Custom portrait commissions in oil paints and soft pastel, capturing the individuality and presence of the sitter through expressive mark-making and nuanced colors.
I specialize in custom portrait commissions, working primarily in oil, but also soft pastel. My portraits are known for their spontaneous energy, expressive mark-making, and bold use of color. Rather than aiming for photographic replication, my work captures the presence and character of the sitter through lively brushwork and intuitive color relationships.
Drawing from years of figurative study and painting from life, I approach portraiture with an emphasis on immediacy and emotional intensity. Color interacts with form and light to create portraits that feel vibrant, human, and alive. Loose, gestural marks replace smooth gradients, allowing individual strokes to resolve into cohesive form through perceptual grouping and visual rhythm.
I primarily works from photographic reference, carefully selected to support strong composition and expression, but for clients in the Chicago area, live portrait sittings may also be arranged. Each commission is created as a one-of-a-kind artwork, balancing likeness with painterly interpretation.
Head Study
A focused portrait of the face and head that emphasizes expression, character, and painterly nuance. This format allows for close attention to facial structure, subtle shifts in color, and the emotional presence of the sitter. Ideal for intimate studies and refined likenesses with a strong sense of immediacy.
Head & Shoulders
A classic portrait format capturing the head and shoulders, offering greater compositional presence while maintaining intimacy and restraint. This format provides more context through posture and gesture, allowing the portrait to feel both personal and formally composed without becoming overly expansive.
Half Length Portrait
A waist-up portrait that allows for expressive gesture, posture, and typically includes the hands. This format offers a broader visual narrative and increased compositional complexity, balancing likeness with movement and structure. Well suited for portraits that emphasize personality, presence, and formality.
Full Length
A complete figure portrait presenting the sitter in their entirety, offering the highest level of presence and visual impact. This format allows for a full exploration of posture, proportion, and spatial relationships, as well as the interaction between the figure and surrounding space. With its scale and compositional breadth, the full-length portrait conveys authority, character, and narrative, resulting in a statement work often reserved for formal settings, legacy commissions, or heirloom pieces intended to endure across generations.
| Type | Sizes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Head Study | 8×10 – 20×24 | $800 – $2,000 |
| Head & Shoulders | 8×10 – 20×24 | $1,000 – $2,800 |
| Half Length Portrait | 11×14 – 24×30 | $1,800 – $3,600 |
| Full Length Portrait | 24×36 and larger | $6,000 – $20,000 |
| Extras | Realistic background: +50% | Additional person: +75% |
The painted portrait is a magical thing. The level of intent that is put into a painting is unrivaled in any mode expression. An artist examines his subject in a pure and deliberate manner that filters through his consciousness and is expressed though materials onto the canvas. The artist’s gift for examination, interpretation, judgment, and execution is unmatched in any other form of art.
The above fee schedule is for portrait commissions in paint on canvas or soft pastels on board. Prices do not include framing or sales tax. Copyright is retained by John Markese in all artistic works. A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total portrait fee or $1000, whichever is less, is required to start the portrait procedure.
Questions about Commissions? Just ask…