Commissioned Painting by an Artist: When to Get in Touch
People contact me when they want a painting of a person, a pet, a family home or another subject that matters to them. The commission often comes for a birthday or to honor someone in a community, and the inquiry usually arrives well in advance.
Words: Mika Anttila
- My clients include private individuals as well as companies and organizations.
- Subjects that suit a painting include people, pets, other animals, a family home, natural sites and landscapes.
- Clients usually get in touch in good time, and at the start we agree whether they will send photos, visit my studio, or whether I will visit them.
A portrait of a person
The most common situation is a portrait of a person. The reason is often a birthday, which people want to mark with something lasting. Companies and organizations commission portraits of their distinguished staff members from me.
Pets, animals, a family home and other subjects
I paint pets, and other animals are welcome subjects too. Many people want a painting of their own home.
A natural site or a landscape also works as a subject. The subject can be anything else the client would like to have painted.
Price and timing
Clients usually ask first what the work will cost. I then give them a price range.
People usually get in touch well in advance. Many contact me half a year ahead, and some even a year ahead. At the shortest, the lead time is often about two months.
How the inquiry proceeds
Once a client has contacted me, we first agree how we will discuss the work in more detail. There are three options: the client sends photos, the client comes to my studio, or I go to the client to talk things over and take photos.
If I am painting a person, I take plenty of photographs of them. After that we agree on the next steps and on when the subject of the portrait or another model will come to visit.
Completion and framing
The painting is finished by the agreed date. The time the work takes naturally depends on its difficulty and size.
The painting can be delivered either unframed or framed.
Frequently asked
- When should I get in touch about a commissioned painting?
- Usually well in advance. Many people contact me half a year ahead, and some even a year ahead. At the shortest, the lead time is often about two months.
- Can I commission a painting of my pet, my home or a landscape?
- Yes. I paint pets and other animals, and many people have also commissioned a painting of their own home. A natural site, a landscape or any other subject you would like painted works as well.
- Can a company commission a portrait of an employee?
- Yes. Companies and organizations commission portraits of their distinguished staff members from me.
- When will the painting be finished, and does it come framed?
- The painting is finished by the agreed date. The time the work takes depends on its difficulty and size. The painting can be delivered either unframed or framed.
Would you like to ask about a commission?