How to decide which images to use?
Below are the requirements for size and quality of images captured by any device, which are necessary for successful detailed portrait creation.
Resolution of the image
To achieve a good quality portrait, starts with good quality photos we recommend that you provide images captured by a camera at a high enough resolution however most times they are downloaded from the internet & social medias.
To keep this guide short, we suggest all images to be zoomed in at 100% so you can view all the details you want in the final portrait are visibly clear & without pixelation & distortion. If the images have been compressed for online use it could be at too low of resolution making it extremely difficult for artists to extract enough details to create a decent looking portrait.
Focus and sharpness.
Make sure the image is clear and there are no blurred areas. Some blurred image can be sharpened within photoshop however its likely to distort important details of the face that's needed for a polished looking portrait.
Collages of images
Uploading multiple photos inside one collage does not count as 1 image. Digital portraits with multiple images are charged extra per image & not per subject, the reason for this is because of the time required to getting those images colour corrected and looking as natural as possible.
Please don't upload collages thinking it will save you money, it's going to take more time to complete as an invoice will need to be emailed and paid for before work begins.
Watermarked Images
Watermarked images or copywrite images will not be accepted. If we suspect copyrighted images and you're unable to provide proof of being the legal owner or permission from the owner for use, for legal reasons we reserve the right to refund the order & to halt any further work.
Good lighting
Having multiple images that have different types of light sources can create an issue in making a portrait look natural. What we look for when creating portraits with multiple images is how we can make the portrait look as if the photo was taken in 1 shot.
While sometimes certain tricks done in photoshop can alleviate some lighting issues it's worth been mindful when picking images for your portrait.
Portrait Pencil Drawing - Photo reference guide & tips
Just about everything that makes a great pencil portrait drawing is a good photo reference or multiple references. We suggest choosing photos that best display subjects personality & features. Something unique, quirky or even cheesy create brilliant pencil drawn portraits.
Multiple Images
Multiple references are great also we can combine photos to create group drawings of multiple subjects, however, we suggest being mindful when doing this best method is to find images that have similar perspectives and lighting. (It looks kind of odd, somewhat disjointed if they don't match up)
Removing details, adding details
During the process of the drawing, we can also remove or add certain details you may wish to take out of the photo, or something added or changed. (Remove necklace, add a different background, remove leashes on pets etc) Make sure you describe what you would like done in the brief so we can best decide how to use the photos supplied. Again, be mindful of perspectives and lighting.
Digital Proofing
We can and do apply photo corrections and edit photos using Photoshop and other drawing applications to achieve an overall better result come time to draw. When ordering the detailed portrait drawing you will receive a digital proof of how your drawings will look like regarding lighting, shading, and composition.
We find doing a digital proof and correct things with you during earlier stages rather than during drawing or after drawing process. Drawing on paper and erasing with many changes will damage the fibers of the paper which neither I nor you would like. That's why we like to start digital then finish with a handmade pencil drawing.
Rather us check the images.
Your satisfaction is important to us if any of this confuses you? or unsure of the photo's quality contact us, we'll check them out and help you choose before you even commit to an order.
