Individual portraiture is the painting of singular people. Throughout history, the elite commissioned portraits of themselves to preserve family images for posterity. Artists take the sitter's expression, clothing and pose into consideration as a way to depict personality and to portray other messages about the person. Sitters are depicted as sitting straight forward, with at least the tops of the shoulders visible. Alternative poses include silhouettes and full body paintings of the subjects.
Group portraiture depicts two or more people in a setting. Artists throughout history have used group portraiture to depict the state of affairs that exist amongst multiple people. Effective group portraits focus on the connection between all persons in the portrait, by depicting gestures or interaction between them. Common group portraits include siblings, parents, children and couples. Group portraits can consist of a formal sitting, with all subjects posed, or an informal depiction of a group of people actively participating in an activity.
With mirrors or photographs, many artists create portraits of themselves alone. Self-portraits are a self-exploration by the artist, created as a way to depict their own psyche or state of mind. Many artists throughout history have created portraits of themselves in much the same way as wealthy art patrons of the past, as a way to preserve their images for posterity. Artists can choose to create a truthful representation of themselves, or project themselves as something they are not, such as being more wealthy, spiritual or socially acceptable than they actually were.
Wedding portraits depict a couple on their wedding day, either separately or together. Various art mediums have been used throughout history to create wedding portraiture, including sculpture, painting and photography. Wealthy patrons of the art commissioned artists throughout history to paint photos of the couple, dressed in their wedding attire, as a way to document the event. In modern times, professional photographers take a series of both individual and group portraits at a couple's wedding, or couples have formal and posed photos taken at a photography studio.