Our family decided this year we’re creating a family crest – complete with symbolism, an animal avatar (Fox), and a saying that represents us. Our oldest, Malachi, suggested “knowledge is power.” So simple, and 100% who we are. A family of life-long learners, no matter what the subject or arena. We’re curious, questioning, and forever ready for the next thing.
That applies to Anj Portrait Studio, as well. My love for art is deep – I have a Fine Art Degree with an emphasis in Charcoal Illustration and am just a few credits shy of a minor in Art History.
Charcoal on paper – an original fine art piece by Anj
Drawing, creating with my hands, is something that I’ve always wanted to be the next step for APS. This year was it. Portraits elevated to the next level of fine art – embellished portraits.
Behind the scenes – the palette behind the piece.
What does this mean?
Your portraits – photographed, digitally painted, oil painted, and then framed and hung on your walls for generations.
Your session is photographed the way every APS session always has been – with intention, storytelling, and beautiful light. Then (my favorite part) the painting begins – first digitally, layer by layer, the same instincts I built in art school applied with a stylus instead of charcoal.
Before and after – a child’s portrait, from photograph to hand-painted fine art.
Once that layer is right, the piece is printed, and I paint it again – this time by hand, with oil paints,, on the surface itself. You can see the brushwork. You can see it catch the light differently depending on where you’re standing in the room. Friends, it is absolutely stunning.
A maternity session, painted into fine art – photographed, then hand-finished into one of our embellished portraits.
Before the paint – the original photograph, straight from the session, before it became a hand-finished fine art piece.
Painting makes something new – a piece that started as a photograph and ended as fine art, finished by hand, meant to be looked at for generations instead of scrolling past in a week.
The finished piece – oil paint on canvas, with texture and brushwork you can only really see in person.
I think about our fox and our motto the same way. This crest will be printed and hung in our home – the kids want it to be passed down to the next generation. It becomes more than just an art project, but a symbol of our family and what we believe, who we are. That’s what I wanted embellished portraits to do for the families I work with. Not just a beautiful photograph, but a piece with your family’s fingerprints on it, meant to outlast the moment it was taken.
Interested in learning more about embellished portraits at Anj Portrait Studio? Fill out the Contact form below or email hello@anjportraitstudio.com!