PORTRAITS · STIPPLE INK & OIL
Portraiture is an act of witnessing.
Every portrait is drawn dot by dot from your photographs, over weeks, by hand. The technique is slow on purpose: repetition, attention, and presence are how a likeness becomes a record of someone's inner life, not just their face.
01
Embodied Portrait
A faithful, closely observed portrait of one person, built from a photograph you love or a new sitting. The focus is the face as it is: the set of the eyes, the lines that came from laughing, the particular way they hold their head.
Single subject, from one or more reference photos
Original ink drawing on archival paper
High-resolution scan included for prints and keepsakes
Studio Time
6–8 weeks
Presence and likeness
THREE KINDS OF PORTRAITS
Chosen by what you want the drawing to hold.
02
Inner State Study
A portrait that moves past likeness into feeling. We talk about what you're carrying, what you're moving through, or who you're becoming, and I translate it into symbolic and surreal elements woven through the stipple work.
Begins with a recorded conversation, not just a photo
Symbolic elements developed with you in a sketch phase
Original drawing, scan, and a short written note on the imagery
Emotion and symbol
03
Legacy Portrait
A portrait made from the photographs a family has left, drawn to be lived with. Legacy Portraits often become the cover of a tribute magazine or legacy book, and the original is framed for the family.
Works from old, damaged, or low-resolution photographs
Optional symbolic details: a flower, a hymn line, a place
Pairs with any memorial design format
For someone who has passed
Investment
$800
Studio Time
8–12 weeks
Investment
$1,200
Studio Time
6–12 weeks
Investment
$1,000
Prices are for a single subject at 11 × 14 inches. Additional subjects and larger sizes are quoted after we talk.
Investment
Selected portraits
Recent work.
HOW COMMISSION WORKS
Slow by design. Clear at every step.
01
Conversation
We talk about who the portrait is of and what you want it to hold. Thirty minutes, by phone or in person in Atlanta.
02
Photographs
You send reference photos. For Inner State Studies I'll send a few questions to sit with before we begin.
03
Studio
I share a sketch for approval, then a midpoint photo. Stipple can't be rushed, and I'll tell you where we are.
04
Legacy Portrait
The original, unframed or framed, plus a high-resolution scan. Local hand delivery or insured shipping.
FOR FAMILIES
A portrait for someone you've lost?
Legacy Portraits pair with programs, tribute magazines, and hardcover legacy books. If you're planning a service, start on the memorial page; I can design the program now and draw the portrait afterward.
Who would you like to see clearly?
WORK IN PROGRESS