Commissioning an Original Painting from a Photograph
You may be considering commissioning a Pet Portrait, or a Bird or Animal Painting, but have no idea how to go about the process of getting your envisioned piece created. Perhaps you have a vision, a sense of the style you wish to create for your piece, but how do you communicate this to the artist?
Commissioning a painting can be an intimidating process, but you have to remember that appointing an artist to produce a painting is a collaborative experience and can also be great fun, being part of the process of creating something personal, made especially for you.
To start with, you will need to have a clear idea of the things that you want and don’t want from a painting. If it is likely to be a particularly complex piece, check with the artist first, to ensure that they will accept the work.
Reference photos are a good way to transfer the vision of your piece to the artist. As an artist myself, I particularly love painting dogs but many of my paintings are based around animals and nature and I have painted many different kinds of animals, birds, wildlife and flowers.
For an example of Pet Portraits, you can see below a finished commission I painted. The reference photo was quite different to how the original painting ended up.
“Cassi & Ball”, Original Oil Painting Commission
‘Cassi’, is a painting of a Schnauzer puppy.
“Cassi”, Reference photograph
You can see in the original painting that I removed the houses in the background of the reference photograph, as these took away the focus of the puppy and instead I painted a colourful, more modern background to show off the puppy’s best profile and added one of Cassi’s toys.
“Poppy”, Reference photograph
The photograph was quite difficult to work from because it was taken through a glass window and there was some reflection across the puppy. The image was quite dark too.
I embellished the finished painting with additional features, such as flowers in the terracotta pots, a small bird, and one of Poppy’s toys to add more interest to the composition, and removed some of the clutter.
This painting was part of a pair, commissioned together. I produced them on the same size canvas to complement each other.
“Poppy’s Garden”, “Pippa’s Sunny Spot”, pair of Commissioned original oil paintings
“Pippa”, Reference Photograph
As you can see, the final commission came out quite different from the photo image, with additions such as the climbing rose in the background and flowerpot.
As with any professional relationship, it is important to build a good relationship with the artist, being kind, pleasant and communicating well so that you can work together to get the result you want. Remember, you want your painting to be very special. The artist may ask you what it is about their work you particularly like and you need to be clear about what you do and don’t like.
You will normally have to fit into the artist’s schedule and consider, if you are commissioning an oil painting, that this will take time to dry before it is ready. Artists are usually very busy people; they are likely to be running their own business, PR, marketing and everything else that this involves; they are also creating the paintings that they are promoting.
Ensure that the artist knows specifically what you would like; this needs to be communicated clearly to the artist with as much detail as possible so that you are both on the same page.
It is important not to wait until the commission process has begun if you decide to make changes to your vision. This could involve extra charges or the artist deciding not to proceed with your work, so it is best to be clear on what you want before the painting begins.
You will normally be asked about the type of medium (oil, pastels etc), size of canvas or size of the finished piece, subject, timeline, budget. This may involve the artist sourcing the right sized canvas or other materials, particularly if you want the painting framed at the end of the work.
Before you go ahead and agree to the artist starting your commissioned piece, ensure you have both agreed a clear idea of your vision (style, colour scheme, feel you wish to evoke, where it will hang in your home, whom it is for); all the details you would want to know yourself, so that you can ensure that you will be happy with the finished artwork.
You should expect to sign a formal contract before the work begins. This is to protect both parties and is a professional agreement, with clear expectations for the work. This should include the price and any related costs, if applicable, and payment terms.
Most artists will ask for half the payment up front, which is normally non-refundable if you happen to change your mind. Imagine yourself, spending weeks creating something and then being told that the person you are creating it for has changed their mind. Remember this is a business contract (you would not expect a business to do something for nothing). An artist is a professional, you are paying them for their time.
The contract should also include a timeline, date of completion and the approval process, and will also detail the artist’s and your rights, or not, for using the images for the artwork.
Enjoy the process. Being involved will help you to get the best finished result. Keep in touch (although the artist is likely to do this anyway) just in case there are more details needed (or better images). Be as clear as you can and if you have any concerns about the timeline (if the piece is needed for a set date), remember that most artists will expect you to be reaching out and this should be part of the process.
Normally the artist will keep you updated with images of the work in progress. Again, do not leave it too late to tell the artist if you feel the work is not what you expected. Big revisions could be expensive. Discuss this with the artist, to come to some compromise. Remember, the artist wants to make you happy and to produce their best work for you.
If you are delighted with the piece and the work has come up to, or exceeded your expectations, do let the artist know. Everyone likes praise. Art comes from the soul. It takes something from the artist every time a painting is produced, particularly if trying to produce someone else’s vision.
If a commission is done well, the painting will be a valuable and personal piece, for the collector and for the artist. Commissioning an artwork is being part of the creative process in bringing something new into actuality. It will be something you can connect with forever. The artist will have the opportunity to build a long and lasting relationship with you, the collector, and you will be instrumental in developing and extending the artist’s artistic and creative boundaries.
If you would like to learn more about commissioning a painting (Pet Portrait, or Bird or Animal Painting), and to submit your ideas for a piece, fill in the Enquiry Form, which will give you food for thought when commissioning a painting. I would be delighted to hear from you and to help you create a unique and special painting.
Warmly,
Patricia
‘Love, Joy, Create’ Blog – My love of nature inspires my art practice. Learning from nature, seeing animals and birds fills me with joy. Please follow along with me and create your own inspiration for your art by learning about nature and the world around us. art@patriciajvalentiart.com
Patricia Valenti is a representational contemporary fine artist and life-long painter, based in Kent in the UK, beginning her artistic studies as a young girl. Her passion for nature and the beauty of animals and wildlife can be seen in her work, transforming familiar animals and wildlife into stunning, realistic interpretations with emotional impact. Her walks around the surrounding countryside near her home inspire her work.