Bridal Portraits

To give you a taste of some of my latest work, 

I wanted to share some of the bridal portraits that have been commissioned. 

 "Sarah"

If you have been following my blog, you have seen this one before. This is my wife Sarah and still one of my favorite portraits I have finished to date. The elegance of a wedding gown reminds me of the great portraits of the past, when the patron who was to be painted would always be dressed in their absolute finest attire.

"Abby"

This portrait was fun to work on for a few reasons. One, Abby is the wife of one of my childhood friends and I got to be part of their wedding party. I also allowed myself some more freedom to be a little bit loose and expressive which usually makes for a nicer final piece. I love the detail of the lace on her dress. 

When working on a portrait, of any kind, I first create some sketches in charcoal. The charcoal drawings offer my clients an opportunity to review some different options in terms of pose, composition, and background. 

Once a sketch has been selected, I transpose the drawing to a larger canvas and begin to block in larger shapes of color.

I then begin adding details and working in a wider range of values.

Soon, it begins to actually look like something is actually going on here.

Finally the portrait is finished. All the details in her hands, face, dress, and surrounding have been addressed.

"Brooke"

This was another especially fun painting to work on. I love when I have a client who trusts me and gives me the freedom to just paint what I think will look beautiful. Brooke was a great model. She and her family loved the vision that I had for her portrait and I think it turned out pretty well.

(Side Note) I always find it sweet how the holiday season seems to be when friends get engaged. If you have a loved one planning a wedding, consider a portrait as an incredible gift that will last a lifetime and offer a young (or older) couple a beautiful reminder of such a precious time.