by Geoffrey Geary 

I think of my portrait sitters as models for a fine art painting, based on the client's preferences. 

I believe discussing the concept of the painting with the client before the first sitting/photo session will lead to greater mutual satisfaction. While you may not yet be aware of what your preferences are, if you will try to consider the options I describe, you can make an important contribution to the painting.

Would you like an indoor or outdoor setting for your portrait? This decision will affect what clothes should be worn. An indoor setting is best for evening wear, although a long romantic tea dress could be worn in a garden setting. Try to choose a dress that will be of a timeless style and may not be as contemporary as what you would wear to a social event this year. Wearing a style that seems vaguely from another period helps the portrait avoid looking dated in twenty years.

Please remember we are creating a work of art and not a literal reproduction.

I like interesting fabrics that give variety to the brushwork such as lace, gauze, satin, brocades, or cut velvet. Long flowing lines and a wide portrait neckline help display the face as if it were on a pedestal.

For a three-quarter length portrait the hemline should not be above the knees, as it is awkward to have just knees showing at the bottom of a painting. Classic outdoor clothes may be riding clothes, or nostalgic-looking day dresses for women, and traditional tweeds such as hacking jackets for men. If possible, I would like a snapshot of the dress you choose (before I come for the photo session) so I will be prepared with a compositional plan and pose ahead of time.

Do you have a preference for light colors or darker, rich colors?

The clothes you choose will direct which way the whole painting will go. Consider which paintings of mine or other artists you like best. Are they light and impressionistic in color or more traditional, warmer, and deeper in color? What are the colors of the room where the painting will hang? While black is a popular color for social events, for a portrait, I would recommend it only for people with strikingly light or dark hair. I can change a dress color from the actual color, such as painting a black dress to look dark green or purple, or a pale peach dress to look light green or lavender. So choose your dress more according to style than to color, and let me know if you have a favorite color.

Remember, however, that the clothes worn at the time of the sitting/photo session will be what appears in the portrait, so please give thought to this ahead of time. If you would like flowers in your painting, it would be helpful to order an arrangement of your favorite flowers to be available at the photo shooting.

I recommend that during the photo session there  be no additional audience in the room which can make the sitter self-conscious and distracted from the mood which I hope to coach in the sitter's expression.

Please measure the size limitation of the space where the painting will hang, and consider what approximate size you would like the painting to be, allowing that a frame may add ten inches to the height and width. When we arrange travel plans for the photo sitting, we can discuss on the phone your ideas in regard to the options in this letter. 
I look forward to working with you.