Portrait Drawing for Sale

Portraiture has existed for many centuries. The Greeks produced portraits for funeral and religious rituals; they aimed to “bring back to life those who have passed away." In the Roman era, portraits were often reserved for the ruling figures of society; for example, a warrior would have his portrait painted to illustrate his bravery during a battle. In Europe, it is only during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance that Italian and Flemish painters started to practice the art of portraiture.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, painters created works commissioned by wealthy patrons. Painters sketched out preliminary freehand drawings, which were often then approved by the patron, before beginning to work on their oil paint or, later, watercolor. Facial features were sometimes improved to the detriment of realism, although some painters were known for their ability to reproduce their models' expressions. Some artists worked in great detail while others focussed more heavily on trying to capture the real personality of their model.

For much of its history, portrait not only told a story but it also conveyed a message of power, promoting a well-controlled image to the wider population and establishing the sitter's authority through its circulation. For example, Florentine elites would use paintings and drawings as a mean of controlling their image and establishing their authority. Portraits were a way for someone to live on long after their death. Today we find the faces of aristocracies and the European bourgeoisie in many museums, immortalized by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci or Rembrandt.

The results obtained through drawing depended largely on the tools and materials used. Red chalk was very popular (especially at the beginning of the 16th century) to represent the facial features and the warmth of the skin, while charcoal produced harder lines and pastel created a softer, colorful touch. Artists adapted their technique depending on the subject and the emotion they wanted to convey. The commercialisation of pencils in the nineteenth century made it a popular medium for artists and amateurs alike. Pencil art became more popular and the tool was often used for sketching portraits.

One thing is certain; capturing facial expressions is a demanding art form and the art of portraiture requires a lot of practice. Drawing a face down to its finest details may take hours to obtain the desired result: a protruding jaw, the shape of a skull, thick brows, smiling eyes, dilated pupils… Even more difficult, are children's portraits? It can be difficult to get them to stay still for long. The artist has to be skilled enough to immortalise these men, women and children full of life.

Gradually, sketched portraits became less and less realistic but increasingly daring and experimental in terms of colour. On Artsper, discover drawings by Jean Cocteau, Julien Calot, Alice de Miramon, Philippe Pasqua, Sabine Danzé, Bahareh Navabi and Stéphanie Stindel.

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Lévitation

Hélène Lagnieu

Fine Art Drawings - 110 x 75 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 43.3 x 29.5 x 0 inch

$5,265

Origines

Karim Benchebra

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$1,989

Portraits 4

Ivan Afronskiy

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 24 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

$1,041

Portraits 3

Ivan Afronskiy

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 24 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

$1,041

Portrait 2

Ivan Afronskiy

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 24 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

$1,041

Portrait 1

Ivan Afronskiy

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 24 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

$1,041

Procès

John Reitz

Fine Art Drawings - 36.5 x 29 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.4 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

$1,023

A Trip in Paris

Isabelle Hirtzig

Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

$135

Sans titre #3

Zahra Zeinali

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 inch

$2,223

Self-Portrait 24.17

Arthur Hent

Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$304

Self-Portrait 24.12

Arthur Hent

Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$445

Feel the bass

Jay Russell

Fine Art Drawings - 50.8 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 16 x 2 inch

$2,400

Stupeur

Nef

Fine Art Drawings - 41.9 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

$211

Two Figures

Roberto Cuccaro

Fine Art Drawings - 50.5 x 36.1 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.9 x 14.2 x 0 inch

$1,638

Pink is not dead

Nef

Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch

$117

Kind of pink

Nef

Fine Art Drawings - 23 x 16 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.1 x 6.3 x 0 inch

$117

Bubble face II

Nef

Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0 inch

$117

Bubble face I

Nef

Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0 inch

$117

Jeune à la bille

Nef

Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0 inch

$117

Sketch 3

Saverio Filioli Uranio

Fine Art Drawings - 33 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$94

Cycle 1692

Niki Neuts

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 inch

$1,404

La Bourgeoise n'aime pas les transports en commun

Marcoleptique

Fine Art Drawings - 46 x 36 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.1 x 14.2 x 0 inch

$643

Portrait with a beard

Barbara Kroll

Fine Art Drawings - 33 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 9 x 1 inch

$320

Passage

Claude Weisbuch

Fine Art Drawings - 35 x 27 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

$409

Noble Woman

Erhard Klepper

Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 27 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch

$1,053

Lucky me

Rossella Mercedes

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$105

Dull shout

Rossella Mercedes

Fine Art Drawings - 33 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$105

Untitled

Julieta Intergalactica

Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 14.8 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.1 inch

$415

Hey Coeur !

Noël Granger

Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 25 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.8 x 9.8 inch

$117

Untitled (48)

Mansour El Habre

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 42 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch

$1,900

Untitled (2)

Mansour El Habre

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

$1,900

Untitled (58)

Mansour El Habre

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

$1,900

Kid

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

$15,093

Portrait

Stanislav Bojankov

Fine Art Drawings - 18 x 16 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.1 x 6.3 x 0 inch

$211

Simone Veil

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$15,093

EMI (Spirit): Divinity

Abisola Kuburat Gbadamosi (AKG)

Fine Art Drawings - 61 x 53.3 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 21 x 1 inch

$1,150

EMI (Spirit): Mother Earth

Abisola Kuburat Gbadamosi (AKG)

Fine Art Drawings - 61 x 53.3 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 21 x 1 inch

$1,150

Trapped In The Mind Of The Religious

Abisola Kuburat Gbadamosi (AKG)

Fine Art Drawings - 55.9 x 81.3 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 32 x 1 inch

$1,350