Choosing Your Photo
Choosing
the right photo for your pencil portrait is vital.
The quality and clarity of your photo will influence
how much detail I can incorporate in your portrait.
A clear, appropriately lit, and focused photo helps
me create a realistic portrait.
It
can be a challenge to get the perfect picture, especially
with group shots. However, I can help you by taking
people from several different pictures, and combining
them into one pencil portrait. I can also adjust
other elements, such as the background, clothes,
hair, etc. Please let me know about your special
requests.
Photos
can be sent by e-mail or postal mail. Sending by
e-mail expedites the process. However if you wish
to send a photo by mail, I will provide you with
the address. When sending by postal mail, please
only send copies of photos, not the original. All
pictures will be sent back with your pencil portrait.
Please
Note:
Photos
of nudity or violence, and copyrighted photos will
not be accepted. Refusing a portrait on the basis
of the photo is left up solely to the discretion of
the artist, Nicole I. Hamilton.
"A
photograph never grows old. You and I change,
people change all through the months and years
but a photograph always remains the same. How
nice to look at a photograph of mother or father
taken many years ago. You see them as you remember
them. But as people live on, they change completely.
That is why I think a photograph can be kind."
-
Albert Einstein |
How
to choose the best picture for your pencil portrait:
1.
Choose a color or black and white photo where the
face size is at least 3.5"x 3.5", and in
focus.
2.
If possible, never choose a faded, blurry, or grainy
photo.
I
understand with some older photos it may be an unavoidable
issue, especially if it is the only photo of a person,
pet, or object available. I can work with you under
these circumstances, and try to create a portrait.
Keep in mind however, that the size of the portrait
and the detail I am able to draw is dependent on the
quality of the photo.
Here
is an example of a portrait from an older photo, which
was the only photo available. Although it was grainy
and faded, it was scanned at high quality, so I was
able to draw a 9x12 portrait.
3.
Choose a photo that is correctly exposed and has good
contrast. Do not choose a photo where the subject
is "whited out" by the flash or underexposed.
Pictures taken in natural light with good contrast
work best.
4.
Ensure your digital photo is medium to high resolution.
Please scan at at least 150 pixels per inch, and ensure
the JPEG quality is set to high to prevent blurriness
and pixelization.
