I was having issues with painting for a while there. I've got Agnes (founder's wife) and Cornelia (who also has a high painting level) able to do portraits. I would select either of them, then select the founder or heir to have their portrait done. The founder or heir posed, the 'C' was pushed (to capture it) and then the painter walked away from the easel. I then tried to take a portrait of another member of the family, same result. Then I tried capturing it on Agnes' camera, same result. Then I had Agnes try to paint something else, she painted no trouble. I then sold the easels and bought new ones, including the more expensive version, and tried again. So, I saved the game, exited and came back in and tried again. Thankfully it worked and my Dynasty is saved! I would have cried if it didn't, and probably said a few nasty things that can't be written here.
At the moment, I'm just focusing on getting paintings, I can leave the sculptures and photos to a later time, can't I? Probably not even worry about sculptures and photos until later generations. So paintings only of founder and generation 2 and mixture of paintings, photos and sculptures of Generations 3 - 8. I really need to get other essentials done, like the gardening and fishing up to a high enough level (Founder is supermaxing Cooking - level 8 career and maxed Cooking skill, and Menu Maven achieved). Founder did his cooking and his heir is going to do the fishing and at the moment the spares and founder's partner are going to deal with the gardening and painting, probably with some sculpting and photographing thrown in for good measure.
Currently, the Founder is 2/5 of the way towards his LTW of being surrounded by family. I think it is 3 days before the twins become teens, and then another three days before the younger sister (adopted) becomes a teen.
Aunt Cornelia is at about 93 days now. It is a matter of me waiting for her to follow her husband into the great beyond so that Xaramon can get someone to have his heir with. There is an Ursine girl that he seems rather keen on, I'm noticing, Stephanie, daughter of Claire. He might give her a shot.
Dek