Color studies for clients

Carol Norton · 08-02-2005, 09:03 AM

It would be very interesting to see some color studies that are presented to clients for approval. How detailed should they be? How large? I have read/heard that clients should not see the actual beginning process of a portrait, so what do artists who present color studies to clients show them?

Linda Brandon · 08-02-2005, 09:35 AM

Carol, right now I have a commission that's large(40" x 80") and compositionally complicated, so I'm doing a same-size 'cartoon' on brown paper in charcoal. I'm doing this for me but I'm letting the client take it home to make sure it's the right size for the room. If I have to add or decrease by a couple of inches I want to know now, before I make the canvases.

Making a color study would be a major waste of time for me in this case. I rarely do this anyway, mostly because I'd rather spend the time just drawing the client from life and making written notes to myself in the margins (you know, "YO + gray + white - add cerul? - v. ruddy cheeks, NY + IR" - this helps me later).

Anything more than a head and shoulders, I usually show the client a thumbnail (sometimes color, sometimes not) which is small (5" x 7", say) and not much detail in the head because the client will focus on likeness right away and I don't want them to see that in the initial stages, I want them to focus on composition and size.

Carol Norton · 08-02-2005, 11:39 AM

Your response is gratefully received. The line between spending a lot of time on a "study" sounded like a waste of time to me as well. It could be a daunting task because submitting something detailed to a client that is a WIP could create more problems than necessary. I was hoping to hear that a color sketch didn't involve hours of work. As usual,

THANKS. Perhaps I read too much!

Claudemir Bonfim · 08-02-2005, 12:31 PM

Hi Carol, there's a thread here that you should visit: http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=6024
Hope it helps.

Claudemir Bonfim · 08-02-2005, 12:35 PM

I usually give them studies in charcoal, color studies should not be big and should not have too many details.

Michele Rushworth · 08-02-2005, 12:44 PM

I strongly feel that the "hours of work" involved in doing a color study, whether it's for myself to work out issues, or to show the client for approval, are well worthwhile. Color studies also sometimes take days. Still well worth the time, to me at least, and to many other professional portrait artists. Saves me weeks of time on the actual painting later.

Doing studies prevents me from having to do tons of rework on the actual painting, working out problem areas, piling up layers of paint that can compromise the archival integrity of the piece. More often than not, most parts of my final painting will have only one layer of paint because I know exactly what color, size, shape etc. everything will be before I paint it. I use the color study to work out variations of background, overall color temperature, which areas I want to lose into the shadows, etc. rather than testing out those ideas on the actual painting.

My studies are typically 11 x 14" or smaller. Many are 4 x 6". A very important painting or complex work might require a larger study. For the Governor of Washinton State I've done no fewer than four study paintings. I did three head studies, one of which was fully detailed and actual size, for his approval. The fourth study was an overall composition, about 11 x 14".

Folks at the very top of this profession do much more elaborate work in terms of studies than I do. Tom Nash, one of the very best in the business, does complete, fully developed, actual size "study paintings" of every part of the image before starting on the final canvas. Simmie Knox, who did the official portraits of the Clintons, actually paints the final portrait often two or three times, on separate canvases, to work out different issues.

Carol Norton · 08-02-2005, 02:43 PM

Claudmir and Michelle, thank you so much for your experienced points of view. I know how important intitial work is and wouldn't slack on that aspect for anything. My question really is what to show a client. In my somewhat limited experience, showing a quick color study delineating design and color without details caused one of my clients to be concerned about (even with explanations of what a "study" is) missing details. As these people were out of my state, I sent the color studies via email. My limited experience in this AS a business makes me want to prepare for success and to avoid unnecessary pitfalls. Mike McCarty's thread was very useful and interesting. Thanks for reminding me to look at it again. Getting perspectives such as yours is very helpful to a smooth start in portraiture. Thank you..