PHOTO-RENDERED PORTRAIT PLAQUES

One of the most popular techniques offered at Masterwork Plaques is our “photo-rendered” portrait process. We recommend this option to all of our customers, especially those in search of a cost-effective portrait plaque that can be created in a short amount of time.  

The most important element of the photo-rendered portrait process is the actual photo of the subject that is provided to us. It is important that the photo is not pixelated or blurry, as this will show up in the final bronze portrait. For our clients who may be less familiar with what constitutes a high-quality photo, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions below.

What IS "DPI"?

Dots per inch, or “dpi”, is the measure of the amount of dots comprising an image within the span of one inch. Computer monitors call these dots “pixels”, so “ppi” and “dpi” can be used interchangeably.  A high-quality photo has many dots per inch, a low quality photo has less. These tiny dots have a great effect on the overall image quality. Take a look at the high-quality example below.  

(Left) High-Quality Image (300dpi), (Right) Translation of image into Photo-Rendered portrait

As you can see, the photo above has no pixelation. The file is also 300 dpi, which means the image has a good amount of information to translate into cast bronze.

Below is an example of an image with only 60dpi. As you can see, this is a lower quality image. It appears blurry and unclear. We don’t have a lot of information. As you can see, the photo was translated into bronze, and the pixelation carried into the final product.

(Top) Low Resolution Image, (Bottom) Translation of Low-quality image into Photo-Rendered Portrait

The photo-rendered process converts data stored in the photograph into a bronze portrait. Therefore, if you provide a low quality photo, only limited information will appear on the final bronze plaque.

How can I check if my photo is high enough quality?

Here’s a quick list of simple ways to check if your photo is usable:

1. Take a look at the image file size. If it is under 500kb, it may be too small to use.

2. Double click on the image file. If it opens up at a small size (less than half of your laptop screen, it is also likely too small.
3. At actual size, if the image appears blurry or pixelated, it is also too low quality.

CAN MASTERWORK PLAQUE USE PRINTED IMAGES?

In some cases, yes. We recommend scanning this image at 300dpi or higher if you can. The higher the dpi, the more data is copied from the original image and saved in the digital copy. Note: if the hard copy photo is blurry, you should not expect scanning to improve the photo quality.  If the subject is blurry in the original image, it will still be blurry in the scan, which will cause problems when this image is translated into bronze.

WHAT IF I CAN ONLY FIND IMAGES LESS THAN 300DPI?

If you are unsure whether your image is high enough quality, send it to us via email and we can review the image in house. Sometimes we can edit the image file to increase its sharpness and minimize minimal pixelation if no alternative can be found.

Brookland Middle School, 1150 Michigan Ave NE, Washington DC – Public Art Project

Public artist, Beth Ravitz, recently commissioned Masterwork Plaques to fabricate seven cast bronze portrait medallions for Brookland Middle School in Washington, D.C.  In addition to our medallions, Ravitz also created and installed three aluminum banners that decorate the side of the school. 

Brookland Middle School is a magnet school for the arts and language and starts its first school year in fall of 2015.  The public art project tells the story of Brookland’s history and fosters a sense of community around the newly constructed middle school.  Ravitz’s goal in creating these banners and portrait medallions is to create harmony between the old and new architecture of the community and inspire hope and progress to the residents and students through visual language.  The seven portrait medallions were created to commemorate influential individuals that lived or were connected to Brookland in some way. (Images at bottom of blog)

Using the Masterwork Plaque bronze “photo-rendering” technique, each portrait was recreated in bronze.  Photo-rendered portraits are a great alternative to the time-intensive, bas-relief carved portraits that our studio also offers.  Photo-portraits are very low-relief, dimensional images translated into bronze directly from a client’s photograph.  We can create these photo-renderings from both recent and historic images, provided that the image is not blurry or pixelated.  The Brookland medallions were created from historic photographs of artists, writers, singers and others.  Each black and white photograph was cropped and inset into the design for these 18” diameter bronze medallions.  The portraits were then accompanied by a short summary of each artist’s achievements and finished with a surrounding border containing his/her name, birth and death, and profession.  The medallions were secured to low concrete pedestals on site.  Each pedestal is twelve inches off the ground at the front and rises to eighteen inches at the back so that they can be easily read by passersby.

