Pastel or Oil Portraits
—Pastels need to be kept from humidity and bright light and are inherently more fragile, as they are framed by glass.
—They can have a more sketchy “vignette” look, but the quality of strokes and colors can really really lovely, so it is a matter of taste.
—The price of a pastel may be equal to that of an oil with the additional cost for matting and glass in framing. Framing is much more labor intensive.
—If you are undecided, I would recommend oil on fine linen. If you love the look of pastels, by all means choose that medium, especially for a young child.
To learn more about commissioning a portrait or to see if I have room on my 2016 portrait commission list, please contact me here.