FAQ’s

A consultation is optional but is preferred. A LEON LOARD™ Artists’ Representative will gladly visit your home or office to show actual portrait samples of our Gallery Canvas™, Studio Painting™, and The Original Oil on Linen. There is no fee or obligation for the Consultation. Different size portrait samples will be shared and will lend insight to clients who want to visualize the ideal size portrait for their home. Our professional Artists’ Representatives will work to answer all of your questions regarding clothing, posing, background, best ages for a portrait, setting, frame, cost, and much more. He/she will hear what you have in mind regarding the look and feel of your desired finish portrait and all of this important information will be shared with our Staff Photographer before the sitting takes place. A consultation normally lasts about one hour.

Upon arrival for the portrait sitting, a LEON LOARD™ Staff Photographer will warmly greet you and will confirm with you what you may have in mind regarding the look and feel of your desired finished portrait. He will ask you the location(s) you prefer to pose the subject. If you do not already have something in mind, our professional will offer suggestions. The actual sitting time with each individual subject will require approximately 15-30 minutes depending upon the subject. A child may allow the lesser time due to their short attention span. A typical sitting of a child should require approximately 1 hour. Groups of individuals may require more time.

Our Staff Photographer will conduct the entire session and will shoot approximately 75-100 or more digital images in order to ensure that he obtains a thorough selection of expression, pose and background elements from which to select.

View this web site and our literature in order to gain ideas about your preferred posing, clothing and background.

For clients who desire an outdoor background, it is not necessary to conduct the sitting outdoors on a sunny day. In reality, the quality of proofs taken indoors is far better due to our Staff Photographer's ability to control lighting and shadows. Squinting eyes, splotchy shadows, harsh angle of the sun, and wind can be eliminated by having the sitting indoors. It is then the artist's job to paint in the type of background desired by the client.

The LEON LOARD™ Staff Photographer wants to hear your ideas concerning posing and the feeling and look you have in mind for the portrait. This information will be helpful in the way our Staff Photographer conducts the sitting. However, don't worry if you don't have ideas or requests for our Staff Photographer. He or she will professionally conduct the session and the end result will be a thorough selection of poses and expressions from which you can choose.

Many clients feel that they must cancel a sitting appointment when their child scratches his face or has a temporary blemish. Because the oil paint used in our work is opaque, these problems can be overcome by painting them out. We do recommend rescheduling when swelling causes the subject's facial features to be enlarged.

When a client desires a specific background or setting, it is not always necessary that the sitting take place in that particular location. Most often the sitting can be done indoors and the desired background can be painted in, as the client desires. We do recommend, however, that if a specific piece of furniture or family heirloom is to be incorporated as a background element, it should be posed correctly around the subject during the sitting, or that our Staff Photographer takes a photograph of the element.

It is not necessary to cancel a sitting if a child loses teeth before the sitting takes place. Teeth can usually be painted in if an awkward gap shows. If the loss of a tooth (usually a top tooth) changes the structure of the mouth, however, the client may want to consider waiting a while. Because our Staff Photographer usually shoots for a more timeless and subtle expression (rather than a toothy grin), losing teeth should not be a concern.

We recommend that our clients wait to dress their children until our LEON LOARD™ Staff Photographer arrives. Upon arrival, our Staff Photographer will require approximately 10 minutes to set up - a perfect opportunity to dress your child.

NOTICE!! In preparation for a sitting, we recommend that the subject have a haircut if necessary at least two weeks before the scheduled sitting to avoid the "just shorn" look. Subjects should wear their hair as they normally do- no fancy portrait hairdos or you won't be pleased with the proofs.

Regarding hairstyles, small changes can be made such as adding wisps, filling in gaps and bangs, painting out stray tags of hair, etc. We can't completely change hairstyles or lengthen hair substantially.

Certain changes can be made to clothing. Clothing colors can be changed if the desired change is a light color to another light color, or one dark color to another dark color. It is not possible after the painting is complete to change a black/dark shirt or dress to white, or a lighter color.

Most importantly, PLEASE don’t stress over the way you child will behave for our Staff Photographer!! We strongly encourage you NOT to discuss the sitting too much with your child to avoid any jitters or fake smiles. You are in great hands with our Staff Photographers who are professional and incredibly fun for our younger subjects.

