Portrait painter, Mark Fennell, shares his best practices for capturing children in oils, working from photographic references
When creating portraits of children, photography can offer numerous advantages over having the child sit for extended periods. Notably, young children don’t have the patience or attention span to remain still for an extended period, making it challenging to capture their likeness accurately. Using photographs also helps minimise any discomfort or anxiety that the young subject may feel during a traditional portrait sitting, while providing a stress-free experience for both the artist and the child.
A young seven-year-old girl once sat for me and her mother brought the child’s best friend along to keep her company. I played them music that they liked, gave them sweets and tried to keep them amused. I succeeded in keeping them seated in my studio for a couple of hours while I painted but it was a real challenge as they didn’t stop giggling and chatting to each other.
Incorporating photography into the portrait painting process allows me to capture genuine moments and expressions that may be missed when a child is asked to pose for an extended period of time. It also provides the opportunity to work on the portrait at my own pace without worrying about meeting a child’s short attention span.
The disadvantages of using photography
While photography can be a very useful tool for capturing intricate details and poses in portrait painting, there are several disadvantages to relying solely on photographs. One major disadvantage is the risk of losing the subtle nuances and depth that can only be captured through direct observation. Photos also tend to flatten out the image, making colours appear garish or unnatural. Additionally, photos often don’t accurately capture skin tones and textures. Therefore I always take my own photographs and adjust the hue and saturation with photo-editing software on my computer.
When using photography in portrait painting, artists may also miss out on the opportunity truly to understand their subject on a personal level, as interacting with the individual can provide valuable insights into their personality that cannot be gleaned from a photograph alone. Therefore, while photography can be a helpful tool in the portrait painting process, it’s necessary to supplement it with direct observation and interaction with the sitter to create a more authentic and lifelike portrait.
