Commission a Portrait, getting Ready for the Commission: Choosing Between Oil and Pastel Portraits

When beginning the commission process, there are a number of decisions the art buyer must consider. One of the first is the medium. Sometimes a family will have the tradition of pastel children's portraits, having themselves been painted in pastel and their parents as well, and wonder whether to switch to oil. It feels like a big decision and they are uncertain. Sometimes they really cannot discern the difference between the mediums. Here are my thoughts, after having been working with families for over 15 years.

Key points to consider:

1. Care: If you are meticulous about taking care of things, a pastel will be a good choice. Pastels really need to be kept away from humidity. They also need to be kept from bright light or they made fade. In addition they are more fragile, as they are framed in glass and are created on paper.

Having said that, Mary Cassatt's (1844-1926) pastels are legendary and have survived a hundred years. When I visited the Louvre I saw amazing pastels by Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1704-1788) and the Jean Chardin.(1699-1779) There is something in the fragile nature of pastels that is extremely compelling as well! They are endearing and treasured—— but must be cared for as well.

2. Style of portrait: pastels are generally a vignette and slightly more sketchy in appearance. You'll see in oil portrait below, how I was able to recreate the "vignette" feel by painting on a toned canvas. I did this to match the look of pastels of family members from prior generations.

3. Cost: Generally framing will be higher for a pastel, so the price will be about the same for a framed pastel vs a framed oil.

Here are a few samples of my work in these mediums below. You can click the links below the images to go to my website for more samples of these types of works.


Oil Portrait: Maisie



www.soniahale.com


Pastel Portrait: Bonnie




www.soniahale.com


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Commission a Portrait...Full Length Girl's Oil Portrait unveiled for family in the South

Katie Blair
28" x 40"
oil on linen

It was a joy to work on this painting of this little Southern Beauty. Capturing her charm in her dear gesture was my goal. Her parents were extremely pleased and I was very happy to be entrusted to paint their daughter. Photo supplied by the ever-talented Elizabeth Dondis of New Orleans.

Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Small Paintings from Life in Kennebunkport, Maine

Here are my paintings from last summer, which I'm finally posting. They were painted from life in the early hours of morning, my favorite time to paint outdoors. They were painted on board which is a departure from my usual custom and I enjoyed the challenge of capturing these little scenes quickly on the spot. Please click the titles (which link to my website) to learn more about these paintings.

Coastal Beauty
8 x 10
Oil on board
Please click title for more information.

Goose Rocks Beach Morning
9 x 12
Oil on board
Please click title for more information.

Lords Point Road Coastal
8 x 10
Oil on board
Please click title for more information.

Kennebunkport Coast
8 x 10
Oil on board
Please click title for more information.

Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Commission a Portrait: Full Length Commission Nearly Complete: Children's portraiture

I'll be posting my latest commission in the next few weeks. As it is a surprise, I'll hold off on any progress photos for now.

This full length girl's custom oil portrait will be a 50th Birthday gift to a husband in the South. It is exciting to consider the unveiling in a few weeks.


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Portraiture Artists: Looking back to Connie Pratt pastel workshop on Cape Cod

That is me, second from the left.

It's always fun to look back and remember some of the fantastic workshops I was able to attend, as I was learning about fine art portraiture! Here is a photograph taken by Connie Pratt (Constance Flavell Pratt). Connie was an excellent teacher who gave a demo in the am the first Monday of the weeklong workshop, and then let us learn by painting all day, every day for the rest of the week. There was a new model each day and we spent the entire day painting (in pastel) each one!

I learned so much from the time at the easel and with her fine critiques. When you are really trying to make progress you take all critiques with the intention of improving.

Connie taught me some very subtle things about pastel and I'll always be grateful to her for that.

When I saw her last, with her lovely sister Jane, Jane said they'd agreed I was her best student, which was very kind of them.


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Christmas Secrets— Shh...commission

One of the more rewarding aspects to my work is working on Christmas Secrets... Santa's workshop gets quite busy this time of the year, as these paintings are under time contraints to be put carefully bundled and put on the sleigh. In the past I've painted portraits of children, both group and individual portraits for the gift giver. Children love to be in on secrets like this and pose for photos and maybe a quick sketch— and other times a really good digital photos is all I need.

This year I am painting a surprise painting for Christmas for a family in the Boston area. To make it easier on the person who commissioned this painting, I will have it framed and varnished, so all he will need to do is to wrap it up and put it under the tree...


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Best Luxury gifts for her, Luxury Gifts for Men who have everything, Great Birthday Gifts: Commission a portrait

One of the most exciting parts of my job is working with clients for special occasion gifts such a birthdays, anniversaries and weddings.

Married clients may choose to have their wife painted or their children. I've painted many woman for their birthday gifts and many children for anniversary gifts.

Engaged couples may choose a special place that is meaningful to have painted for a wedding gift.

Children might ask for a special place to be painted for their parents or to have their parents painted.

It is a great honor to me to be asked to paint for these occasions and always joyous to hear how happy the recipient is.

I have gift certificates available if you'd like for the recipient to be in on the decision-making for the painting.


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.