Commissions
I generally have a commissioned piece that I am working on at any given time. However, as I mention on my homepage I am unable to paint full-time, except during part of the Summer. For portraits, I custom-make each frame and attach and prepare the canvas myself. Some of my work is quite detailed so a painting can take many hours to complete. So, if you're thinking of commissioning me to paint a portrait of your nan for her eightieth birthday which is in six weeks time - sorry that might not be possible! However, if you like my work enough to wait, for what might easily be up to a year or more from the moment I begin the preparative sketches, then you might like to take a look at the information below. This explains how I go about organising a commission and the basic philosophy I bring to my work.
Setting a Value on Materials
I only use good quality materials in my paintings. Ready-made canvases aren’t always great quality and if the canvas itself is not primed properly there’s a danger of the oil soaking through and eventually rotting the material. I make each “strainer” - a fixed frame to support the painting – by hand. I feel that making my own frames is essential to the whole process, adding to a painting’s craftsmanship and quality.
Preparation
I use good quality 12 ounce canvas, and after stretching, prepare the surface with coats of “glue size” before painting on two coats of high quality acrylic-based gesso primer. This creates a barrier between the material and the first layer of paint, an old and well-tested method of preparation.
Although I often use photographs as a source material, especially in my portrait work, in all other respects my approach to painting is traditional in its techniques and processes. I often work from several sources, including preparatory sketches and studies made with the model. I work the oils in layers, working“fat-over-lean” – meaning that each subsequent layer has more oil content, allowing layers to properly dry and to avoid surface-cracking.
Professional Artist Quality Paints
In my work I only use artist quality paints of a high standard. These paints are defined by their high pigment content and the exclusion of fillers and drying agents, which improves their light-fastness, richness and long term stability.
Commissioning a portrait - stage by stage
Stage 1
This is just an initial meeting where I can show you some examples of my work and discuss with you any aspects of commissioning a portrait with me. This is a good opportunity for me to get an idea of what kind of painting you are interested in – what size the painting will be, whether it will hang in a specific space, what kind of a background you would like and so on. At this point I will arrange another visit to meet the sitter/s and to begin the preparatory work.
Stage 2
This is the preparatory stage in which I can meet the sitter/s and begin to build a picture of what the finished painting would look like. I always begin by taking some photos and quick sketches. I’d then go away and produce a preparatory drawing from these
sources.
Stage 3
At this stage you’ll see the preparatory drawing and we can discuss anything you might wish to adjust or change. The preparatory drawing is not in itself a finished drawing, but more of a clear indication of what the finished portrait will look like in terms of composition and scale. At this stage I will quote you a price for how much the portrait will cost. The price of a commission is always specific to the particular type of painting you are interested in and is based directly upon the cost of materials and the time involved. Other factors which effect the costing of a commission are the number of sitters, whether the background is complex or straightforward, and of course, the size of the work.
Stage 4
Once you are satisfied with the preparatory drawing and we are both agreed on using it as the basis for the finished piece, I would then ask for half of the whole payment in order to undertake the painting (this first half of the total payment is non-refundable). Up until this point I would not require any other payment. I would now build the canvas frame and start on the painting. After the
painting has been completed, if you are satisfied and wish to purchase it, then the second half of the total price originally quoted becomes payable. A realistic timescale for the completed work will be agreed when both parties are satisfied with the preparatory drawing.
Please note I may need to arrange a final sitting towards the completion of the painting.
Setting a Value on Materials
I only use good quality materials in my paintings. Ready-made canvases aren’t always great quality and if the canvas itself is not primed properly there’s a danger of the oil soaking through and eventually rotting the material. I make each “strainer” - a fixed frame to support the painting – by hand. I feel that making my own frames is essential to the whole process, adding to a painting’s craftsmanship and quality.
Preparation
I use good quality 12 ounce canvas, and after stretching, prepare the surface with coats of “glue size” before painting on two coats of high quality acrylic-based gesso primer. This creates a barrier between the material and the first layer of paint, an old and well-tested method of preparation.
Although I often use photographs as a source material, especially in my portrait work, in all other respects my approach to painting is traditional in its techniques and processes. I often work from several sources, including preparatory sketches and studies made with the model. I work the oils in layers, working“fat-over-lean” – meaning that each subsequent layer has more oil content, allowing layers to properly dry and to avoid surface-cracking.
Professional Artist Quality Paints
In my work I only use artist quality paints of a high standard. These paints are defined by their high pigment content and the exclusion of fillers and drying agents, which improves their light-fastness, richness and long term stability.
Commissioning a portrait - stage by stage
Stage 1
This is just an initial meeting where I can show you some examples of my work and discuss with you any aspects of commissioning a portrait with me. This is a good opportunity for me to get an idea of what kind of painting you are interested in – what size the painting will be, whether it will hang in a specific space, what kind of a background you would like and so on. At this point I will arrange another visit to meet the sitter/s and to begin the preparatory work.
Stage 2
This is the preparatory stage in which I can meet the sitter/s and begin to build a picture of what the finished painting would look like. I always begin by taking some photos and quick sketches. I’d then go away and produce a preparatory drawing from these
sources.
Stage 3
At this stage you’ll see the preparatory drawing and we can discuss anything you might wish to adjust or change. The preparatory drawing is not in itself a finished drawing, but more of a clear indication of what the finished portrait will look like in terms of composition and scale. At this stage I will quote you a price for how much the portrait will cost. The price of a commission is always specific to the particular type of painting you are interested in and is based directly upon the cost of materials and the time involved. Other factors which effect the costing of a commission are the number of sitters, whether the background is complex or straightforward, and of course, the size of the work.
Stage 4
Once you are satisfied with the preparatory drawing and we are both agreed on using it as the basis for the finished piece, I would then ask for half of the whole payment in order to undertake the painting (this first half of the total payment is non-refundable). Up until this point I would not require any other payment. I would now build the canvas frame and start on the painting. After the
painting has been completed, if you are satisfied and wish to purchase it, then the second half of the total price originally quoted becomes payable. A realistic timescale for the completed work will be agreed when both parties are satisfied with the preparatory drawing.
Please note I may need to arrange a final sitting towards the completion of the painting.