Best Custom Painting Service 101: A Guide To Commissioned Paintings

This article is a guest post by Adam Cross

​Don’t you sometimes feel the need to have a magnificent work of art at home, or in your room, but you can’t quite get it from the paintings you can see available for sale? Perhaps if you’re looking for something quite specific, but you don’t necessarily have the artistic talent to execute the piece yourself, perhaps it’s time for you to commission a painting from the best custom painting services?

Commissioned paintings can make excellent additions to your home, to your workplace, or to a property you own - especially if you want to add that artistic flair or “signature” vibe to make a room stand out. In this Custom Painting Service 101 article, you’ll be walked through just how you can use this guide to commissioned paintings to get yourself that work of art you need.

The art industry has continued to boom through the years. The global art market has ballooned to as much as $63.8-billion back in 2015. The United States, in particular, has seen continuous growth in terms of the global art trade, with art sales having increased to a total of $27.3-billion in 2015, four percent higher than the previous year. If you find yourself curious about getting a piece commissioned, just how exactly should you approach it? 

• Commission, Payment structures may vary from painter to service: Before proceeding, it’s  first important to remember that the guide below isn’t necessarily the end-all, be-all guide for all kinds of commissioned paintings. Depending on the area or who you’re talking to, things such as fees, payment structures, and commission structures may vary depending on your preference as a client, or the painter or service’s preferences. As such, be sure to always inquire for the proper sequence of events or for the specifics you may need clarification with. This at least ensures you’re on the same page with the service provider you’ve chosen.

• Determine the kind of artwork you need: It’s important to understand that before you even proceed to look for artists for your work, you need to be sure of the piece you want created. Unlike friends or family who can help you redo work you’re not content with, commission services will most likely charge you extra for any changes or alterations you want with a finished product. As such, it’s important to start securing the details of your piece immediately

• Envision the painting you want to have created in as clear detail as possible. If you have basic drawing skills but not the painting skills needed to execute the painting, you can at least draw a basic layout of the painting you want. If you don’t have drawing skills, you can still make a rough sketch of the piece you want fulfilled based on the references you have.

• If you have references or specific things you want added in your piece, it’s best you start researching about it this early on so you can easily provide them to your artist when you do have one contacted. ​​

​● Choose the artist to paint your work: Perhaps one of the most important steps towards getting a painting commissioned is to, of course, tap into the artist of your choosing. While this might seem a bit “automatic,” it’s important to understand that choosing your artist isn’t a matter of just hand picking one from a list you have.

1. Take your time to find and assess various painters and painting services you may have in the vicinity. Take note of their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and website in order to get a good grasp of the kinds of services they offer.
2. Always closely insoect their policies, as they most likely have them posted. Keep tabs on questions you may want to ask should you get in touch with them. If there’s anything unclear about their policies, do make sure those are included as questions for you to ask as well.
3. When you’ve handpicked a few artists and custom painting services providers, be sure to give them a call in order for you to have a clear conversation on their commission policies, payment terms, and other things that need clarification on your end as a client. 

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​● Converse with your artist about the various details of the work: Once you’ve chosen your prospective artist, start a conversation with regards to the commission work itself. This puts you in the position of a client and you can go as overboard as you want with what you think the painting needs, so you and the painter can scale it down to a more acceptable and plausible piece to work with.

1. Details of the artwork should be provided, which you should’ve been able to clarify as per the above.
2. Check if the size you’re aiming for is something that is actually viable. Also try to seek advice for framing, if you do plan on getting it framed.
3. Do you have particular sets or shades of colors you want to be included in the painting? Be sure to specify this with your painter so they know exactly how to approach your piece.
4. What is your budget? Be honest with the artist and yourself with regards to your budget. Let them know if your budget is tight, and they may be able to find ways of working with you with regards to decreasing costs.
5. What is your deadline? 

● Be sure you’re aware of how your payment structures work: This is going to be emphasized again, but be sure you’re aware of how exactly your payment and paintings are going to be processed throughout the course of the creation process of your work. These may vary from service to service, but knowing how these payment structures work could at least give you an approximation of things to expect in the process.

1. You’ll first receive a quotation on your final painting based on the specifications you’ve given. The quotation or quote will contain the specifics and in-depth explanation of things you should expect as the final product, as per your desires. These quotes should also contain the costs of the creation of your piece.
2. Painting should begin once you’ve accepted the quotation and have provided a particular down-payment. If you want something or someone to be the basis of the work, then something called “sitting” is required. This simply means the reference should be there for the artist to copy, and these can take multiple sessions. If the painter needs only the photograph of the reference, be sure to give a lot of photographs from different angles.
3. When the painting is finished, it’s likely that you’ll only get to receive it once you’ve finished the final payment of the work. 

Conclusion: Commissioned Paintings Have Potential​

When it comes to commissioned paintings, it’s important to remember that it’s more than just telling an artist what sort of painting you want to execute. It’s important to understand that there are particulars - such as size, costs, and other factors - that have to be taken into consideration before you can ask an artist to fulfill a particular commission request. Understanding these fundamentals, however, can put you in a better position to make better deals with artists in order to pull off stunning works of art you could use for various purposes. 

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Adam Cross is a writer contributing works to 1st Art Gallery.