Celebrity Portraits
I started out doing mall shows and art fairs to promote myself and get commissions, but I always knew that I wanted to be like John Howard Sanden, a professional portrait artist. I made a rule for myself to distinguish me from the quick sketch artists who were painting next to me.
I would only paint celebrities if I was commissioned to paint them. What this meant was this:
1) I had to have met the celebrity.
2) I took the photographs, or references had to have been provided to me by the celebrity or their representative.
3) I had to have been commissioned (money changing hands).
How this worked:
My husband was able to wrangle us backstage passes to the Beach Boys. (This was 20 years ago....) We met Carl Wilson, who graciously consented to having his portrait painted. We met the next day, I took photographs, I did the painting, delivered it a few months later at a concert, he paid a (nominal) amount for the portrait. Mike Love (another member of the Beach Boys) saw the painting and wanted one of his own, I took photographs, did the portrait, and was paid a not quite so nominal fee, etc.
I now had two celebrity portraits for my portfolio, recognizable names I could put on my resume, and they were legitimate commissions. I also met some terrific guys and got to hang out on stage with them during concerts. In my future as the portrait artist of celebrities, I found myself sitting under a white grand piano at the Governor's mansion, listening to tapes in a van with Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night, and having Graham Nash write a song about a project I was doing.
I don't actively chase celebrity portraits anymore, but I recommend to my students that it is a great way to add some penuche to your credibility, and also show that you can get a likeness without going through those uncomfortable "...let me look at the photograph..." appraisals.
But do think about following the rules I've mentioned above. It starts your career off with integrity and professionalism. Most importantly, it will also get you out into the marketing world where you need to instigate meetings, make calls and follow up, and deliver the portrait. I will still cold call an institution and suggest a meeting to discuss a commission. There is a lot more to this business than getting an agent and waiting for the commissions to roll in. You need to be proactive and bring the work back to your studio, at least initially. The skills you learn initiating a celebrity commission will pay off long after you have removed their portrait from your portfolio.
Peggy
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