Have you ever put a portrait on your wall and wondered if it is the right spot for it? It is a common sense that the size of the wall commands the size of a portrait. Yet, it is hard to imagine what portrait size will look good on the wall we have in mind. Will 8×10 photo work or does it need to be a 40×60 canvas or may be a gallery of several 16×24 portraits? The numbers make it even more confusing.
Well, it doesn’t have to be difficult any more! There is software available to professional photographers that can project your portraits on your own walls in different sizes so you can choose how you would like to display them.
As I was remodeling my office, I started fiddling with different size samples for my newly painted walls. Using the above mentioned software I was able to project and order just the right sizes.
I received my first sample the other day. It’s a 30×45” acrylic print that you can see below. While the size is big, it doesn’t look nearly as large on this wall (that’s only 83” wide from the right corner to the closet door). I feel like it needs more work on sides where there’s too much emptiness left.
Let’s take a look at how different sizes and portrait combinations will look on the same wall. My actual samples will be different than what you see below as they will be the portraits of different people. For the demonstrating purposes I used the portraits from the same session and projected them on my wall.
To fill the empty wall space I added two 20×24 portraits. Doesn’t it look much better? And the large portrait now starts to make more sense.
Another option would be printing a horizontal 45×30 portrait and framing it, to create a finished look, making the overall size 53×38 inches. It covers the wall pretty well, and works as a statement piece.
Now, let’s say you ordered a smaller size canvas like the one below. It is 11×14 inches. It obviously doesn’t look like it is in the right spot – all the empty space around it makes it look like a boat in the ocean. You wouldn’t be able to see the face of a person unless you are standing right next to it.
Did you know, that the face size in the wall portrait needs to be no smaller than a fist of an adult? This way it can be seen from at least 5 feet away. You will want to see the expressions without having to come up very close to the portrait.
Now, if I put the same canvas on the opposite wall, it fits the space quite well. Still a little small but we can add a frame to make it stand out and increase the wall art size by a few inches. We also need to change the image or crop it tighter to make sure we can see the face.
When selecting a wall portrait, make sure to decide on the wall first, and then choose the portrait size. Good luck decorating your home with the art that has a meaning!