Portrait of a Happy Couple

Here is a commission piece that I got ready in time for Christmas. Below is the W.I.P. (work in progress). 

Reference Photos plus the W.I.P.

 The woman in this portrait is Brigitte. Brigitte was our postal carrier for the last few years and she is absolutely delightful. She has been moved to a new route and I miss her. Brigitte always had a smile and is a very pleasant person. This is a portrait of her and her significant other, Rudy, that she commissioned as a Christmas gift. I really enjoyed working on this portrait.

The Happy Couple By Ana Tirolese ©2013 Copyright, All Rights Reserved.
8" x 10" -- Graphite on Paper

Brigitte asked me to change her eyes in the original photo so that they were more open, and she also asked me to "comb" Rudy's hair. This is one of the beauties of working on a hand-drawn/painted portrait; you can make these changes for the client. It does not have to be an exact replica of the original photo.  Of course, these days, with Photoshop (or similar software) you can manipulate a photo to how you want it, but it does not have the warmth (in my humble opinion) that a hand-rendered portrait has.

The portrait was professionally and beautifully framed by London Picture Framing and, as always, Vince and company did a wonderful job. If you are from the London, Ontario area and want excellent work at reasonable and fair prices, go see Vince Tedesco and staff at London Picture Framing on Hyde Park Road, just north of Gainsborough Road.  Let them know Ana recommended them... no, I get no kick-back or financial recompense from this recommendation. I just get the satisfaction of promoting a local business and you getting an excellent final product. London Picture Framing is the only place I trust with my artwork.

UPDATE:

[December 23, 2013] Brigitte picked up the portrait from me and she absolutely LOVES it!