While all children mature differently there are certain ages that seem most popular for children's portraiture. The most appropriate age for a young child's portrait is between the age of 3 and 5 years. This is the fleeting time when a child still has a "baby" look but definitely has his own personality and character traits. It is important that you catch your child before getting into that "snaggletooth" stage when his features begin to change so dramatically.

Once your child has grown out of the awkwardness of losing teeth and possibly braces, there are many age opportunities that are appropriate for a portrait.

This is variable depending on the personal tastes of the client, the degree of formality or informality of the home and the desire for a particular look.

Girls: We suggest a simple, classic dress in light colors complimentary to the child. White, or any of the many shades of white, ecru, or any light color are beautiful. Keep the dress simple, without extreme ornamentation, especially around the face. Remember that you want a portrait of a girl in a dress, not a dress with a girl in it. If a hair bow is used, it will look best if it is small and delicate. Large bows tend to look as if they are perched on the head and detract from the face. Avoid patterned dresses or dresses that are trendy.

Boys: Again, the degree of formality desired will guide you somewhat. Heirloom clothing can be worn with the younger age group if your son does not object. At this age, a sailor suit is a nice alternative to French hand-sewn clothing in the event that your son has grown out of (or never did wear) lace. A simple but comfortable look is a nice button down or polo shirt with khakis or shorts. This can be dressed up by adding a cardigan or pullover sweater. If you desire a very informal look, sport shirts and jeans are acceptable, particularly if your son is very outdoorsy. After all, it is your house and your painting. We suggest you avoid a suit and tie on small boys, as they can appear overwhelming and bulky.

Women: Again we believe classically styled clothing with simple lines is best. This does not necessarily mean the painting will be formal as the pose also affects the feeling of the portrait. This helps to avoid the dated look of more trendy clothing. Clothing should be fitted or at least trim so as to flatter your figure. Avoid fussy, high or elaborate collars, as they will detract from the face. Baggy or loose fitting clothing will look sloppy. Trendy hairstyles will also date the painting, so wear it to be becoming without screaming the era in which the painting was done.

Men: If you choose a suit, be sure it is conservative, medium to dark in color, classic in style and well fitted. A white shirt and a tie with some color and subdued pattern is best. Wear your hair as you normally do, but get your hair cut about 7 to 10 days in advance of the portrait sitting to avoid the just shorn look. If a more informal look is desired, a button down shirt with a blazer or sweater will give you this look along with comfortable slacks.

This is dictated by your desire to see the children together, or you may prefer an emphasis on their individuality. Obviously, budget comes into play. If children are painted individually, at a future time, his or her painting can be handed down as a family heirloom within their own family. Doing this will avoid the future question inherent in a group portrait, "Who gets the painting?"

A posthumous Gallery Canvas™ or Studio Painting™ portrait can be created using an existing image as a reference tool, depending on the condition of the image itself and the clarity of the subject's facial features. Our talented artists can create a beautiful portrait as a lasting tribute for a family member or business leader who is no longer living.

We often encounter situations where clients desire a portrait of a loved one at a younger age. For instance, if you are having a portrait done of a younger child, and an older child has already passed the desired age for a child's portrait, a beautiful portrait can still be painted.

Our Staff will scan (or request digital images) the respective image(s) and this image(s) becomes the digital image basis for the to-be-painted portrait. Then, one of our skilled artists paints the subtle digital image that has been printed on the canvas provided from selected image(s), ensuring a genuine likeness. Clients may elect to have a detailed background painted depicting special elements from their home or other described setting,

Please share your photographs with your Artists Representative and he/she will assess the condition of the photograph(s) and the clarity of the subject's facial features. Our Artists Representative will explain what options are available to you.

Museum quality portrait restorations are available for damaged portraits in need of repair. After many years, a painting may have deteriorated to the point that the canvas begins to break down and pull away from the painted subject and background. The canvas may have developed splits or tears, and the paint may have chipped away and is sometimes left with missing portions of the painted subject and background. Our panel of experts can ensure that this cherished painting is restored and continues to document this esteemed individual's image for historical reference.

Our own LEON LOARD™ Staff Photographers travel extensively across the entire Southeast to conduct oil portrait sittings. Therefore, sittings should be scheduled at least one month prior to the sitting date. Current Specials for your area can be found on Facebook or Instagram or you may contact our office to request contact by your area representative for upcoming sitting dates and current Specials.

