]

I once painted three identical portraits of a woman who had passed away, for her three daughters. Each paid full price for their portrait. I nailed the three canvases side by side to a couple of crossbars and painted them all at the same time (eyebrow, eyebrow, eyebrow, that sort of thing).

When it was all done it looked like one of those sets of multiples Andy Warhol was so famous for. I detached the paintings from the crossbars and shipped them to three separate addresses across the country. Everyone was happy.

[Karin Wells]

I once made a duplicate of a painting and painted the second one after I painted the first one. I am glad that I did it that way as I did not have to correct mistakes twice and the second was painted in half the time.

Portrait artist Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun (1755-1842) was always very pleased to be able to make multiple portraits for her clients - it was easy money. My understanding is that she did the first one, made all the changes to her client's satisfaction and then painted the others.

Here is an interesting excerpt from her memoirs entitled "ADVICE ON THE PAINTING OF PORTRAITS": http://www.kcwells.com/technical2.htm