The importance of background for a portrait

The composition

Before making a portrait, I always ask my clients if they have a particular wish for the background.
Most trust me and give me carte blanche for the choice of the latter.

But sometimes I have special requests. Sometimes I warn against a too complicated background, because it could dominate the portrait.
If objects related to the subject must appear on the painting, I would place them so that they harmonize the composition of the work, moreover they would be represented a little blurred to leave its importance to the main subject.

And the color?

Everything is possible ! But for my part, I like to paint the background in a complementary shade to the dominant color of the subject. This has the effect of accentuating the contrasts and therefore creating depth and marking the reliefs.

The complementary color is the one that is diametrically opposite on a color wheel like this:

For example red is the complementary color of green.

Finally, a background color can reflect the character of the subject, indeed a red can bring out the dominant and daring character of an animal.

The background is an integral part of the final work. It has the same importance as the main subject and therefore deserves the same attention.