Portraits are available in a few different mediums: Charcoal, Graphite Pencil, Colored Pencil, Pastel, ScratchBoard, Acrylic and Oil paints and are priced not only by details but accordingly by media and size. Source material is also a factor, whether images are supplied, subjects are to be photographed by Bret or the work is done in live sessions, and another consideration is any travel expenses incurred by the artist to create said work if need to be done on location. Charcoal being the least expensive and Oil painting being the most, prices are also affected by the elements incoporated such as clothing, jewelry, and backgrounds to name a few. I"m sure this all seems like allot but many of these things are never thought about by people who want to know a price.
A Bust or Head shot is basically head, neck and shoulders, for instance look at money, that's a bust of Washington on a dollar bill. A 1/3 shot usually runs down to the navel of most figures, 1/2 usually down to the abdomen and includes the hands, 3/4 to the knees and full is head to toe. For every detail like a pair of hands is equal to doing another facial portrait in terms of time and details which will increase the cost of the work, like multiple figures or busts.
Based on the medium, the size of the work and and a minimum of labor without a deadline, Charcoals and Graphites would start at $500 for an 11" x14" bust shot. Color Pencil & Pastels would start at $1,000 for an 11" x 14" bust shot.
A 16" x20" bust shot in Acrylic would start at $1,200 for black and white, $1,500 for color. A 16" x 20" Oil painting of a bust shot would start at $2,000 for either black & white or color.
Reccomended Stock sizes that are kept on hand for Charcoals: 9" x 12" and 11"x 14", for all Pencils: 9" x12", 11" x 14" and 16" x 20", for Pastels: 9" x 12", 11" x 14". . .
For Paintings either Portrait Grade Canvas or Belgian Linen, the latter being preferred, 11" x 14" for single bust only, 16" x 20", 18" x24", 22" x 28" & 24" x 30" are kept on hand, much larger sizes areeasily attainable.
Materials: All illustrative works are done on Archival quality acid free stock, generally Museum Board. Pastels are done on Archival quality Canson, Ampersand Pastel Board or Wallace Pastel stock. Scratch Boards are done on Ampersands Museum series Scratchbord. All paintings are done on either Portrait quality canvas or Belgium Linen, both are finely woven Archival quality products great for achieving the finest details.
The Pigments used were chosen as much for their lightfastness as well as performance over time through a great deal of experimentation. For instance the Oil paints used are either Windsor Newtons Alkyds, as fast drying oil paint which gives the ability of blending like traditional oils but dries almost like acrylics and is dry to the touch within a day or two. Or Talens Van Gogh H 2 Oils which are a water soluable oil paint which has all the properties of traditional oils without being subjected to all the combustible thinners necessary to work let alone the fumes of such thinners. Even the colored pencils used endured the same experimentation and were chosen for the quality of the leads, as some of the most exspensive brand names couldn't survive a hand sharpener. Basically all the materials employed are designed to keep the finished product holding up for the next few centuries.
