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The number of sittings for a portrait in oils, totally depends on the sitter. I can paint someone in just two days, or the portrait can be painted over a period of time...as a general guide, I like to have at least four sittings of two hours but the time can be diminished with the aid of photographs and I am able to paint a portrait entirely from photographs. The feel of the painting is very much dictated by the sitter i.e. the clothes, the pose and the setting. I like to paint sitters in their own homes where they feel most at ease, and I can then put in a background of a completely different scene if they wish. Whilst sitting for a portrait I do not ask the sitter to be totally still and prefer them to chat and move around in a relaxed way.