Hand drawn pencil portrait from photo

BLACK AND WHITE PORTRAITS

I create black and white portraits based on your personal photos that you send me by email. Pastel and/or charcoal, pencil and black chalk drawings on white or coloured paper, moderately thick and with a little texture. Pastels come in the form of crayons, powder or colour sticks which are used dry on moderately thick white or coloured paper. The result is somewhere between a drawing and a painting. Natural charcoal is a carbonized piece of willow, sometimes reconstituted and compressed. At the end the drawing is treated with a fixing wash. As with all dry techniques it is best to frame them with glass (preferably anti-reflection) in order to protect and preserve the painting. You could also consider framing your portrait with a mount to enhance the work.

Some of the portraits exhibited on this website are available to purchase. By clicking on this link, you can watch a video of my gallery and atelier in Annecy . To see information on the paintings, hover over the image; to enlarge them, click on the image.

BLACK AND WHITE PORTRAITS
DONE USING
PENCIL, CHARCOAL
OR PASTELS

There is a life in every face, a story in every wrinkle, a feeling in every look,

Why choose a black and white portrait?

In photography, black and white is associated wi th the artistic. In painting, this distinction does not exist, but black and white portraits contain just as much quality and character as black and white photographs. Indeed, using these two colours only helps to focus the eye on the shadows, the contrast, the lines, without being “distracted” by colour. Some realism is lost, but creativity is gained. The intensity of facial expressions is highlighted. Certain details made appealing by colour become insignificant, while others will catch our eye and create new emotions towards the subject of the portrait. Details, textures, reflections, shadows and the subject’s gaze are enhanced. In a black and white portrait, the artist has more freedom of interpretation. However, the same photo can be used as a model for both colour and black and white portraits.

How to order?

If you wish to order a painting, visit the “Advice” and “Prices” pages of this website to inform yourself, and send me an email explaining your commission. It is also possible to ring me or to organise a meeting at my atelier. It will be my pleasure to advise you on format, technique and photographs. We can look at multiple photos and I can give you advice for choosing an appropriate one (in terms of lighting, framing and composition).

If you wish, it is possible to buy the paintings exhibited on this website. To obtain information about these paintings, click on the corresponding images. To inquire about the price, please contact me. The paintings sold are accompanied by a certificate proving their authenticity.