A few years ago, a friend (who became one after buying art from me) and another friend of his commissioned me to do a wedding portrait as a gift for a couple they knew who where getting married. They asked me to do very specific things in the picture. They wanted classical ruins, a red roofed castle, specific clothing and all 5 of the couples cats...oh and a dragon. Well, this was a large canvas (30 x 40 I think) but that was still a lot to cram into one picture and not make it look bad. I also had to work from photos of the people who I had never meet. Photos taken secretly as this was a surprise gift. In the end I think it came out well all things considered and the couple reportedly loved it.
On a side note, when I finished it, the people who commissioned it asked for one change. They thought the woman looked pregnant (not a lot, just a little). So I slimmed her tummy just a small bit and everything was good...but then it turned out, she WAS pregnant! Commissions are hard, some ask for to specific a picture and I can't work well, others give me no guidance, which is also hard to work with.
I have done equally overstuffed wedding pictures. Maybe I'll find the one I did of the costumed pair in the overdone cathedral and post that. It's in my archives somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI spy a little bit of Maxfield Parrish in the upper left corner, rocks under the castle.
I like the little butterfly :)
ReplyDeletePyra, you know I love Parrish, so yes something of him came through in the mountains.
ReplyDeleteRyan, of course you like the smallest detail...it was there to give the one cat something to watch.
Wow ... that is quite a challenge!
ReplyDeleteMost of my stories are written for people. And the requests are sometimes "overstuffed" like this one (which are actually kind of fun because they're challenging). The worst are those without anything to go on, like "something about so-and-so." Because, dang, I could come up with that challenge for myself!
I think this particular challenge came out well. The details they requested are not overpowering. I missed the little butterfly at first, though. :)