Custom Oil Portraits of People
There is little that can compare to the beauty and sense of life that a traditional oil painting can represent. Maxine's portraits encompass all that you could desire in a professionally rendered, extremely realistic and beautiful portrait of your loved one. Every detail is articulated, you can visually feel all the nuances of the character of the subject. From the physical, the spiritual, the emotional expression, their eyes and composure, her portraits exude the essence of the individual. Celebrate Life with a spectacular portrait that will bring you lasting joy and surely become an heirloom that will be cherished for generations to come.
The Process
Every client's commission is unique and different and Maxine is flexible to accommodate the needs of the individual. She believes that creating a portrait is a journey between the client and the artist together to achieve the ideal image.
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Once you have determined that you would like to request a commission, please contact Maxine with your information, vision, requirements and photographs (only 1-5 photos for the initial review) via email: maxinesheaffer@gmail.com or through Contact. She will promptly review your requests and respond with thoughts on the images provided, composition, or other details to help your vision become a reality.
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Together, you will establish a sense of direction for the piece, gather all the needed imagery and agree on the composition. Then you will finalize the commission with a contract outlining all of the elements of the arrangement and at that time the client is to complete a one third payment of the total amount due. At that point your substrate will be built or ordered and the actual creation of the artwork will begin.
It will take time for your image to be created and paintings often go through various stages of development before they begin to clearly resemble the final finished work. So with patience and trust, in time you will see your commission meet and exceed your expectations. Maxine is committed to your full satisfaction and works closely with you for reflection and inspiration as she create your image. At approximately half way through the journey, she will contact you for a mid-progress review and at that time the second third of your payment is due. The painting is developing and in no time, you will be contacted for the final review. Of course, it is preferable for the client to view the work in person, but if circumstances should not permit, you can approve the final work through high resolution images. Once the client has approved the completed work, the final payment plus shipping/insurance is due. Then the artwork is ready to go home either by pick-up or sent through the mail.
The Investment
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Portraits are emotional, spiritual as well as physical investments. All portraits included a soft, muted background. Backgrounds with specific environments or architecture will increase the total cost and can be discussed during the initial consultation. All Oil paintings included a professionally made linen canvas free of charge. Maxine also offers hand-built, traditional linen canvases in the style of the old masters, attached with copper tacks and layer upon layer of hand finished gesso. There is an additional charge for a hand built linen substrate, the cost is dependent of the size, please ask for more information if you are interested in this fine substrate.
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1 head only​​
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12"x10" (30x25cm) - $ 1080
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14"x10" (35x25cm) - $ 1260
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14x11" (36x28cm) - $ 1386
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1 or 2 heads / half body
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16"x12" (40x30cm) - $ 1728
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16x14" (40x35cm) - $ 2016
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16"x16" (40x40cm) - $ 2304
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18x16" (46x40cm) - $ 2592
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1 or multiple heads / half or full bodies
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20"x16" (50x40cm) - $ 2880
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20"x20" (50x50cm) - $ 3600
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18x24" (46x61cm) - $ 3888
Additional People can be added to the composition for half of the cost of the price for portraits of people, for groups of three people or more each additional person will be 1/3 of the price. It is also possible to add Animals into a portrait with People, the cost is half of the
Animal Portrait price for the corresponding size.
Photography Information
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As people rarely have time to "sit" for portraits these days, and animals certainly do not, it must begin with photographs; it is imperative to have decent reference images for the creation of a high quality portrait. Although it is possible to complete a portrait using one image from beginning to end, it is ideal to have multiple images to work from in order to gain perspective on color, lighting and the true feel of the subject be it human or animal. Often times, the portrait is an amalgamation of various images, and through artistic creativity upon the request of the client: Maxine can alter, change, add, take away from, transport to another time/environment- the possibilities are endless so do not be discouraged if you do not have the perfect photo available. If necessary, there is a possibility that Maxine would be available to do a photo shoot with the sitter at an extra cost. All of that is determined and discussed in during our initial contact.
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Capturing images today are much easier with the continued evolution of camera phones and are usually of decent enough quality to work with; however a photo obtained through a professional digital camera is ideal. When selecting imagery to email, please note, the highest resolution photographs are imperative as well as sending them in the original size from the camera. Small files will offer pixelated, unclear images that will be of little use in creating a quality portrait. On occasion, the only photographs that are available are paper printed images, you will have to scan the image and email it, then it will determined if it is possible to work with. It is best to choose photos that are in natural daylight, without flash or dark interior shots. Maxine will review your images and give you feedback on what is needed to proceed. Please send an email with 1-5 of your images and brief outline of what you are hoping for.
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"It would be my honor to work with you to create a work of art that will be loved for generations to come. We will begin the creation together, working side by side through the journey until we reach your vision, or better still." ~Maxine Sheaffer
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