Photo-rendered portraits are great solutions for historic plaques with black and white photos, memorial plaques for loved ones, dedication plaques for company founders, employees and more. This technique is suitable for both inset medallions and wall-mounted plaques and can be created using both cast bronze and cast aluminum.

Important notes for photo-rendered portrait plaques:

• The provided image can be black & white or color.
• The provided image should be sharp, high-quality and preferably 300 dpi in resolution.
• The provided image should NOT have significant pixilation, blurriness, or dramatic shadowing.
• Manufacturing time is approximately four weeks after the order is placed.

Our bronze plaques are created using a true chemical patina.  A true chemical patina chemically changes the surface color of the bronze, which eliminates the possibility of chipping away or peeling off over time, as occurs with a layer of paint or a stain from imitation patinas.  Often times plaque companies will apply a layer of paint rather than a chemical patina, which is cheaper, but will not last the test of time.

Masterwork Plaques can provide a large range of options when translating imagery, graphics and portraits into cast bronze plaques.  One of the most unique and artistic methods we use is what is called a “bas-relief” technique.  This hand carving technique is a time-intensive, one-of-a-kind process, created with help from our studio’s experienced clay artists. “Bas-relief” is a traditional method of low relief sculpture, and is often found on historic bronze plaques. While it is most often associated with portraits, it can be used for logos, architectural renderings and depictions of plants, animals and people. Bas-relief imagery adds an authenticity and character to your cast bronze plaque project that can't be matched.

The bas-relief carving process starts with an image.  When creating portrait plaques, we ask our customers to provide an image of the person they are looking to memorialize in bronze.  We then share this image with our clay artists and after sitting with the portrait; they attempt to capture the person’s features, smile and unique qualities in clay.  Our studio works closely with both our clients and sculptors to ensure that the carving has a true likeness to the subject. 

Once the clay carving is complete, our designers mold the carving using a two-part rubber mold, and finally cast it again in plastic.  This gives us a more sturdy relief pattern that is safe for casting in bronze.  After the portrait plaque is cast in bronze, we then finish our bronze plaques with a true chemical patina, so that the bronze plaque will last for years, without the risk of peeling or chipping.

 Important notes for Bas-Relief Portrait Plaques

• The subjects face must be at least 6” high from chin to crown.
• The provided image must be of high quality with minimal pixilation, blurriness, and shadowing.
• Two rounds of revisions are included, to ensure a true likeness to the subject.
• Manufacturing time is approximately 8-10 weeks after the order is placed. 

Bas-relief carvings are a great way to differentiate your plaque from the mass-produced signage and template based memorial plaques that too often dominate in the plaque-making industry.  Our studio has created portrait plaques, historical markers, and even architectural renderings using bronze bas relief.  Masterwork Plaques is committed to revolutionizing the plaque making business, from a field with mass-produced signage and standard template based plaques, into an industry where each plaque is created from unique designs and materials of the finest quality. 

How can I add a portrait or photograph to a cast bronze plaque?

More often than not, cast bronze memorial and commemorative plaques will include an image of a loved one, principal, board member or friend in addition to a paragraph listing their accomplishments.  Our studio can recreate portraits and photographs onto a cast bronze plaque in one of three ways: photo-rendered portraits, bas-relief portraits and illustrated portraits.

bas-relief portraits

The most traditional portrait type is created using a bas-relief technique.  Using this method, one of our professional artists will hand carve a sculpted portrait of the subject based on the photograph of your choice. Originally carved in clay, then molded and cast in bronze or aluminum, this technique largely relies on the skills of our clay artists. This portrait technique takes 8-10 weeks to complete, and is the most expensive portrait option we offer.

PHOTO-RENDERED PORTRAITS

One of our studio's more contemporary techniques we use for portraits is the photo-rendering technique.  This method digitally translates a high-resolution photograph into a low relief, multi-dimensional casting.  It retains many of the details of the photograph, ensuring a high-quality exact reproduction in bronze.  This is a less time-consuming technique, with manufacturing time running around 4 weeks.  It is also the most affordable portrait option at our studio.

illustrated portraits

Another more contemporary portrait technique is the illustrated portrait option.  Our designers will use a photograph of your choice as a template for a black & white illustrated drawing of the subject.  All the white areas in the illustration will convert into raised bronze colored areas on the plaque, and the black portions of the drawing will be recessed and dark and will become the plaque background. Manufacturing time for an illustrated plaque runs around 5-6 weeks.