Portraits from photos - recommendations?

[SGray]

And what would I need to provide (for most) as far a photos to work from?

[Equibrit]

You can always tell when a portrait has been done from a photograph as the perspective is all askew. That may not bother you but I hate it !

[SGray]

unfortunately the subject is deceased

[zoehesed]

You would need them to be in focus with good lighting. close enough shot also for details to be seen. A bad picture would be one that is all in shadow so there is little contrast or highlights to make out the details on the horse. :)

[eponastudio]

I can offer some suggestions. I do horse portraits and have to work with all kinds of reference photos. Ideally, I like to take the photos myself but that is not usually possible.Ideally, you want several clear photos from several different angles with good lighting. The more the better! I also like to get photos that may not be the best for a reference photo but that shows "who" the horse is to you. His expression, a certain look in the eye, etc that to you says "THAT's my horse". Does that make sense? Sometimes an artist has to work with not so great ref photos and that is where you have to "fill in the blanks" as it were.. with what you know. The same goes for the distortion made by a camera.. a good artist knows how to correct what the camera can distort by what he/she knows about the subject.

[secretariat]

We have oils of the girls' two horses (separately, without riders) from their early years. We commissioned them from photos, but the artist knew the horses and the situation and had seen them go many times. She wasn't a professional, just a talented local young artist, but they're some of the most precious things we own 20 years later.

[ExJumper]

You can always tell when a portrait has been done from a photograph as the perspective is all askew. That may not bother you but I hate it !

My mare's portrait was done from photos and the perspective was fine. I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about?

The woman who was doing the oil came out and shot a roll of film of the horse. (This was back when people used "rolls of film.") The painting came out exceptionally well.

[BuddyRoo]

I have a friend on another board who does this...in charcoal. They are beautiful. She did one of my dog as a SS gift and it was AWESOME.

She does all of hers from photos.

Here's a link to her gallery
http://spotted.horsecity.com/galleries/index.php?id=3068

This is one she did of my dog:
http://spotted.horsecity.com/photos/index.php?id=268084

From this pic (which I had posted at some point)
http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a183/syoung78/Giais/?action=view&current=2005Nov22006a_filtered.jpg


She's done lots of fellow BB's horses too....really nice work.

ETA: these are photos of the drawings and do not due them justice. They are just lovely.

[WaningMoon]

These are ones I had done from photos. Two of them were very old non digital photos. I think they are lovely. Just had them done this yr by a young woman in the UK. Postage with ins was only $28.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p235/Born2Bloom/pics%20by%20Utlah/LeahandHannah002.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p235/Born2Bloom/pics%20by%20Utlah/LeahandHannah003.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p235/Born2Bloom/pics%20by%20Utlah/LadyandSunshine.jpg

Please remember these are photos I took of the finished product and put on photobucket. The detail in the first two is just amazing. The third pic she didn't have a lot to go on and the pic was 35yrs old and battered.

www.sillyfilly.com

[Jo]

I sent several photos to Debbie Goldring and told her - I want the pose from this picture, but she's more the color of THIS picture, and can you add her face markings from THIS picture... It turned out absolutely perfect and everyone who sees it loves it. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it on this computer... but I HIGHLY recommend her.

http://www.debbiegoldring.com/

[DLee]

If the person taking the photo knows what they are doing (and uses the right lens), the perspective in a photo can be just fine. And a good artist can fix minor problems.
If I didn't paint from photos, I'd never paint!

[MTshowjumper]

I was fortunate enough to win a portrait of my horse in a art raffle several years ago at an event. It was done by Karen Young-

http://www.stillwaterartstudio.com/index.html

She had the show photographer take several pictures of him and she went from there. I let here pick the angle, ect.. although she gave me the choice.

She is selling one of her early practice paintings of him online (Which I was totally fine with). This one is only an 8x10, mine was 20x24. I origionaly asked for a gold background, but after this one she suggested a blue sky background which does look much nicer. Mine came beatifuly framed, and she had a engraved plate with his name put on it (At her own expense since I won this painting remember). She really gave 110%. I love my painting, and I have always thought that if my house was on fire and I could only save one thing that would be it. I would love to have another painted by her someday of my other horses.

Here is the painting she is selling of him-
http://www.stillwaterartstudio.com/equine_jazz.html

[Quinn]

I second the Debbie Goldring recommendation. I had a beautiful portrait done for a fellow Cother and it was done through photos. She is very talented and has the ability to "see" the personality of the horse.

http://community.webshots.com/user/ballyduff