"What does a portrait cost?" Short answer: $3500 and up.

Portrait prices depend on how large and complex the composition is, and thus how long it will take to paint. Naturally, the longer it takes me to paint a picture, the more you'll have to pay for it. Factors that affect price are the number of figures in the painting, whether the background will be simple or complex, and whether there are any props (books, pets, or other items) included in the picture.

If you're interested in having a portrait painted, e-mail me with details of the sort of painting you have in mind, and we'll figure out what it would cost to have me paint it. Estimates are free.

To give you some idea of the cost, I charge $3,500 for a 16 by 20-inch portrait of a single person from the waist up, with a plain background such as you see on the sample above and in most of the portraits below. The same single-figure portrait done in a larger size, such as 24 by 30 inches (large enough to allow a nearly life-size face) would be $5500. Additions to the composition, such as the scenic background in the portrait of Caitlin below, or the violin that Kathleen is holding in her portrait below, take extra time to paint and would add a few hundred more dollars to the cost.

Most portraits nowadays are painted from photographs, and I can turn a favorite photo of yours into an oil painting, but I prefer to take my own photos under carefully controlled conditions. I have painted portraits of deceased persons from black and white photographs of them, when nothing else was available, and I was able to turn them into color portraits using their relatives' descriptions of such details as eye and hair color. Still, the best results come from good color photos taken under correct studio conditions. If you commission me to paint a portrait for you, and you don't have your own photo for me to work from, then the best thing for you to do would be to come to my studio for a photo session. As an alternative, I could travel to your location, at your expense, and take the photos, but I would not have as much control of lighting as I do in my own studio, so it would be best if you came to me. A third option would be for you to have a professional photographer, or at least a competent one, in your own town take a picture for you that I could use to paint your portrait from. Again, e-mail me if you'd like to discuss the possibilities. There is no charge for consultations.

The terms of a portrait are half the fee paid in advance, with the balance due upon completion and delivery of the portrait. The portrait is delivered unframed unless you make special arrangements (and pay extra) to have me frame it for you. The client pays for shipping and insurance. Portraits typically take three to six weeks to complete, depending upon their size, complexity, and my work schedule.

"Caitlin"

"George Clark"

"Don Sr."

"Rachel" 

"Caroline"

"Mary in a White Hat"