Friday, April 22, 2011

Photography Props for the Baby Portrait

Photography Props for the Baby Photographer
I just made a collection of photo props made by talented artists to make any baby portrait photographer look like a genius! Add instant POP to your portfolio.
I dare you to take a bad picture of a baby in this.
These are handmade and guaranteed to take your portfolio to a whole new level.
Visit my Etsy to see the whole collection by clicking HERE

Monday, April 11, 2011

Kate’s Frequently Asked Portrait Questions

1)      Does my child/pet have to hold a pose for long?

Answer: Not at all!  I will work off of photographs.  If I am able to meet the subject in person, I will bring along my camera and snap a few pictures for reference.  I am a professional photographer as well and have a few tricks up my sleeve to get good shots out of even the wiggliest of subjects. 

2)      Can you make me an extra print of my portrait?

Answer: Absolutely.  I always make a digital image of every portrait I draw or paint.  This allows me to have a high quality giclee printer reproduce your portrait on archival watercolor paper.  The giclee printing process is so advanced that the reproduction is almost identical to the original.  8x10 prints are $40 and 11x14’s are $55.  They come matted just like your original and make great gifts.

3)      Did you go to art school?

Answer: No, I am self-taught aside from art classes I took in high school.  I would love to take some additional courses in the future. I do spend a lot of time on art blogs and watching documentaries and tutorials to improve my creativity and technique.   As long as I live I want to keep learning about art.

4)      How can I get a good photograph to you if I’m not in your area?

Answer: Read my blog for tips on getting great pictures of the subject and email them to me! Click HERE for pet photography tips and HERE for people portrait photography tips.  Generally speaking, the best pictures are taken outdoors in the shade or at least close to a window with lots of natural light.  Please email me the largest picture file size that you can, do not condense or make it smaller.  Smaller file sizes mean less detail and poor quality.  

5)      How long does it take you to draw a portrait?   

Answer: This depends on the subject, size, medium and my creativity level and mood.  I invest a minimum of 3 to 6 hours in most portraits.  It takes a tremendous amount of time to draw in the tiny details that I like to add to make each portrait as realistic as possible.  It also takes patience to go slow, but you can’t erase charcoal or pastels so I take my time to get it right!  Turnaround time from when you provide me with acceptable photos to draw to completion of your portrait varies with my current workload but is generally one or two weeks.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Google Checkout Now Available

You can now use your Google Checkout account to make a payment on my Endless Sumners Art website! In addition to accepting Paypal, Amazon Payments, or Debit and Credit cards over the phone I am pleased to now offer the convienence and security of Google Checkout. This is a great service that makes online shopping faster, more convenient and more secure. More and more buyers are turning to GC and if you aren't familiar with it, I think you'll like it. If you would like to know more, through these links you can read about how Google Checkout works, or watch a quick video tour.   

And coming soon, I will be adding an IN-line CC checkout process into the ArtFire store.   This means that you can pay for your order with a credit card without ever leaving the site if you would prefer not to use a Paypal, Amazon or Google account. More details on that to come!



Monday, March 28, 2011

Your Artwork Now Available on Custom Merchandise!

How would you like the artwork that I drew or painted for you on your Iphone case?  Or postage? Coffee mug or necklace?  I am excited to offer to my clients this and more beginning today!  I have opened a merchandise store on Zazzle.com as a big thank you to everyone who has helped me make a living doing what I love by commissioning artwork in the last few years. 





Zazzle is an online store which is the world's leading platform for quality custom products. Its technology enables artists to create and offer unique products for customers worldwide. Zazzle’s rapidly expanding product base covers every topic imaginable and includes:
 in addition to a variety of other custom gifts. Upon creation, products are instantly and accurately visualized on the site and offered in the Zazzle marketplace. When ordered, each product is made on-demand, typically within 24 hours.

I always keep a digital image of every portrait I do and and I will be happy to upload yours to this site so you can easily order any item you like. Any of the products in the online store could feature your commissioned artwork, just let me know! All you have to do is drop me an email at ksumners@yahoo.com letting me know you are interested and I will upload the image of your commissioned artwork.  Once that’s done, you can begin shopping and customizing tons of cool merchandise with your artwork! 

Check out my Zazzle merchandise store at http://www.zazzle.com/endlesssumnersart for a preview of the types of items you can have customized with your portrait.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

My Workspace

I know a lot of people are curious to see behind the scenes into how an artist creates, so here is a glimpse into my world!  This is my workspace. My little corner of the world is really bright, with a window facing south and another facing east, which is PERFECT for painting.  I got this big oak desk in my neighborhood when someone set it outside with a 'free' sign on it.  I really love it because it's sturdy but also a little beat up so I don't feel so bad when it gets paint and charcoal all over it.  Just adds a little more character!  It has lots of storage for all of my supplies.  The sticks in the background are fruit tree branches I am trying to coax to bloom indoors for an early taste of spring.  The artwork you see is a pastel of a Pharaoh hound I am currently working on.  And of course, there is my computer which I am currently typing this blog on.  From this desk I answer all of my client's emails and run my two online shops as well as draw and paint at every available opportunity.  There you have it... Endless Sumner's Art international headquarters.