Portrait Artist

A portrait artist creates artistic depictions of people in which the subject’s face usually serves as the work’s focal point. Though the range of formats in which portraits can be done is essentially limited only by the artist’s imagination, the most traditional media for this type of artwork include painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. Depending on the vision and intentions of the artist and the subject, portraits may be realistic or highly impressionistic. Often a portrait artist secures work through commissions, which can vary from painting heads of state to sketching tourists in a town square.
With each new piece, the first task of a portrait artist is to decide which format he will use. This decision can be influenced by the intended character of the portrait. For instance, sculpted and painted portraits can sometimes be executed so that they “erase” their subject’s physical flaws, exaggerate his stature, and endow him with an appearance of power or wisdom. Conversely, due to its precise nature, photography can be used to create a highly realistic and unforgiving portrait. These distinctions are not concrete, however, and a skilled portrait artist can manipulate his chosen medium to create a number of moods and effects.