Where To Get Portrait Done in Paris?
Mar 16th, 2007, 12:46 PM
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Where To Get Portrait Done in Paris?
Our three daughters are in Paris right now. They wanted to surprise my DH with some charcoal type portraits of each of them, like they saw on a video.
What's the best place to find an artist?
What's the best place to find an artist?
Mar 16th, 2007, 12:58 PM
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I had mine done a few years ago at Place du Tertre, up by Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. There are a lot of artists there. I suggest they walk around and check them out and choose the one whose style they like best. I believe I paid 40 Euro, but he wasn't the least expensive artist. This was Sept 2002, so not sure what the prices are now. Lots of people think it's a touristy thing to do, but I think it's a great momento, and an especially nice idea for their father.
Mar 16th, 2007, 02:21 PM
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Go for it, girls! I got my portrait done there in 1991, and thought it was sorta ugly so I rolled it up and forgot about it. Last year when I moved I came across it and really liked it...that's what age will do to you! (It's now framed and hanging in my new place.)
Mar 16th, 2007, 03:08 PM
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Great idea, which we also have done with a granddaughter and two nieces as gifts for their parents.
I would caution your daughters, though, to be cautious about some of the aggressive artists who wander about the area and will literally accost them and start sketching without any agreement on their part. Many of them have little talent and will do their sketches in about 10 minutes, standing up and leaning on their sketch pads. The "better artists" have easels and chairs set up in the square in the middle of the place du Tertre and often take considerably more time.
Also, the finished sketch usually is rolled up and secured with a rubber band. Your daughters should unroll them a soon as they can and place a sheet of tissue paper (or something similar) over the sketch before rolling it up again. Otherwise, they smudge a lot. We learned this the hard way, Fortunately, one of my nieces is a rather talented artist herself, so she was able to touch them up and salvage them. It would be terrible to have them ruined.
I would caution your daughters, though, to be cautious about some of the aggressive artists who wander about the area and will literally accost them and start sketching without any agreement on their part. Many of them have little talent and will do their sketches in about 10 minutes, standing up and leaning on their sketch pads. The "better artists" have easels and chairs set up in the square in the middle of the place du Tertre and often take considerably more time.
Also, the finished sketch usually is rolled up and secured with a rubber band. Your daughters should unroll them a soon as they can and place a sheet of tissue paper (or something similar) over the sketch before rolling it up again. Otherwise, they smudge a lot. We learned this the hard way, Fortunately, one of my nieces is a rather talented artist herself, so she was able to touch them up and salvage them. It would be terrible to have them ruined.
Mar 17th, 2007, 07:52 AM
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Hi Canterbury, We also had our portrait sketched at Montmartre. What a great memento from our trip! We had it framed when we came home. Tell your daughters to see if they can find a mailing tube somewhere, so it doesn't get smashed. Also, the creases might show if it is rolled up the way they give it to them. What a great gift to your DH it will be! pp
