Sarah Croft Nightingale Art: The Portrait Project

After a week+ of being too sick to paint (the worst!), I'm back at it and The Portrait Project is going strong! Hurray!!! I have a beautiful lineup of portraits to paint this week and next, including this one from yesterday! To everyone who submitted--I'm BLOWN AWAY by your portraits! Every time I get a new submission I just scream "YESSS!!!!" Ahh! They're perfect! Thank you, thank you! I love seeing your beautiful faces!

It is not too late to submit your portrait! I will be taking submissions until the middle of November. If you missed it, see this post on how to become a part of The Portrait Project! Be sure to read it thoroughly. All questions should be answered in that post, but if you have a question, please email me. :)

I've been getting asked what my schedule is for this project, and although the end date is tentative right now--my goal is 50 portraits! YAY! I'm painting Monday-Saturday and typically have four or five portraits scheduled a week, and I'm LOVING it. Maybe I'll write more about my process for these portraits soon. What would you like to read and see in regards to this project? (Answer in comments below!)

Shown above: my palette at the very end of this portrait. I think it's so fun at the end of a painting to look at all the chaotic messes of color on my palette that match the colors in the painting. It feels like a really complex puzzle and takes on much more meaning to me. I always wish I had an endless supply of palettes so I didn't have to "clean" off their beautiful messes and that they could stay with their painting. Also, I found this leaf when I went for a walk after being so sick. It was cheerful to me, in every sense. This year it seemed that the leaves went from green to beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges in just a few days! So it stuck with me in my studio while I painted this cute girl. I can only image was she was looking at while looking out her window into this beautiful world.

If you're checking this blog for PP updates--you're in the right place! I'll be posting here frequently as well as on Instagram (@SarahCNig htingale) and my Facebook Page (Sarah C. N ightingale Ar t.)

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Oil Painting Basics

Become A Part Of The Portrait Project - Photographing Portraits for Art

The Portrait Project has really taken off! I am so grateful for everyone who has supported it in any way. Thank you! Since day one, I’ve been getting many inquiries about how to be involved in this project, so I’ve created this guide to help us all out! Afterall, I can’t paint portraits if I don’t have people to paint! And I want to paint you!

It’s very simple, take a photograph following this guide, submit it via the form on my projects page at SarahCroft.com/Projects, your photo will come right to me, I will send you an email if I choose to paint it, and viola! You have a portrait!! Exciting, right? I think so!

Please note that although I would love to paint every single photo that is submitted, for style consistency in my work, I will only be selecting certain photos that fit the style and essence of the project. If your photo is chosen, I will send you an email the day I begin working on it. The painting will be posted to this blog for you to see upon completion.

! -You must submit your own photos! This is so important, so please be honest. If a professional photographer shot them and you don’t hold all copyrights, I cannot paint them. Please read “Terms and Conditions”. By submitting photos you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

If Your Portrait Is Painted: After I complete your portrait and post it to my blog, you then have the option to buy! All portraits will be painted 1 face/portrait per painting, 8x8in. with premium quality oil paints on Arches Oil Paper. (By submitting photos, you are not obligated to purchase the finished project if I choose to paint, but this could mean that your portrait sells to another buyer.)

Pricing: 1 Portrait $250 | 2+ Portraits $220 each | 4+ Portraits $175 each

As much as I love selfies, please have a friend take photos for you. Or set a timer and stand far away enough from the camera. I think this goes without saying, but make sure your photograph is a portrait of you or your child's human face. No pets for this project. Sorry!

Only high quality photos will be accepted. Photographs should be taken with an SLR or DSLR camera. If you don’t own one or have access to one *some* point and shoot cameras, including phones with cameras will work (ie. iPhone 4S or newer.)

Option A.) Photograph inside near a large window, and make sure that the light is only coming from that window. Turn off all lights inside and close curtains on any other windows besides the one you are using (even ones across the room.) Only photograph from 45 minutes after sunrise until 45 minutes before sunset.

Option B.) Photograph outside. If you choose to shoot outside, be careful of bright, overhead light. Usually this type of poor lighting happens around noon. If the nose and eyes have deep shadows underneath them, wait until the sun begins to fall a little more.

