The search for expression and character in his fictional exploratory drawings and paintings of the human face and character have been, and still are, a fundamentally important preparation for his portraits none of which, as one would expect from an artist of his mettle, are mere likenesses, simple look-alikes; all explore the character behind the features, even those portraits that appear to have been done most casually. It is in this exploration of the subject’s being, so subtle in certain cases as to be easily missed by the careless eye, that Pitre excels, particularly in his portraiture, apart from in his undoubted virtuosity as a painter. So the prestige of the artist also comes into the reckoning. By putting his name to the portrait the artist is also certifying its quality; he is declaring it as something he is willing to sign, to give his name to. This complicated matter of ownership mans that there is something at stake in the portrait for both artist and client; the former lays his prestige and the quality of his work, which will be viewed not by the client only but by others also, on the line, the latter wants satisfaction and value for money, and there is always the possibility that the two priorities will conflict.