Blending Technology and Tradition: The Business Model Behind Modern Custom Portrait Services

Everything we do in today’s digital age is often done on our devices. There are so many opportunities to blend technology with the traditional forms of art and this is where Custom Modern Portraits comes in. Oil paintings have been hand painted for centuries to commemorate people, families and places of great importance. These types of businesses allow art to be available to the masses and still carry on the traditional methods of painting. With companies such as Portraithy you can bring your clients’ visions to life through unique works of art, blending the old with the new with the aid of technology.

The Evolution of Portraiture as a Business

Artists would commission people to sit for their portraits, in return for payment or a promise of future commissions. Only the very rich could afford to have their portraits painted. Members of the Royal Family, members of the aristocracy and the wealthy were the only people who could afford to have a portrait made by a professional artist and have themselves portrayed in the style of dignity and importance they held in society. Portraits were records of important events, moments in time, significant relationships and of the status of the people that sat for them.

Some 500 years after the first modern portrait, we find ourselves in the 21st century with a dramatically different set of values. In the United States today, a product that creates a special experience for one individual, at the same time reaching their heart, is a highly sought after product. Yet, as much as values and products have changed since the time of Leonardo, man’s need for portraits that reach their heart has not changed. It’s only that we have added to the original concept of portraiture ease and tremendous artistic ability.

The art of portraiture is changing due to the fact that some companies are combining old oil painting techniques with new digital technology. The modern companies are using the digital tools to reach more customers, to facilitate the communication between the customer and the company when the customer wishes to order a portrait, and to generally expand their business in an area of activity that has been historically very labor intensive and highly personal.

How Technology Enhances the Customer Experience

We use new technology in our custom portrait services to achieve a number of goals such as ease, efficiency, communication and to ensure customer requirements are fully met. Some examples are: - Our customers can quickly and easily upload their own digital pictures online from their home or office PC in high quality. - From there they can choose from one of the various custom portrait styles that suit their needs, and choose one of the many sizes of canvas they wish it to be stretched over, and they are given an immediate price. In the past it would take between 3 to 10 home visits, and would require weeks or months to complete the final piece of art.

Many aspects of the communication process between an artist and a client can be greatly aided by technology. Digital proofing enables the client to see a concept piece such as a sketch or color study and change it before any actual work is begun. This way the client receives exactly what they want, but the artist is still able to maintain the integrity of their concept.

Logistics and supply chain management has evolved to the point where we can safely ship custom painted artwork across state lines and even internationally. We have developed a packaging and tracking system that gives our customers the upmost confidence that the artwork will arrive in the same condition it was shipped. Because of our expertise in logistics and supply chain management, we are able to service clients all over the country.

Branding and Market Positioning

The Branding of a Modern Portrait Service is what differentiates a service from a piece of art on the wall. A high end portrait service is meant to be seen as a premium, emotive experience and so storytelling is at the heart of all marketing. Telling the stories of the Artistry, the Craftsmanship and the Emotion of a portrait not only justifies a higher price but also underpins the values and brand that the business wants to convey.

We are all influenced by the opinions and actions of others and social proof is a very powerful tool in the physical world. A handful of genuine testimonials, some photographs of your work and a string of success stories for your clients will reinforce and affirm the work you do and make it easier for potential customers to consider your services. A good example of this is the work of Portraithy who have started to change the focus of their social media work to include the stories of the people who buy their portraits. In great detail they explain the way people choose to bring their portrait to life and give it an emotional value that is more than the sum of its parts, in a similar way to the way a painting adds a different value to friendships that you have, for example the photograph of a hug you share with a best friend years after you have seen each other. In this case they have chosen to post a picture of a wedding couple with a family reunion because they believe that a Portrait can change the emotional value of a significant photograph to another level completely, in the same way a painting can do for friendships.

The Role of Personalization in Customer Loyalty

The key to our success is personalization. In a world where you can buy anything at the store what makes a custom portrait relevant to you? The answer is that it is completely one of a kind. It is a piece that is uniquely yours and that tells your story. Our clients love being the hero of their own home décor story and having the opportunity to celebrate the people and things they love.

Why we fall in love with the art we buy is a very personal and emotional thing. Personal and emotional enough to turn us into devoted customers and ambassadors for your brand. Unlike the socks we need to buy two times a year or the face mask we have to renew every month, a custom portrait is something we can live with for a lifetime. Something we will proudly display above our couch and look at every day. Something that will put a smile on our face and remind us of the positive feelings we have towards your brand.

Challenges and Opportunities

Modern Custom Portrait Business: Pros and Cons Starting a modern custom portrait business has its pros and cons. Like with any business venture there are opportunities and challenges. A few of the major challenges that one must contend with in order to grow the business while still delivering a high level of artistry to our customers include; 1. High level of planning and organisation 2. High levels of creativity and skill 3. High costs of high quality materials and time for each individual portrait If one were to consider the traditional approaches to custom portrait painting, one would also discover a host of additional challenges that also present themselves as potential obstacles in the modern custom portrait business. These include; 1. The commercial value of the item to the client and the potential for perceived diminished value in the future if the portrait is not completed within a given time frame 2. Changes to the customer’s living space and/or the location of the subject to be painted 3. Lack of cooperation from the subjects to be painted 4. Requiring a high level of communication between all involved in the project, which can at times be a daunting task.

All is not lost in the world of personalisation and gifting! With a growing need for more meaningful and personal products, companies that blend old with new – combining the best of technology with timeless craftsmanship – are well-placed to capitalise in the luxury, home décor and gift sectors.

Looking Ahead

Custom portrait services are evolving and we at Family Portraits look forward to integrating the latest technology with traditional skills of an artist. Some of the items that are at the leading edge of the custom portrait evolution now could well be the future developments such as remote consultations, augmented reality preview of your finished portrait and the AI color study.

While technology has enabled us to work in different ways, the photograph is still a portrait of the human condition, and human skill and creativity are still required. There has been no technological advancement that can replace 8000 years of human skill and creativity. Every portrait is a dialogue between the sitter and the artist, a relationship between the two people involved, a delicate balance between the person who sits for their portrait and the person who paints it. And that is where the art of storytelling begins.