Lara Addams: Private Commissions

Prices & Terms

I charge a flat rate for commissioned works: £150 for small (15" x 11"), and £300 for large (22" x 15") drawings from your photos. I produce ordinary portraits too, and have undertaken commissioned drawings of people fully clothed!

If I do not feel I can produce a good drawing from your pictures, I will NOT take-on your commission.

There is no obligation to purchase a finished drawing if you don’t like it, but FOR ALL NEW CLIENTS, I request a non-refundable good will deposit of 10%, payable once we have agreed all the details of your commission, and before I start work.

Discretion and confidentiality assured. Your drawing will not be displayed on this site (or anywhere else) unless you give permission for me to do so.

Please note: I currently discuss commission request in writing only (not by telephone).

Suitability of Photographs

To increase the chances of a successful commission, you need to be able to supply good quality photographs. These should be sharply focused, and well lit. Composition should be good, although minor changes can be made, and the subject should look as comfortable as possible. I can work from prints or emailed scans.
Rather than try to provide hints and tips on taking/selecting a good photograph, I have listed some of the most common problems encountered with photographs. Mouse-over images below for examples of good and bad photographs.

Small images - do not allow an adequate level of detail to be reproduced. If using a digital camera, set it to the highest possible resolution. Use a maximum zoom setting that is “optical” rather than “interpolated”, as the latter will reduce the image sharpness. Try to fill the frame with the subject.
Lens distortion - is caused by wide-angle lenses making objects closest to the camera appear bigger than they really are. Try to use your camera on a zoom setting (focal length equivalent to about 100mm for a 35mm camera), and stand back a little further from the subject.
Cropped body parts - can be added back, but it’s easier for me if I don’t have to do this. Take care not to crop hands, elbows, feet, etc. Aim for either half-length crops (at the waist) or full length. Three-quarter length crops (at the knees) are popular, but I'm not personally keen on them.
Careless poses - can be very unflattering to the subject. Watch for things like lines on necks and stomachs. Make sure hands have something to do, or somewhere natural to rest. Sitting and standing poses are better than lying, particularly flat on the back.
Poor composition - is a very common fault. Try to position shoulders at an angle to the camera. This makes them look narrower. Legs stretched towards the camera appear shorter; avoid such poses. Position the model so as to create “triangles”. For example, with a side-view of a subject sitting on a bed, bend a leg to form a triangle, have the model support her upper body with an outstretched arm behind her to form another triangle, etc.
Use of “flash” - creates hard dark shadows, which can ruin an image. Try to use daylight as much as possible, and supplement this with flash if you need to.
Dark backgrounds - often seen in photos using flash - can envelop the subject making it hard to see their outline. As above, daylight always produces the best results.

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* All drawings on this page appear courtesy of the individuals who have commissioned them.
** Some of the images displayed have been censored.
*** Thanks to JC for modeling for the photographs.

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