A Family Portrait Commission
Art Nouveau, Copper, and Gold Leaf Process
This custom portrait for my brother and his wife features the two of them along with their three orange cats. They shared reference photos and ideas across several art styles they liked. The Art Nouveau influence resonated most strongly with me. I’ve always loved its flowing lines, natural motifs, and elegant architecture, so I proposed leaning into that direction.
Sketch of composition
I shared the initial composition sketches with them. The family is centered in an Art Nouveau architectural frame that encloses them like a graceful structure. Heavy florals fill the top corners and spill outward, including red roses, soft pinks flowers, and tiny forget-me-nots among them. The cats are positioned at the bottom with paws extending just outside the frame for that playful, welcoming touch. We agreed on a way to move forward with this layout. When I showed them the draft, they both had input. They wanted to make sure deep red tones were added and the white peony was in there for the memory of their past cat. I adjusted accordingly to incorporate those details. Once the revisions were in place, they approved, and we proceeded.
Finalized composition. Symbols not made due to smaller canvas size.
They provided a lot of photos of themselves and the cats in their everyday poses. Like me, they love flowers, cats, Impressionism, and architecture. Weaving those shared elements in made the whole process really fun. It felt like telling their story through paint and leaf.
With the composition locked in, I traced it onto the wood canvas. I cut out sections for precise transfer and redrew everything directly on the surface. Then I mapped out the metal leaf zones for balance. I aimed for a strong mix of painted areas and shining metal to make the glow pop dynamically. Mostly copper leaf went on the cats to echo the warm tones of their orange fur. It shifts beautifully in different lights and feels authentic. Gold leaf covered the figures’ bodies, the architectural frame, and the edges of the entire canvas for a seamless, luminous border.
Painting was done in oil for rich depth and blending. I used a palette knife on the clothing to build dimension. Thick, varied strokes give the fabric real texture and life. For the flowers, heavier brushwork let the bristle marks create natural lines in the petals. This added organic texture. Acrylic pen in black outlined the faces for crisp definition. White pen detailed the cats’ whiskers to make them stand out. Some flowers even break beyond the frame edges, adding extra energy and flow.
Progress picture shared.
Once I had it close to finished, my brother gave me some valuable critique. He suggested making the faces more dimensional, and he also wanted her hair to be more accurate with only silver and black tones. It had me spinning for a minute. I really like the flat gold leaf look and how it creates those beautiful lighting effects in person. But I saw the value in what he was saying. So I went back in with an oil paint pen in gold metallic color to add subtle shadows and build more depth on the faces. I also added white highlights in the eyes to make them pop and adjusted her hair using silver and black for a truer representation. I think it turned out great, and I’m definitely ready to explore this kind of dimensional layering and refined detail more in future pieces.
Finished painting after feedback.
The piece is finished now and still here in my studio, waiting for them to pick it up. I sent them photos of the completed work, and they’re really excited to receive it in person. Their input along the way, especially on the final details like the deep reds, white peony, and face dimension, made the whole journey collaborative and rewarding. It’s always special to see how these personal touches elevate the work. I can’t wait for them to have it hanging in their home.
If this style speaks to you, whether a family portrait with Art Nouveau framing and architecture, heavy florals, metal leaf (copper for warmth, gold for glow), dimensional faces, or elements from your own story, I’m open for commissions. We can start with your references and ideas, including sketches, revisions, and feedback to get it just right. Reach out via the contact form, email zenearthstudios@gmail.com, or visit the portraits page for more examples.
Grateful for the collaboration and the stories that come my way,
Tiffany Zen
