Commissioned paintings

Custom, original art can be one of the most thoughtful, precious gifts you can give, whether it be for yourself or others. I specialize in still life, figure, and portrait commissions (kids, adults, AND pets of course). I'd love to work with you to create something beautiful and special. I’ll work at any size ranging from 8x8 to 24x24 inches.

Pricing

The price of a commission depends on the size of the piece and the subject matter. Below are some common sizes and example prices. I’ll calculate the final price once we know more details.

Process

1. Book your commission
I like to book commissions at least three months ahead of their ideal completion date. This gives us time to design and plan the piece and gives me plenty of time to work it into my painting schedule. I’m able to turn them around more quickly, but that may come at a higher price, depending on what the commission is and what I have going on. To get started, you’ll fill out an intake form and pay a $100 deposit (refundable up until the day of our composition meeting).

2. Composition meeting
Shortly after you pay your deposit, we’ll schedule a 30-minute zoom meeting to discuss your painting. We’ll look through reference photos, subject matter, and some of my previous paintings. The goal is to decide on the photos or objects I’ll reference, the colors that are important to you, ideal sizes, and your budget.

3. Composition exploration
I’ll sketch out 1-3 thumbnail ideas for your painting along with size options and pricing. You’ll send me your feedback and we’ll explore until you feel good about the direction. After we land on a direction, I’ll send you an invoice for 50% of the painting cost (minus the $100 deposit). It will be due two weeks before I get started.

4. Completing the commission
It could take anywhere from a day to a few weeks to complete your painting. Make sure you’re available to answer questions or give input once I get started painting. At 95% completion, I’ll send you a photo and will do one round of minor edits. If major edits are needed, there may be additional charges. When the painting is complete, you’ll pay the final balance plus shipping.

5. Drying, varnishing, and shipping
I’ll wait 4 to 5 weeks for the painting to fully dry and cure. After this, I’ll apply a coat of Gamvar Varnish to seal and protect it. I’ll carefully package and ship it via USPS with insurance and tracking. If you live in Richmond, VA or Baton Rouge, LA, local pickup options are an option.

Choosing a reference

I prefer to paint from life, which means the subject matter is physically in front of me while painting (i.e., not a photo). For still life paintings, this should be feasible in most cases. I can set up a composition with my own objects or you can send me special objects to paint. For pets and people, this is likely not feasible, so I’ll paint from a high quality, well-composed photo.

Not all photos make great paintings (even beautiful photos) and it’s essential that we spend some time together choosing the right photo. Be prepared to have many photo options of your subject (atleast 5, but more is better!). I’ll use the options you give me to explore compositions for the painting. A few qualities that I look for in a photo are:

• a strong directional light source: the subject matter should have clear shadows and lit areas.

• sufficient detail and color: the photo should be at the proper exposure, have crisp detail (some blur is okay), sufficient resolution, and be the color you want the painting to be.

• composition potential: key subject matter should be at a pleasing angle and seen in its entirety (not cropped or blocked by other elements).

Posting on social media

I post just about all of my paintings on social media, and sometimes I post progress as I go as well. If there’s any reason for me to delay posting your commission (for example, it’s a gift), let me know before I get started.