How to commission a portrait

How to commission a portrait:

Firstly decide on the picture you want and find - or take - some good photographs. Sadly, all too often people ask for a good portrait from a bad photograph and it is really impossible to achieve. The photographs should be your own and not professionally taken ones – or you need to ask for written permission of the photographer to use them for a portrait.There are strict copyright laws.

Decide how big a picture you want – you need to know where it will hang and take into account the frame and the mount. I normally send the painting without mount or frame but can certainly arrange for it to be framed if you prefer. I am happy to give you advice if you are unsure.

Get in touch with me so that I can tell you if I can meet your deadline. Please bear in mind that portraits take time to do well and I can’t rustle one up in a matter of a couple of days. Plus I may have others on order, so give me as much time as you can.

Choose your preferred medium. I do most of the portraits in pastel but can also do coloured pencil, single colour (sepia) pencil, graphite or acrylic. Have a look a the pictures on the site for examples of each.

Then send me your photos – I will immediately let you know if I can use them and do justice to your relative, child, friend, dog, cat or a mixture of all the above. I will also send you an agreement to sign and send back to me – this just details the size, cost, copyright etc and timescales so that we both know exactly what we have agreed. If you are happy to proceed I then need a £20 deposit from you.
Once finished I will email you a photo of your finished portrait. If you are happy with it, I will invoice you for the cost of the portrait plus postage and once I have received payment, will send you the finished artwork. I will include a progress story, showing the stages of completion and other details that may be of interest. If you are not happy with the proof picture I email to you, then you do not have to pay the remaining costs, but of course you don’t get the finished picture! Sorry but the deposit is not refundable.

To see an example of a commission in progress click here.

Prices

Size	Medium	Price
11" X 8" (Approx A4)	pastel	£55
22" X 16" (Approx A3)	pastel	£85
11" X 8" (Approx A4)	graphite or pencil	£45
22" X 16" (Approx A3)	graphite or pencil	£70
11" X 8" (Approx A4)	acrylic	£75
22" X 16" (Approx A3)	acrylic	£115

Other sizes are available - these are just for guidance.
The prices are for one person or animal with a plain background. If you want two or more subjects in a painting, it takes more time, so I will need to quote you a price. If you want a more detailed background, then show me what you want so that I can quote you a price. It won’t be much more, but it does take more time, so I have to take this into account.

Postage

This depends where it is to go to. The only addition to the cost of registered or recorded post would be insurance if required, and the packaging. I will make sure to wrap the portrait very carefully – please rest assured I want it to get to you in good condition just as much as you do! I will find out the postage as soon as you decide on the size and can let you know before you agree to go ahead. If you have any questions at all -contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!