What To Expect During The Commission Process
How to Commission a Custom Painting
One of the questions I get the most is “I want a painting; can I commission you to paint me something?”
This is a loaded question, and there are many layers to the commission process that both the client and the artist need to understand. Having gone through this process for years now (I’ve made many mistakes & am still no expert!), I’ve learned to better convey the steps behind getting the painting you’ve always dreamt of, more seamless.
Once you contact me, I will schedule a brief 30-minute call or FaceTime with you to better understand what you are looking for. The more information you have on hand, the better! And no worries, you don’t need to understand art terms, but having a general idea of the size and composition that you are seeking helps tremendously.
To better explain this process, I will take you through the most recent commission that I completed for a beautiful home in New Orleans.
The client was already working with an interior designer, so this automatically made my life easier. She had Manuel Canovas swatches on hand as well as a general sense of what she was envisioning for both her room and painting.
She had a variety of samples to help me incorporate her color scheme.
Blue Print Store served as a great visual for my client.
This was the final pattern that my client ended up picking out. LOVE these patterns!
After the on-sight meeting (or phone conversation), where we discuss the pricing and completion date, I begin to draft a contract. In this contract, it outlines that there is a 50% deposit, the materials to be used, the size of the project, and the completion date. Once we both sign this, I then order the canvas to be built and primed.
While it is being built, I will come up with a few ‘mock’ drawings of what I envision, and then Photoshop image(s) of a general idea of the painting. I’ll send these over to the client, and once he/she approves, I’ll begin to finally paint! Phew!
This is a very loose interpretation of what I was envisioning.
It is completely optional on whether the client wants to see process pictures during the course of the painting’s creation, but I am more than happy to send pictures during the duration. This painting specifically was such a joy to create as my client gave me complete artistic freedom to create my vision (Claude Monet served as a huge inspiration for this piece.).
Once I feel that the painting is complete, I will email the final version for approval.
*Note: During the contract phase, we also discuss shipping and framing needs (which will incur additional costs). I have worked with a number of framers and am happy to help with this process or supply recommendations.
I want my clients to be 100% satisfied with their painting, and hope that this process is as seamless as possible if you ever consider commissioning a painting! Think you would like to getting on the list? Hop on over to the ‘Commissions’ page to learn more, and also, never hesitate to contact me!
Until next time,
Interested in discussing a commissioned painting? Click here to learn more!