The process of painting a posthumous portrait is a little different, but it can result in a very special, meaningful remembrance. One of our artists and sales associate, Kelly Moffatt, recently completed and delivered a posthumous portrait to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama.
It was a very interesting project because the Institute wanted to depict the subject, Mr. Coultas Dodsworth Pears, as he looked in the 1970s. They had a black and white head and shoulders photo that showed the face as they wanted it to be depicted in the portrait. They also had a full length photograph from a couple of decades later that showed the pose they liked.
It’s normal for artists to be given photographs to use for posthumous portraits, but in this case, there were significant differences in the images, making it difficult to combine them into an overall composition.
Rising to the challenge, our artist Michele Rushworthused a model with similar build, had him wear similar attire and recreated similar lighting.
By talking with the client and the subject’s family, the artist was able to gather more details about eye color, jewelry, etc. to make the portrait as true to life as possible. Other portraits that Rushworth has painted in the past also served as inspiration for the background.
Once ready to start painting, Rushworth did a preliminary 8"x10” oil sketch as a study, to see how everything came together in the overall composition. That went to the client and the subject’s daughter for approval. After review, the artist moved on to a full size canvas.
While it was an interesting and challenging process, everyone at Portraits, Inc. and those at theSouthern Research Institute are very pleased with the final portrait.
Completed Portrait
Portraits, Inc. was founded in 1942 in New York on Park Avenue. Over its 70-year history, Portraits, Inc. has carefully assembled a select group of the world’s foremost portrait artists offering a range of styles and prices. Recognized as the industry leader, Portraits, Inc. provides expert guidance for discerning clients interested in commissioning fine art portraits.
