Sittings are simply the activities during which a painter or sculptor gathers information regarding the subject to be portrayed.

The first step in facing a sitting session is to relax. The task of sitting for a portrait can be what our schedules or inclinations allow. For those who would find 'sitting' tedious, getting a portrait done is no longer the onerous, time consuming project it once was. Contemporary portrait artists respect the demanding schedules of their clients and have learned to adapt their own profession to the needs of these clients.

Since the era of the Impressionists, the gathering of reference material has become more 'user friendly'. Still and video cameras are now commonly used, along with sketches, to capture characteristic anatomical and expressive details of a subject quickly and efficiently. These modern reference gathering tools drastically shorten individual sitting times as well as the number of sittings required. Cameras allow the painter more room to experiment and to gather larger amounts of information while respecting client personalities, lifestyles and responsibilities.

Naturally, there are clients who prefer the traditional numerous and lengthy sittings. They see them as part and parcel of the portrait process. This is also fine and not un-modern at all.

General information

Whether subjects are children or adults, the portrait artist will want to observe and gather visual information using sketches as well as photos and/or video clips. Sittings last between one and two hours (sometimes more with children).

Depending on what makes a subject most comfortable, the painter or sculptor may either assign poses or simply recognize the naturalness of the subject's own self-direction.

© Bernard Poulin-2009