---
title: "Live Oil Portraits in Delhi | Alla Prima Art by Juhi"
description: "Get a custom live oil portrait by Juhi. Using the expressive Alla Prima technique, I capture your personality on linen canvas. Book your Delhi portrait session today for a timeless, hand-painted artwork."
canonical: https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/live-oil-portraits-capturing-essence-in-a-single-session
last_updated: 2025-10-01
---

# Live Oil Portraits: Capturing Personality on Canvas

Tribe Verified · Hand-painted from life in Delhi.

By [Juhi Kumar](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi) · Live sittings in Delhi NCR; Accepts commissions across India · ₹4,000 per artwork (estimate)

Part of [Commissioned Paintings](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings). [View full gallery](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/gallery)

I believe in the magic of capturing a real moment. When we paint from life, it is not just about the features, but about the energy and the story held in your expression.

## Photos and videos

- ![A finished oil on canvas portrait of Anamaya, who posed with such poise for five and a half hours. I focused on capturing her strong presence and the intricate details of her embroidered dress, using the interplay of light and shadow to define her features.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/2045e15a-6ffb-449a-a51e-fb5a4aebfacc)
- ![This is the final oil portrait of Satyam, painted alla prima over a 4-5 hour session. I concentrated on capturing a true likeness and the thoughtful expression he held, using rich oil paints on a 9x12 linen canvas.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/a8e5baf6-1080-4f4b-beeb-49ba0b350ef1)
- ![The initial sketch for Satyam's portrait. This is the foundational drawing on the canvas where I map out the composition and key features before beginning to apply color.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/8681f874-c3c8-4275-9654-d4928dee383c)
- ![The block-in stage of Satyam's portrait, where I establish the basic shapes of light and shadow. This step is crucial for building the structure and form of the face.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/de78b44b-d4c4-4c81-aa32-777402c5d3f3)
- ![Here you can see the portrait of Satyam developing on the easel during the live session. This view shows the relationship between the painting and the model, capturing the dynamic process of painting from life.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/9ad0fddf-7ae7-4f9a-8113-06c8a5490f34)
- ![A wonderful moment at the end of the session, with the model Satyam surrounded by the various portraits and studies created by the artists present. It’s a great showcase of different artistic interpretations from a single sitting.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/9c4b667c-0a11-4d75-8747-451120866c08)
- ![A close-up of the finished oil portrait of Ember, completed during a five-and-a-half-hour live session. Painting Ember was a delight, and I focused on capturing the gentle expression and the texture of their hair.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/382e8429-cadf-459b-bcdc-dd8385f4af17)
- ![The portrait of Ember on the easel, with the model sitting in the background. This image gives a sense of the studio environment and the setup for a live alla prima painting session.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/cc6ce920-6c2d-4beb-bdb4-03f62eec6d49)
- ![Ember holding their finished portrait. It's always a joy to see the model with the final artwork, a culmination of a shared creative experience.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/7e19cb1f-f047-4666-8a56-37ee524b50d7)
- ![A portrait of Harsh, which I started during a live session and finished in my studio. For this piece, I used a limited Zorn palette, which is a great challenge for harmonizing colors and values.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/195283da-d4cf-440e-a0d8-f8b9bd7bd19e)
- ![The finished oil on linen portrait of Harsh from a different live session. I focused on the shadow side of the portrait to create more depth and dimension, a continuous learning process in every painting.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/86bb92b1-a215-4130-8fad-6e291c46c9ec)
- ![The initial drawing stage for Harsh's portrait. This monochrome underpainting helps establish the values and structure before I introduce a full color palette.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/bd87a89c-2990-4e54-a568-d39f38d8203c)
- ![The portrait of Harsh on the easel during the five-and-a-half-hour session. Painting with other artists is always a fun and enriching experience, full of shared learning.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/5179b46f-7ee9-46c6-92e3-1a9a6141d369)
- ![Another view of the live session with Harsh, showing the painting in context with the model. These sessions are intense but incredibly rewarding.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/3a3d4f75-de70-4dcf-8842-87a02bf5aa7f)
- ![A close-up of the finished oil portrait of Rishabh, painted from life with a group of artists. I find the challenge of capturing a likeness in a single session to be an enjoyable and educational experience.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/28e42499-10af-4d82-85c4-36467f0063e2)
- ![The complete setup for Rishabh's portrait session. You can see the canvas, my palette with mixed Gamblin oil colors, and Rishabh posing against the backdrop.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/78c865aa-b819-4f79-8f80-3b69eefb4001)
- ![A side view of the portrait of Rishabh in progress. This angle shows how the painting is built up on the easel during the live sitting.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/52dba2ba-84ef-487e-ad08-d7992af8db9e)
- ![A detailed shot of the finished portrait of Rishabh on the easel. The goal of these alla prima sessions is to capture the fresh, immediate impression of the subject.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/40f33f93-ac80-4fc3-bc8c-b5c4f8be3450)
- ![A close-up of my oil portrait of Simran. This was a tough one, as painting a profile accurately requires careful attention to light and shadow. It was a great challenge and a learning experience.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/6511a405-ad77-4dcf-a8ce-096a4bb9a717)
- ![Here is the portrait of Simran on the easel next to her. This helps show the scale of the 9x12 oil on linen painting and the setup for our live session.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/30af96c2-5b5e-4256-8b73-41952334d90f)
- ![Another detail shot of Simran's portrait, focusing on the expression and the way the light falls on her face. Each live session pushes me to improve my observation skills.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/871cfbec-f91e-4a9e-ba2e-3e5293589d56)
- ![A finished oil on linen portrait of Simran from another session, this time in a pink top. I really enjoyed capturing her likeness and was quite satisfied with what I achieved in our 4-5 hour sitting.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/6e8adbcc-3519-4e92-aef3-1ca49613bdb6)
- ![The very beginning of Simran's portrait, with the initial sketch on a toned canvas. This is the first step in mapping out the composition and proportions from life.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/56258c1b-ac3c-435a-b1b3-09980d941eca)
- ![The block-in stage for Simran's portrait, where I've established the main shapes and values. Even though it was her first time modeling, she posed with incredible ease.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/fa4f20bd-4777-4e06-b0e3-f399db5868bb)
- ![The portrait of Simran in progress on the easel, with a blue light source adding a cool tone to the setup. Experimenting with light is a key part of my process.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/7fcdd7fe-50da-4ed5-8075-0065c56fcc80)
- ![The nearly finished portrait of Simran on the easel. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of painting her live and learning with fellow artists.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/27abfc43-f763-4285-80d6-564df5a7607b)
- ![A shot of the live session with Simran, showing the painting on the easel and her posing in the background. These sessions are a collaboration between artist and model.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/de3590a0-d278-4b5f-98d4-bbf317e2ae45)
- ![The portrait of Anamaya in progress during our five-and-a-half-hour live session. Even with struggles, the experience of exploring and learning is what makes art so beautiful.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/ca518743-3cfa-4332-bf82-d9a6086eba8c)
- ![A close-up detail of Anamaya's finished portrait. I focused on capturing her direct gaze and the subtle shifts in skin tone under the studio lighting.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/5ae2a1de-d2ae-4bb4-b9c3-4f634500863e)
- ![A view of the finished portrait next to the model, Anamaya. The shadow she casts on the wall behind her became an interesting compositional element in the final piece.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/62e5ac97-3b32-452c-bae6-29c03a30ac25)
- ![Another shot from the live session with Anamaya, showing my easel and palette setup. You can see the colors I mixed to capture her skin tones and the tones of her dress.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/d8d177a3-3fd2-48f1-b089-7c23e37c557a)
- ![This is the portrait I painted during a two-day workshop with the great artist Pramod Kurlekar. It was an invaluable experience to learn in person and get insights on how to control the mind while painting from life.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/3ba0ed1c-8981-4464-b008-5b67556d36c9)