The non-refundable sitting fee is $300 (1st subject, each additional subject is $100), and must be received before the sitting date week. One fee per portrait per session. Resitting fee is $300. Sitting fee does not apply to portrait order. Client may only retain profs with portrait order. Image reproduction fee is $150.

Review and selection of your proofs occurs within 7 days of the portrait sitting and takes place in your home or office. More than likely, a portrait consultation has taken place and the client has already made many decisions. Your area artists’ representative will have already previewed your proofs and will guide you through making the the most portrait worthy proof choice(s).

In addition to making a decision regarding proof selection, size, background, and framing on the day of proof review and selection, it is helpful for the client to have other information ready for our Artists Representative to relay to the client. For example, it is helpful to have information on intricate detailing and coloring, such as clothing, jewelry, and color snapshots available.

LEON LOARD™ Artists Representatives are very knowledgeable in all aspects of oil portraiture. It is important that the client rely upon the artistic and technical knowledge of our Artists Representative in selecting the appropriate proof, size, background, and frame for the portrait. Our Artists Representative will present all of the options available on the day of proof selection in order to make the client feel confident and relaxed in placing the portrait order. It is important that upon presentation of the proofs by our Artists Representative, any family members who are integral in the decision process be present on that day.

A 50% first payment is required upon proof selection, which completes the portrait order. LEON LOARD™ accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and a personal or business check. If the client is not able to make a proof selection on the day of proof review, a 50% first payment is required in order to leave proofs with the client. The selected proof(s) or composite must be returned to our Artists’ Studio & Corporate Office within 30 days, or the final balance due may be adjusted.

In order to assure client satisfaction, a digital image of your portrait will be emailed to you upon completion for your approval. This important step is your opportunity to request any tweaks or changes that are obvious to you in the digital image. Requested adjustments will be made and the image will be resent to you until the portrait is approved for shipping or delivery.

After client approval and portrait framing (if applicable), our office will notify you of shipment to take place in approximately one week. Shipping and payment details will be discussed with you at this time.

All portraits shipped are packed in a custom-made box that protects the portrait (and frame) during shipping. (Any photos and clothing used as a reference for the portrait will be included in the box.) Please save this box and packing foam for at least 30 days, or until you are sure that the portrait requires no adjustments. If a portrait adjustment is necessary, we request that you call us at 800.235.6273 to request a call-tag be sent to pick up your portrait. (There is no charge for simple adjustments and related shipping fees.)

Very large portraits may be shipped by bus, and are prepaid.

Portrait balances are required to be paid at time of completion.

Portraits are generally shipped by FedEx. The price for shipping and handling portraits ranges from $85-$250+. All portraits have a shipping and handling fee, unless client picks up his/her portrait at our Corporate Office. All portraits picked up from the Corporate Office will be charged Montgomery, AL sales tax.

To keep portrait free from dust and buildup, dust portrait and frame lightly with a soft, dry cloth.

Do not use any type of cleaning agent to clean your portrait and frame.

If my portrait becomes damaged, please call our corporate office at 800.235.6273.

LEON LOARD™ will make every reasonable effort to satisfy our clients. Most clients are in awe when they receive their LEON LOARD™ portrait. When viewing your portrait for the first time, be sure to stand at least 6 feet away from the portrait. A portrait should not be scrutinized up close, but at a distance, so that the entire portrait can be enjoyed. We ask all of our clients to live with their portrait for at least 30 days. During this period, we have learned that most portraits tend to grow on our clients. But if aspects of the portrait continue to need adjustment, please call us at 800.235.6273. We will talk with you and ask you to please write and describe all the necessary adjustments you believe exist. We will promptly send a call tag or make other arrangements to collect the portrait and return it to our In-Studio artist and he/she will make the necessary adjustments. Our In-Studio artist will read your comments and may call you if he/she has questions. If you know in advance you prefer to talk with the artist, please state on your note and our In-Studio artist will call you before beginning the portrait adjustment. There is no charge for simple adjustment(s) and related shipping fees.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 230216 • Montgomery, AL 36123

Physical address: 3018 Woodley Terrace • Montgomery, AL 36106