Painting horses and people

[Richard Budig]

They say you can say anything if you say it right.

I handle the problem of the growing number of people and things in a portrait in my beginning talks with the client. I have lighthearted little list of things I cover when we first start talking about price.

Price usually comes up early on, which gives me the opportunity to say, in a reasonably lighthearted way, that, of course, it depends on all the little things, like is your pet or mother-in-law going to be in there somewhere -- is grampy's barn or your favorite lizard going to be in there somewhere. I go to say that all these things can change the price. And, I add, that price will change with the amount of "you" we show -- from head and shoulders up to full length.

Even with "friends," who, in my experience, seem more likely to "lean" on you, I get into this aspect fairly early on.