Other Portraits & Copies

In addition to a traditional oil portrait, Carl offers several other types of portraits as well as copies of paintings. As an expert in each, he will collaborate with you taking into consideration your preferences, time frame, and budget. Shown below are classic portrait drawings, expressive alla prima, group and posthumous portraits and painting copies. Some images are details, click to enlarge.

As the great french academician, Jean Dominique Ingres once said, “Drawing is the probity of art.”  Learning to see shape and edge definition with accuracy, and having fluency in seeing value relationships (the relative degree of dark or light in a visual field) in their just relationship to one another is the linchpin of successful characterization in portraiture. It is also a separate language in itself. Stripped of color and the technical aspects requisite in oil paint, a simple drawing can satisfy in ways that full blown portraits in oil cannot.

Alla prima is a method of painting in which pigments are laid on a canvas in a single application or "at once" instead of being built up by separate repeated sessions. To execute this method well requires great precision combined with energy of execution - a tall order. But an alla prima portrait can be an exciting alternative to a larger, more finished and highly nuanced portrait, and require less time on the part of the sitter and the artist.

To successfully characterize the group dynamic is an especially exciting endeavor.
Whether it be a family or partners in a business, suggesting the relationships between those depicted
is an important function of this genre.

Posthumous portraits, or those painted from photographs provided by the client, can be straightforward or require a more intensive, studied approach. Suitable photo/video reference with a good light effect must first be identified, and conversations with family members, colleagues or friends are desirable to learn about the subject’s personality. Oftentimes, a family member with similar complexion can pose for flesh tones, or for the posing of hands, etc.

An artist’s early training often involves the copying of Old Master drawings and paintings. Carl has studied and copied numerous paintings in museums throughout Europe and the US. Today, he occasionally accepts commissions to make copies of treasured family ancestral portraits, paintings, or a favorite work in a museum.

Carl J. Samson is highly skilled in all these types of portraiture as well as in making copies of paintings. 
For information on commissioning a portrait, please read the Frequently Asked Questions.
For additional questions or to enlist Carl's services, contact us here.      
Carl accepts a limited number of commissions each year.