I was asked by the members of St. David’s Church in Rolland Park to paint this portrait of the outgoing Reverend Scott Bellows. Scott had been at St. David’s for thirteen years. Often people only see the finished piece so I thought I would explain my process from start to finish to give a better idea of what goes into it and what to expect.

After discussing some logistics I met with Scott and took a tour of the Church. We got to know each other and discussed some of the finer details such as clothing, props, lighting, color, mood and pose. Once we settles on a concept I got to work prepping a canvas. Later that week we met at the Church again for a photo session. During the session I tried several poses and locations so that we had some options going forward. Mostly I’ll work from photos so it’s important to have high quality images. I’ll often pull from several photos to get the information I’m looking for. If the sitter has time I will also make some color studies and sketches to use as a reference.

Later that week I compiled a grouping of my favorite images from the shoot for us both to choose from. Once we decided on a final look I was able to start planning the next stage, getting the composition just right and then starting a drawing/under painting. From this point on I’m just painting, making changes along the way and keeping in mind the heart of the work. Once the work is completed, I show the client and get final approval. From there I often assist with frame selection. The frame we chose for this painting is constructed of beautiful hand carved wood with a gold leaf finish, quite a sight to behold and a great match for the work!

Zachary Thornton

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Commissioned Portrait Of Reverand Scott Bellows