Family Picture. watercolors 300lb 11"x14"

So here’s my self-portrait. 11"x 14 Watercolor

It took about four hours to do, so obviously it's a little rough. I'd like to try again, perhaps from a mirror.
I have a passion for painting portraits, faces inspire me and it is always a treat for me to paint portraits of people. But I've never done a self-portrait. I guess I’ve always been intimidated by the idea, and brushed it off as being narcissistic.

"They say—and I am willing to believe it—that it is difficult to know yourself—but it isn’t easy to paint yourself either"
—Vincent van Gogh in a letter to his brother Théo, September 1889

Do you do portraits of people?

Yes, I do.

 I am happy to talk with you about doing a human portrait.

You can see some of my human watercolor portrait work here.

AND oil portrait work here

Prices for unframed oil portraits

To which email address should I send my photographs?

If you have chosen to send your photo(s) by email, please email them to:paintingsbyelenavacha@gmail.com

Can I preview my painting before receiving it?

Yes. Once the painting from your photo is ready, I will contact you to review it online. If you feel that any modifications should be made, I receive your feedback, make the requested modifications and send it back to you for confirmation. Only then is the custom painting is sent to you.

I live in the USA,Ireland,Canada,France,Australia,the UK! Can you deliver to here?

It's possible for me to send you a portrait to pretty much anywhere, as long as you have a delivery address.

USPS will be used to ship your purchases. A tracking number will be provided for each shipment.

Shipping cost will be at the current USPS rates.

The cost will vary upon the size and weight of your painting as well as the location it is being shipped to.

Shipping quotes will be added to your final invoice.

Should you wish to use a faster shipping method please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate you.

That way, even if the work is lost in transit (which has never happened so far!) either a full refund can be issued,

or I can redo the portrait for you at no extra cost.

Do you frame portraits? Can you offer any advice about framing a watercolor portrait?

I don't frame and post portraits due to the high risk of damage to glass involved. 

When you receive your portrait I recommend visiting your local framing shop for mounting and framing the work. 

 Guidelines for Your Framer

Preferred places to hang or store framed objects

What happens if I'm not happy with the portrait?

I always offer a full refund if you're not completely happy with the work.

All I ask is that you return the work to me.

If you've ordered online, I'll refund the amount you paid via PayPal.

If you ordered via the mail and paid by check,

I don't deposit checks until seven days after sending the portraits, and so in these circumstances

I will return the check.

What size of portrait would you recommend for my breed of dog (cat,people)?

What size of portrait would you recommend for my breed of dog (cat,people)?

Can you work to a specific size other than the ones listed? What is the largest possible size?

The answer to this question depends on whether or not you would like a head and shoulders,

a full body portrait, or whether you require a group portrait.

Head and shoulders portraits

Generally any breed of dog (cat) will work on a 11" by 14" for watercolor or oil (canvas)16"x20"

Can you work to a specific size other than the ones listed? What is the largest possible size?

Head and shoulders portraits

How can I take photos of more than two pets, so the lighting is similar enough to use for one portrait?

Yes, since it is nearly impossible to get photos of two critters together without one of them moving, looking the wrong way, etc. It is best to have the same lighting conditions if you want them to look like they are sitting together naturally.

That’s what I did with this portrait of the two dogs.

How can I take photos of more than two pets, so the lighting is similar enough to use for one portrait?One of the challenges of combining pets in a portrait is that the lighting is usually different on each. It helps to have plenty of photos, since I’ll often need to use the pose from one photo,but the lighting from another.If you don’t have suitable photos already, my advice is to take them outside in bright shade(not direct sunlight) and just start shooting as many photos as you can from different angles.Most likely we’ll be able to pick suitable photos from the bunch (if you have a digital camera, this is pain-free, since taking a lot of photos doesn’t cost any more than taking one.).If you can get them to sit in the same spot, facing (roughly) the same direction with respect to the light (it's OK if they are looking different directions, as long as the light is coming from the same angle), we’ll be sure to have something to work with.

Do you accept photos by email? Can I post them to you? What digital format should they be in?

It's possible to send your photos to me in three ways:

1. By email paintingsbyelenavacha@gmail.com

2. By mail as photo prints

3. By mail on CD or memory card

If you are sending your photos by email:

When sending photos via email, please use the "jpg" file format.

Do not send photos in a PDF file format, as it is not possible for me to edit the photo

if I need to crop it for preparation of the portrait.

Ideally the photos should be taken with a digital camera that is of at least 3 megapixels in resolution.

If you are sending a number of photos this way, you may need to send them in two or more emails,

because most email providers allow no more than 10 megs for attachments and

one photo may be approximately 2 megs in size.

Do you work from photos or real life?

I work from photos, since even the best-trained pets have no patience for a portrait sitting!
Sending a variety of photos usually works best, since sometimes I can combine the best from each.
You can email digital photos or scans or snail-mail traditional photos, which I will return with your portrait.

A few words about Flemish technique

A few words about Flemish technique I use for my paintings.

Flemish Technique means different things to different artists and art teachers.

I can only describe how I worked based on what I read and was shown by other artists.

I have dedicated most of my time to studying the 7 layer techniques of  Flemish Masters

(Rubens, Jacob Jordaens,Van Duke, Caspar de,Snyders and others).

Before each new layer the canvas (ideally dried during 1 week)

is carefully wiped with a half of an onion (in order to prepare the dried surface to absorb better)

and then with linseed oil. The technique involves many steps.

It is a complex process.

Pencil or charcoal drawing, ink pen drawing.

1. Imprimatura

2. First umber under painting

3. Second umber underpainting

4. Monochromatic underpainting

5.6. First and second color layers

7. The brightest parts of the image

Using media: Dammar varnish, linseed oil, turpentine or Maroger.

It's my preferred method to create my floral, still life and portrait paintings.

 Some slight variations to the technique are used for the landscape.                                                                                                   Elena Vacha 

How long does a portrait take?

How long does a portrait take? 

How long will it be before I receive the work?

Normally, expect a watercolor portrait to take between three and four days.

If you have a more urgent deadline, sometimes it's possible to complete a portrait quicker.

In these circumstances please contact me and I'll let you know if it's possible. 

What makes for a good photo for you to work from? Do you have any guidelines?

Here's some general guidelines for your photographs

1. Please provide a selection of photographs of your animal 

(about five or six photos is a good number).

2. Whether you choose to order online or via the mail, photos can be emailed or mailed. 

(I always return any photo's that are sent to me).

3. You may wish to suggest a preferred photograph for me to work from, or which photo best reflects the subjects eyes or coat color.

(This information can be written in the "Additional information" box when ordering via the mail, or email me if ordering online).

4. If your pet has died and you only have poor photos please read this FAQ for more information.

Below are some ideal examples of photographs.

 

Ideal example.

Poor photo examples

1.Overhead shots cause the portrait to have a "contorted" feel.

2. The dog is not filling the photo, making it difficult to see the detail of the coat and eyes, etc.