Process & Prices

 How to Commission a Portrait
Planning & Creating Your Portrait

 Use Your Own Photos -- 

 If you already have photos you wish to use for the Portrait send them ahead for evaluation.  We can work from a favorite photo (or combination of photos) if there is enough clarity to see sufficient detail.  

Please send us a copy of the photos (by post or e-mail) & we'll discuss them with you & give our recommendations. Once the details are decided upon & the deposit (50%) is received, we begin working on the composition.  Before shipping the finished artwork, we first send you photos of it for your comments & make any additional changes requested.  When you are happy with the finished work, we ship it to you with our receipt of the balance. All of your photos will be returned to you.

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PROCESS & PRICES
  We can work from a favorite photo (or combination of photos) if there is enough information to work with.  We have had great success doing portraits and paintings this way, especially with Charcoal and Sepia drawings, and smaller sized pastels and oils, which are easily shipped.  

Send a copy of the photos, or email them to us to look at -- we'll call you with our recommendations. When the portrait is completed, we send you a photo of the work for your comments and make any additional changes before shipping it. All of your photos will be returned to you.

 

Genevieve - 30 x 24
 

  
We Photograph You --

A photography session is the ideal way for the us to get acquainted with the subjects.                        

Mick's experience as a professional photographer (over 30 years) gives him an intuitive edge for capturing the expression as it occurs, especially with children. As a portrait artist, he also has in mind at all times what would make a good portrait. 

The camera is used to record a variety of poses & expressions to choose from, & other details for the portrait.  We prefer natural light (no flash) in a setting where the subjects are comfortable & can be themselves -- children are most at ease in a familiar environment.  We can come to your home, or if you are  vacationing near Blue Ridge, GA, we can photograph you here at one of the many scenic locations.

The photo session usually lasts an hour or more, taking breaks as needed.  We review the photos with you to help choose the best pose, expression, & other details of the portrait.

 

 

 
Photography Fee --
$295  **
 
 
Additional Subjects-- $45 each  
** With Purchase of a Portrait;
     Fees May Be Subject to change
 
You receive a copy of your photos, & later will receive a CD of the negatives when the portrait is finished, with our permission to reprint them. We have enjoyed seeing these photos appear in Christmas cards, family albums, & yearbooks; framed up on walls & desktops, under refrigerator magnets, & even printed on mouse pads! 
This fee also includes the cost of reprints & enlargements & time spent reviewing & cataloguing the photos. 
There may be travel fees for distances over 100 miles, or if hotel & airfare are required. 

 



16 x 12

  
Portrait Procedure
At our initial meeting (which can be by phone) we discuss your ideas & goals for the portrait, & decide what size & medium it should be; the number of subjects, the setting, & other details. We then set up a time & location for the photography session with the subject/s.
After the photos are developed, we review them with you & note your preferences.
We use these photos to create sketches & compositions for you to choose from (this can be done by mail, or by the miracle of the Internet).
Any changes & additions to the composition can be made at this time. When you approve the final composition, a delivery date is estimated (based on our work schedule at the time), & work on the painting can begin.
The portrait is painted at the studio without the subject, working from the photos, sketches & color studies. When the portrait is almost completed, we send photos of it ahead for your consideration. Your impressions & comments are encouraged at this time, to ensure your complete satisfaction with the portrait.

A final sitting is not necessary, but when possible, we like to see the subject for finishing touches when we deliver the portrait.

NOTE: A 1/3 deposit is due at the photography session. The balance is due when the finished artwork is delivered.
 

 
    PORTRAIT PRICES
 *Pricing is for one person
 Additional Subjects 20% Off Price of 1st Subject
    CHARCOAL    
20 x 16  

a traditional Black & White drawing in charcoal and graphite on white illustration board. 
 

8 x 10 ~ $ 95
11 x 14 ~ $ 150
16 x 20 ~ $ 350
 

Larger Sizes Available for 3/4 and full length portraits
 (up to 30 inch x 40 inch)

    SEPIA    

Elizabeth & Mary Roth - 24 x 18

  

a classic drawing using sepia-tone pastel on white illustration board.  Blue or green may be added to indicate eye color.  

 8 x 10 ~ $ 150
11 x 14 ~ $ 250
16 x 20 ~ $ 495
 

Larger Sizes Available for 3/4 and full length portraits
 (up to 30 inch x 40 inch)

 
    PASTEL ON PAPER    

 

a full color pastel painting on textured, heavy-wt. art paper made especially for use with pastels. The background is simple and understated, with muted colors to enhance the portrait. 
 

Prices Starting at $350. (Head & Shoulders, size 11 x 14)

Larger Sizes Available

 
PASTEL ON ART PANEL...

Anna - 24 x 18

Justin 2003 - 24 x 20

    

A full color pastel painting on custom-made hardboard panel. Mick Brown combines his skill as a portrait artist & impressionist painter to portray the figure in a rich, environmental background. The work is created in several stages, beginning with a watercolor layout on a gessoed, marble dust surface, and worked into with soft pastels. This layering process achieves a more varied range of detail and surface texture than is possible on the paper. The panel is highly archival & made especially for use with pastels, making it possible to do crisp detail in the clothing or background, and also to blend the edges for a soft, painterly effect.

Paintings include Impressionistic or "Old Masters" style Backgrounds – Highly detailed background scenery is an additional 20% (of price of first subject)


Prices Starting at $500. (Head & Shoulders, size 11 x 14)
 

     3/4 Figure starting at $1250 (size 20 x 24)

Larger Sizes Available 18 x 24 and up
    Full Length starting at $3500 (size 36 x 24)

Also available as sizes 40 x 30 and 48 x 36


    ABOUT PASTELS

The Middleton Children - 40 x 30

 Pastel is the most pure & permanent of all art mediums.  Its delicate appearance and versatility make it ideally suited for portraits.  Pastel consists of pure, finely ground pigment mixed with a binder and shaped into crayons.  It is applied directly to a textured surface which holds it in place.  The individual grains of pastel reflect the light, giving the paintings a luminous quality unique to this medium.
With proper care & framing, they do not fade & will last hundreds of years!  A portrait painted in pastel will become a cherished family heirloom for generations to come.
ABOUT OILS

12 x 16

Oils have been favored traditionally as they allow the texture of the brush stroke to enhance form.  They take longer than pastels to do due to drying time and the process of layering. 

 

Color study Starting at $500

 
PAINTINGS 
Homes, Cars, Boats,  Landscapes, Florals, etc

We do commissioned artwork by special request-- of homes, cars, boats, informal paintings of the family relaxing or at play, beach scenes, still life, florals-- you name it! -- in Pastel, Oils, Acrylics, Watercolor, Charcoal. We also do paintings for fun and will occasionally offer them for sale on this site. Prices Estimated.
 


Also Available
Murals, Sculpture -- clay or cold-cast bronze likenesses of people & animals-- bust and full body

Art Restoration