## About Live Oil Portraits: Capturing Essence in a Single Session

When you book a live sitting, we spend about four to five hours together. I use the alla prima technique, meaning I paint directly onto the canvas to capture your likeness in one go. It is an intense, focused process where we take plenty of chai breaks, and the resulting portrait feels alive, textured, and truly yours.

### Why Choose an Alla Prima Portrait?

Most of my portrait work is done using the *alla prima* (direct painting) method. Unlike layered studio paintings that take weeks, this approach relies on wet-on-wet application. It allows me to capture the immediacy of your personality—the way you hold your head, the light in your eyes, and your unique expression—in a single, high-energy session. Because I don't overwork the canvas, the result is a textured, painterly portrait that feels raw and honest.

### The Live Sitting Experience

There is a special energy that happens when you sit for a portrait. We will meet at my studio in Delhi for a four to five-hour session. I start with a foundational sketch on the linen canvas to map out the composition, then we move into color. We take short breaks, sip chai, and chat. It is a shared creative experience, and the final piece is a reflection of that time we spent together.

### Materials and Quality

I never compromise on what goes onto the canvas. I use artist-grade oil paints from brands like Gamblin, known for their lightfastness and pigment density. My surfaces of choice are high-quality, oil-primed linen or cotton canvas. This ensures that your portrait is not just a sketch, but an archival-quality piece of art meant to last for generations.

### Practical Details

- **Timeline:** While the painting happens in one sitting, oils need time to cure. Expect a mandatory 2-3 week drying period in my studio before the painting is safe to transport.
- **Customization:** We can discuss the background style beforehand—whether you prefer a simple tonal wash to make your face stand out, or a more detailed setting.
- **Beyond Life Sessions:** If you cannot make it to a live session, I also accept commissions based on photos. The quality and materials remain exactly the same.

## About Juhi Kumar

Hi, I’m Juhi. My studio is my happy place, but there is nothing quite like the energy of painting a live portrait. I don't just paint faces; I look for the story in your eyes and that one expression that defines you.

[See all of Juhi Kumar's services](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi)

## More from Commissioned Paintings by Juhi Kumar

- [Featured](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/featured)
- [Watercolor Journeys: Places and Memories](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/watercolor-journeys-places-and-memories)
- [Studies in Form: Grisaille, Monochrome, and Figures](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/studies-in-form-grisaille-monochrome-and-figures)
- [Oil Paintings: From Still Life to Cityscapes](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/oil-paintings-from-still-life-to-cityscapes)
- [Behind the Easel: My Process, Workshops, and Exhibitions](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/commissioned-paintings/behind-the-easel-my-process-workshops-and-exhibitions)

## More services by Juhi Kumar

- [Original Art for Sale](https://mytribe.in/kumar.juhi/original-art-for-sale)

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## Book

To book Juhi Kumar, message mytribe on WhatsApp: [Chat on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/916360004054?text=Hi%20Juhi!%20I%20saw%20your%20live%20oil%20portraits%20and%20would%20love%20to%20know%20more%20about%20booking%20a%20session.)