Portrait commission information

Avril works primarily from photographs, this avoids the inconvenience and expense associated with long posed sittings. She prefers to
take her own photographs since her needs for composition and lighting are rarely met through commercial studio photography or
personal photography. For posthumous portraits, Avril will work with you to select an appropriate photo reference. A portrait is a
collaboration between artist and patron.

Clothing choice is up to the model however Avril does ask that unless the lighting is exceptional not to wear dark clothing as descriptive
folds, curves and shapes are usually lost. During the first sitting a colour check is done with pastels.

Avril prefers to have sittings using natural light so if the lighting conditions are not optimal a further sitting time may be required.
At the first sitting, size and medium will be discussed and therefore the price. Paintings or drawings are priced without the frame. The
price is based on the following factors, the number of people or pets in the painting; the size of the actual painting itself; the intricacy
of clothing, jewellery and props and the complexity of the background setting.

Commission pricing:

Oil on canvas - $8,000 to $20,000 (eg 1300 x 1800 canvas)

Pastel - $1,500 to $6,000

Charcoal/graphite - $ 1,000 to $5,000

These ranges may appear quite large, but to successfully communicate the personality of the sitter, pieces of relevance to the life of the sitter are encouraged to be included in the image. DIscussing these things gives Avril a chance to get a feel for the sitter and therefore discover how the composition will be.

Framing, shipping and travel expenses for the artist are the responsibility of the client.

You can expect your portrait to be ready two to three months after the sitting if oil, and sooner if it is a drawing.

Contact Avril Thomas for a portait now!