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Sharon Knettell · 05-02-2006, 05:05 PM

Thank-you for posting this Mischa.

It has a nice alert quality about it. I read when you went to school all the work you did was from life. You went on to say that now in order to succeed as a portraitist you have to use photography. If you look at the Royal Academies website, posted somewhere in the "Going for Excellence " thread you will see that most of their members will only work from life, and many will only paint those who travel to their studio.

I know finances are always difficult especially when you are starting out, it is easy to give in to a client's desire for convenience and worse, content.

Since you have the skill to work from life, try to persuade as many of your prospects to sit for you. You will gain their admiration, if not their cooperation and some enlightened ones might actually do so.

05-02-2006, 05:05 PM	#5
Sharon Knettell Approved Member Joined: Sep 2002 Posts: 1,730	Thank-you for posting this Mischa. It has a nice alert quality about it. I read when you went to school all the work you did was from life. You went on to say that now in order to succeed as a portraitist you have to use photography. If you look at the Royal Academies website, posted somewhere in the "Going for Excellence " thread you will see that most of their members will only work from life, and many will only paint those who travel to their studio. I know finances are always difficult especially when you are starting out, it is easy to give in to a client's desire for convenience and worse, content. Since you have the skill to work from life, try to persuade as many of your prospects to sit for you. You will gain their admiration, if not their cooperation and some enlightened ones might actually do so.