Flash photography where the light is coming from the front produces flat photos without shadows and is generally of no use for painting. Teeth tend to overpower portraits and it is generally better to capture a natural relaxed pose. Hats and clothes should be given some consideration and plain neutral colours will keep the focus on the person better. A three quarter view at the same height level as the subject with a single light source coming from above and to one side is a good all round approach. You can of course vary lighting for effect and again there are many sources of information available on this subject. I have found that sitting your subject by a clear window without direct sunlight or shadows from curtains and blinds works well. It can become more interesting by having artificial light coming from the other side to provide even more contrast.
Here are some examples to guide you.

1. Contact me with your requirements and photos

2. We agree the details and delivery date

3. I will send an invoice for the deposit

4. The work will commence and I will send email progress updates

5. I send you a photo of the finished piece for approval. You can decide not to proceed at this point if you are not 100% satisfied. The deposit is not refundable and will cover my costs for materials.

6. I invoice you for final payment including shipping and send the portrait



All prices listed are for head and part shoulders with a plain or blank background. They are on Fisher, Wallis, Sennelier Royal Sovereign or La Carte pastel card which is a sanded textured surface which holds pastel well with no need for fixing. This ensures that your portrait remains in top condition for many years with no yellowing from fixatives. The choice of surface will depend upon the type of subject and what I feel will work best. It is important to keep your portrait under glass, dry and away from direct sunlight and it will stay as new. I use only top quality artist pastels with highly lightfast pigments to ensure longevity and rich colours. Pastels are not chalk but are almost pure pigments held together with a minimum of binder. These are the same pigments that are found in oil paints or watercolours.

The sizes listed represent commonly found readily available mount and frame sizes for your convenience. I can recommend where to purchase frames that will enhance your portrait or I can frame for you. Remember that adding a frame will also raise the cost of shipping and increases the risk of damage in transit as it is most often a broken frame that will cause the most damage to a painting. Your portrait will be supplied already mounted and ready to frame.

Should you require a full body portrait or a particular background then please contact me to discuss you needs. Remember that you can also purchase a gift voucher so that a friend or family member can have a portrait painted as a gift.

Size Fits mount Price Shipping

12¾ in x 9¾ in (32.5 x25cm) outer size: 40x30cm, aperture size: 30x20cm £95.00 free in UK

12in x 16in (40x30cm) outer size: 50x40cm, aperture size: 35x28cm £140.00 free in UK

Supplied with mounts ready to frame. Signed and dated front and back with certificate of authenticity by the artist.

Larger sizes available upon request and for 2 or more people together.

Please read my guide for getting good workable photos that I can use as it is vital to the process.


For a portrait to be successful I believe there are two essential elements. Firstly the end result must be a good painting in its own right and secondly to capture the personality and likeness to the subject. It has often been said that a good painted portrait is better than a photo and there are good reasons for this. A portrait will usually simplify the subject and focus on the most important elements as well as enhancing and introducing colours to add more drama or interest. These are the objectives I aspire to when I undertake a portrait whether it is an animal or a person.

There is a wealth of information available on the net regarding taking portrait photos. The things I look for are fairly simple. I need to be able to clearly see the eyes and their surrounds. Blurred and fuzzy features are very hard to measure accurately and makes getting a likeness very difficult. The reason for this is that if the features are blurred then the more important graduations of light and shade will be distorted or missing. It is the difference between light and shadow that gives a picture its depth and shape and is the difference between a portrait and a cartoon. We are genetically programmed to recognise faces but we don’t actually use the details much. We quickly recognise the larger shapes which are three dimensional and need both light and shadow to be seen.
We can probably recognise these faces although the detail has been removed.