Tip! Most photography guides say that “soft light” is the very best! I agree, but I also love a great contrasting light in my portraits. Between outside and a window, you can get that type of light any time of the “day.” If you photograph a good shadowy/highlighted portrait--it’s likely I’ll be painting your submission.

Examples: The images below are examples of great portraits! Although, there are hundreds of different poses, expressions, lighting situations, etc. that can make a beautiful portraits. See what you come up with! These guides apply when photographing anyone at any age. Not just my beautiful friends.

Any position is great so long as the majority of your face is in the light. Ultimately, It’s up to you!

Just make sure your whole head is in the shot, a little room above, and about midway down your upper arm.

Tip! Whether you are shooting indoors or outdoors, be aware of "strange" shadows on your face that may be caused by blinds, leaves of a tree or anything else. They shouldn't be there.

Don’t show your teeth! A soft smile is always best for paintings of portraits. (However, naturally parted lips show character, and sometimes I love to paint a portrait with naturally parted lips.)

Important! Please don’t wear heavy makeup, especially on the eyes. Any under the eye eye-liner or strong “cat-like” eye-liner I steer clear of when selecting photos to paint. Mascara is a yes, but go bare or light for any other. Also, lipstick is great, as is a hint of blush, but it’s not necessary.

Tip! Watch this great video on “squinching” your eyes! I wouldn’t recommend this look for children, I love to paint their big, bright eyes full of expression, but it is helpful for adults who might feel like a “deer in the headlights” in front of the camera.

Examples: The images below are examples of great photos (Left) and poor photos (Right.) Although the examples show mostly side profile views, this applies to frontal views (like the top right) as well.

-Do not crop your images! I want to see the whole picture, and it allows me to crop images for paintings with consistency. Also, please do not edit your photos in any way.

-If you have multiple photos to submit, please submit them separately. That way it is easier to communicate which one will be painted if it is chosen.

-Please do not submit more that 4 photos per person that is photographed. Choose the best! (If you are submitting photos of your children, just 4 per child will do.)

IMPORTANT! -I'm mentioning this again because it's so important. You must submit your own photos! This is so important, so please be honest. If a professional photographer shot them and you don’t hold all copyrights, I cannot paint them. Please read “Terms and Conditions”. By submitting photos you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

-Files should be original or large size and submitted as a Jpeg, or TIFF.

Click here, enter your information, upload your photos, and you’re done! I am so excited to see what great images you submit!

I can't wait to paint you! If you have questions, please contact me. Thanks for being a part of The Portrait Project!

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For more reading on this subject, see this post about capturing great photo reference for paintings!

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The Portrait Project

The Portrait Project: Three + Four

I don't know what it is about setting a goal, a solid goal, to create something whole every day, but it seems to be so incredibly inspiring the moment I do. The Portrait Project is very time consuming, as you could imagine, but there's a drive behind my work right now that is unmatched to any other project of mine. I think the drive comes from a specific desire to learn and an equal desire to grow. After all, that is exactly why I started this project, to learn and to grow; to learn more about portraiture, and to take my technique and abilities to a new level. And of course, to share my art with you and capture you in paint!! Portraiture has always been my great love when it comes to making art, and I could guess that it forever will be.

Highlighted in this post are paintings from day three and four. Day three (shown directly above) is a portrait I have been wanting to do since December. I shot the reference for it out under a large tree just before the sun dipped below the horizon. You know, that moment just after the golden hour has passed when the light turns brilliantly cold, and then it's dark in an instance? That was this hour, and it was beautiful. Additionally, this sweet girl couldn't have had a more harmonieous expression. She was a great model!

Day four (shown above) is of my niece at nine months old. I wanted to capture the innocence and the quick cheerfulness of her. I debated for a long time to paint this one or one of her in full grin, but I love the anticipation for the viewer of this. It's almost if you smiled at her as she is painted here, her face will light up and she'll smile hugely back at you. I'm not sure, what do you think?

Sometime next week I will be posting about how you can be involved in this project! I want to paint you and your loved ones! I want to capture you with paint. Stay tuned! You can sign up for blog updates to the right under "Subscribe" if you want to be one of the first to know! Or, as always, follow me on Instagram or Facebook (links are also to the right.) Thanks for following along. :)