Oil painting

[Bryan Morgan]

This is my first attempt at a finished portrait in oil. I have been drawing people since I was 9 and always loved the complexity of the human face. I am now 28 and I want to make art my full time career. What are your opinions in this big step. Do I currently have the skills necassary to start a career as a portrait artist or do I need more time to define my style and realism.

[Bryan Morgan]

Close up of painting

[Lon Haverly]

I don't know of a single artist who became professional after his first oil painting! Karin Wells wrote an article here which I cannot find anymore, entitled "So you want to be a professional!" It said quite plainly that if you want to become a professional, you will need to dedicate months and perhaps years of daily painting and serious study to become proficient enough to market your work seriously.

You have a very good start. Keep it up. Let me suggest that you study the palettes of the masters and even of those who have posted their palette remarks here. You will, as I have, learn a great deal.

[Mike McCarty]

I wish someone had told me this: Ask yourself what percentage of your painting deals with "portraiture"? I spent so much time painting these seductive little scenes, and although there was benefit in putting paint on the canvas, I learned very little about the task at hand. A portrait painter will be judged (mostly) on his ability to paint 1) a likeness 2) skin tones, 3) hair, and then down the list. For the most part what is left is landscape. My recommendation would be to choose projects which reduce the landscape and increase the percentage of those items which are most important. Best of luck, don't stop.

[Lon Haverly]

Here is the post I referred to above.

http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...=&threadid=345

[Bryan Morgan]

I appreciate the advice that all of you gave, it definitely gives me something to think about. Actually when I said my "first attempt at a finished oil painting" I meant that its the first painting that I've used both people and objects together. I've painted over a dozen individual portraits using photographs as my source but only the person, no objects. I'm taking this next year and preparing a portfolio of completed works, probably 10 - 12 pieces that I'm really proud of.

I've completed 2 this year and now in the process of painting my third. It takes me about a month working at it part time, an hour each day during the week and 3 hours on the weekend. My plan for the year is that when I get out of the Coast Guard is to have about 20 quality paintings in my portfolio. I have a markting plan, but would like some advice as to if it's workable. I'm planning on designing and printing about 5000 color brochures to send to print shops and to Interior decoraters to advertise prints of my work. I will also take the portraits that I've completed over the past year and use those to market myself as a portrait artist. I don't want to limit myself as an artist. I want to paint landscapes and create my own art for duplication as prints. I figure if I have more than one venue I have less chances of failing in a career as an artist. It's a little intimidating branching off from the security of the military to start a new career as an artist especially when you have a family to support, but I have confindence that I can make it. Again thanks for the advice and I look forward to any additional comments that you have to help me along.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Bryan,

Please post your questions re your marketing plan in the Business, Marketing and PR section of the forum.

You probably would have benefited from attending the recent Portrait Society of America conference in Philadelphia. However, there is another conference coming up in New York, sponsored by American Society of Portrait Artists. It's next month.

You might want to consider posting some of your other portraits for critique. Also, please do check out Karin Well's post "So you wanna be a pro?".