To get my friend a portrait of her daughter?

[CharlesLeeRay]

I would like to get my friend a drawn portrait of her baby. I'd want it to be a surprise but I'm not sure how appropriate it os to send over a picture of someone elses child to an artist without their permission?

I've drawn portraits of children for surprise presents for a few strangers and it's never been an issue. Is said friend generally okay with sharing children's images?

Are you sure they’d like it...my DParents would have been bewildered as our photos etc weren’t up at home. DPIL would have loved it.

@Atropa I'm not sure as she has asked people like her sister to delete people she doesn't know on Facebook before sharing photos of her little one, although she's quite happy for the photographers she used for her shoots to use the photos on their Facebook page and website.

@DelurkingAJ I think so, they have photos everywhere at home!

Do you have a common friend with decent artistic skills? That may circumvent the issue.
Otherwise maybe ask her DP, if she gas one?

It's very thoughtful of you, but i would like to choose my own image, size, style. It's a personal taste.
Maybe get her a voucher so she can decide herself what she wants?
My MIL used to be very overbearing when my dd1 was a baby and we never got to choose any thing for ourselves, it was all what she had picked, so my judgement may be clouded

@Atropa she does have a husband but it was kind of a surprise for both of them! Not sure if we have a mutual friend who is a dab hand drawing. I'll check that out. The guy I was going to use has done one for me and my daughter. His stuff is amazing!

I think that’s a really lovely present and if someone gave that to me I wouldn’t have even thought of this!

Only if the artist is brilliant. My DM had her artist friend draw DS from a photo and it was hideous. I couldn’t look at it.

@Ruth2009 you may have a point actually. I have picked a photo from the baby's 1st birthday shoot that they chose so they must love it. I've gone for one that they haven't already had blown up. Other than that don't really have a choice of size and style it's an A4 pencil drawing.

I like to think I'm not overbearing too, I don't buy personal gifts, only on rare special occasions and if I'm certain they'll love it!

I think it sounds lovely and I would be over the moon with such a thoughtful and personalised gift. If the artist is a professional I wouldn't have any issue with the photograph being shared.

Someone did it for me and I hate it. It really upset me it was so bad and my husband said I was rude if we didn't hang it up!
Don't do it!

I wouldn’t like it, tbh. Some would love it. It’s a very personal thing.

Does your friend like that kind of thing? Some people don't like that style of art...a pencil copy of a photo. Has she spontaneously said that she likes yours?

@Byorderofthepeakyblinders I thought that too, she loves all things baby (hers obviously). But following this post I'm not sure it's a good idea!

@DogsandBoysmeanMud is there a particular reason you hate it?

The drawing my DM had done was from a photo I loved. It just wasn’t quite right, a bit like looking at a mirror image, but more sinister. I found it upsetting and I now don’t even like the original photo.

I wanted to like it, it was a lovely idea, but it just didn’t work.

@WiseUpJanetWeiss sinister!? Oh dear 😭. The artist who did mine was so determined to get mine right he asked for another photo and kept going until I was happy, it took quite a while, about 2 months!

A picture of the baby's first house? I've got one and I still look back and remember the beautiful moments.

So many trees, a tiny cottage across a valley with the window I looked out of when the boys were little.

The artist was my best friend and neighbour.

Think of a different portrait for your new baby friend.

A picture has to express the personality and have depth. Mine was nothing like me. Can't explain really but it just wasn't me.

@tararabumdeay if her house was that idyllic then yeah, but it's a 3 bed terrace in a town.

@DogsandBoysmeanMud if I don't think it oozes the baby's personality I won't give it

But you don't see the personality the way the parent does. It's such a personal thing

But YOU had yours done @DogsandBoysmeanMud, I think it would be lovely because it’s an incredibly thoughtful gift.

OP, if they don’t like the actual drawing (which I think is unlikely) it’s still a very kind and thoughtful present.

Yes, sinister. It looked like the photo, but not like DS, possibly because DM’s friend didn’t know DS. Possibly because he wasn’t a good artist. DM clearly couldn’t see the problem, though, so I accept it could just have been me (and ex-DH...). However, it’s a risk.

My artist friend also did a house portrait for another couple's baby. The house was a flat in the middle of a terrace in Hounslow; it was breathtaking.

I guess my mate had a way of obscuring the literal for the sake of beauty.

These things are so incredibly naff. At least get it done in charcoal.