Painting Commissions 101
Banishing that oddly-sized chunk of beige wall
Imagine: the world has shut down and you are confined to your house for months on end. After the first couple of weeks of flailing through TikTok dances and drowning in sourdough starters, you find yourself standing by your open fridge in holy sweatpants, eating a dinner consisting of a cold tortilla topped with a slice of provolone and sriracha. For the umpteenth time that day your eyes drift to that oddly-sized chunk of beige wall above your couch, a cruel metaphor for what your life has become.
If this feels a little too real, honey, it’s time to buy some art! Specifically, I’m talking about commissioning a piece that specifically speaks to you. I’m saying whatever colors, size, subject and style you can dream up. After all, an inspiring environment can lead to improvement in every area of your life.
As an artist, I looove collaborating with others, learning what speaks to your soul, teasing out the ideas and transforming it all into visual art that resonates.
If you think you’re ready to go for it, here are 3 pieces of advice to help you end up with a piece of art you’ll treasure, and find joy in the process.
1. Make sure the artist’s style of work fits with your vision.
If you’re going to approach an artist to create a piece of work, whether it be a painting, tattoo, or piece of furniture, take time to fully review their portfolio and ensure your vision fits. It’s great to have direction in mind, but don’t ask your artist for a style or subject completely different from that of which they already create. Definitely don’t ask them to directly copy something you saw on Pinterest.
2. Allow plennnntttyy of time.
Words I think we all need to live by: someone else’s lack of planning is not your emergency. No I cannot complete a painting for your mom’s 60th birthday this weekend. You ever see the ‘good, fast, cheap’ venn diagram? No? Well look, I drew it for you quickly for zero dollars:
Good art simply takes time. If you have a deadline, I’d recommend making the request at least 8 weeks in advance (keeping in mind every artist is different in how they might schedule out commissions.)
3. Communication is Key…
…in pretty much all of life, right? Both artist and commissioner should discuss timeline, terms of payment, concept and revision process, and terms of ownership and licensing. Create a written agreement, even between friends. Actually, especially between friends ;)
I hope this helped get the wheels turning, and have so much more to say on this subject. Please drop me a line if you’re interested in learning more. I am currently scheduling out commissions for Oct.-Dec. of this year - Let’s play!
