The advent of House Portraits

COVID lockdown.

The whole world is panicking...

The company where I worked my day job reduced my working hours…..

Weekdays and weekends became almost the same……..

I had an idea for a Melbourne street-inspired calendar for so long. I decided to go with it. (Read about the complete story here). I illustrated 12 different streets of Melbourne and started posting all of them on Instagram.

Streets of Melbourne calendar

I was never so active on my Instagram art page because I wasn't proud of anything I made. But due to this sudden explosion of posts and some hashtags used right, a lovely lady from Fitzroy reached out to me one day. She asked if I could do a portrait of her newly renovated house. I replied, "you mean to illustrate the whole street?". She said, "no...just my house, in the same style as your street illustrations!"

Honestly, I have never heard of house portraits then. What's a house portrait? How do I draw one? I wasn’t sure about taking the commission. After toying with the idea for a while, I decided to try this out and see where it goes. 

To this date, I have completed over 25 house portraits over the span of two years. 

Over these years, I developed a certain process for my house portrait commissions. After a lot of trial and error, this is something that works best for me.

Step one: Reference pictures

I ask clients to send some pictures of their houses. The pictures may be photos taken by the clients or those found on real estate websites. From these reference pictures and, if available, Google Street View, I choose some views that showcase the house in the best possible way.

Step two: Composition

Once the reference photos are selected, I like to have a chat with clients about their houses. We go over all sorts of fun stuff, like what parts of the house they'd like to show off, if there are any special elements they want to be highlighted, how amazing the garden will look with all the blooming flowers in the spring, or even how cute their furbabies look while sunbathing on the porch. I use Photoshop to do some cropping and scaling to make the composition just right. 

Step three: Sketching

I then sketch the outline of the house and its features in pencil, then in a black-ink fine liner. This is the most time-consuming part and where my architectural drafting skills are put into use, LOL! Every last feature of the house, including fence, gates, and pavers is drawn onto the paper at this stage.

My line drawing set-up

Step four: Painting

This is my absolute favorite part; painting the house portrait in watercolors. I sit down with a big tumbler of water and paints, ready to splash some colours. It is like bringing life and energy into the artwork. I consider it a treat for me after hours of time-consuming line work.  

I paint three to four washes. The last step in watercolour is always painting in the shadows. I decide where the sun should be shining from (because I can!) and paint shadows in the same direction. This adds a third dimension to the house, making it pop from the page.

In the middle of a painting session.

Step five: Final Touches

Watercolours are set aside and I see myself reaching for other mediums.

I use white or coloured gouache to make something pop even more (usually the flowers in the garden), posca paint pens for some highlights like window blinds, railings, screws, house number, etc. 

The artwork is left to dry completely for 24 hours before flattening it under some heavy books and weights.

A completed house portrait ready to ship!

Step six: Framing

I like to frame the artwork (if the clients are from Melbourne), so I can see the final look before dropping it off. If clients are outside Melbourne, I miss the opportunity to see them framed, but then I eagerly look forward to seeing how my clients come up with their own frames and aesthetics.  

Step seven: Packaging and shipping

Framed artworks are wrapped, tagged, and embellished with stickers (also one of my favorite bits). The artwork to be shipped interstate is carefully rolled and placed in a mailing tube. I use recyclable and biodegradable packaging from Officeworks.

Why House Portraits?

I believe that owning a house portrait is one of the most personal and unique gifts you can give yourself or someone you love. It can help us cherish memories every time we look at it, especially if it's of an old house that holds a special significance. A house portrait can also evoke childhood nostalgia and bring back fond memories of growing up in a special place. It also makes a perfect wedding gift, capturing the start of a couple's journey together in their new home. It also serves as a token of appreciation for achieving your dream home and how far you've come.

When my clients approach me to commission a house portrait, they come for a variety of reasons, and I am always amazed at the creative ideas they have for gifts. I do my best to make each piece special. I'm thrilled when my clients respond that they were moved by the artwork. That is my ultimate goal; to move people with my art while having fun creating it.

One of my lovely client says:

“We gave the painting to my in-laws and they absolutely loved it! My mother-in-law was quite emotional. They couldn’t believe the detail, even the pool chairs they’d had for so long. Thank you so much. Also, it was so beautifully framed and wrapped. We’ll be sure to tell lots of people about you and I’ll be in touch again soon.”

If you would like to order a custom house portrait, click here.

Follow me on Instagram for more process videos.