As a Live Wedding Painter, I get so many questions about live painting from my couples. And it’s very understandable! Live painting is quite a new addition to the wedding scene. Whether that be large scale oil paintings, or individual guest paintings, there will be a whole host of questions that go along with each experience.
So I am going to outline each question I get as a live painter in the UK, and answer them below!
Q: Do the couple or the guests have to stand completely still during their live painting?
A: Although I can’t speak for all live wedding painters in the UK, I do not require my couples or guests to stand still! I will take a reference picture of the couple in a pose they like, to work from. The couple can then carry on with their enjoyment of the wedding day and come back later to see how their painting is unfolding.
Q: How does live wedding painting or event painting differ from getting a painting completed from a photograph in an artist’s studio?
A: Live painting at a wedding or event is a much more exciting experience! I find that being right in the centre of the joy and buzz of a wedding helps me to paint those emotions into the piece. As I am painting in amongst your closest family and friends, with your beautiful decor and stunning venue there in front of me, I’m able to take elements of each of these and weave them seamlessly into your masterpiece. When I’m painting solely from a photograph taken after the event, I am not present on the day, so I am only able to paint exactly what I see in the photograph. I can’t add in the extra details and beautiful emotions that I notice around the room, like I can when I am live painting at the wedding on the day. The happy tears, the joy in the guest’s faces, the excitement in the room. Live wedding painting is a full emotional experience, captured on canvas.
Q: Are people allowed watch and talk to the live wedding painter while they're painting?
A: Yes of course! I encourage guests to watch while I am painting, as it is such an interesting and unique form of entertainment! I am an extroverted person and love having a chat, so I am always more than happy to explain the painting process while I’m creating a piece. Guests always love seeing how a live painting comes together and I am excited to be a part of the buzz of the day! As for the newlyweds, they are welcome to come and watch as the piece develops, or they can leave it as a surprise. The choice is up to them…
Q: Is the entire piece finished on the day?
A: In the case of individual guest paintings, the answer is yes. In the case of large scale paintings on canvas, the answer is not always. The guest paintings are quick and dry in a few minutes with watercolour, so they can be collected and taken home by guests easily at the end of the night! My large scale paintings on canvas are painted in oils. This is the medium used by the old masters and is the painting medium you’ll see in the major art galleries around the world! Oils take a while to dry fully, and there are often extra layers of colour that I would like to paint on after the wedding, to allow the piece to really pop and come to life. So your piece will look 90% finished at the end of the night, and will be completely dry and sent to your via courier a few weeks after your wedding day.
I hope this has answered your live painting questions! If you have any other questions of if you would like to enquire about your own live wedding painting experience, please send me a message on my contact page!
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