How to commission artwork

First of all you should try to think through your requirements. Then discuss them with us in detail.

Commissions: how to commission a painting or other artwork
There are many possibilities and requirements when commissioning artwork.

• You may wish to have a portrait of a person or an animal, paintings of your house, of your commercial premises, your car, your aeroplane, your boat, a favourite flower, a cherished possession, a much-loved view, a corner of your garden or a favourite landscape.

• You may want a painting to take pride of place in your boardroom, to present as a prize, to give as a present, or just to cherish for your own pleasure.

• The medium can be pencil, pen and ink, oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolour, mixed media, pastel, or other possibilities such as sculpture or scale models.

• Your exact detailed requirements will be needed - photographs, working drawings, notes of colours, materials, what should be left in or out and so on.

• Our corporate service can provide large portraits for your boardroom wall, of your founder, chairman etc, your prestige office building, your factory premises, your key products and so on. You can have any or all of these key images presented as prestigious original artwork, for no more than the cost of professional photography. Please note that reproduction rights are not included in the price of a painting - that costs extra.

• As a general guide here are some suggested cost ranges for finished artwork.

Pencil drawings, pen and ink monochrome, ink and wash: £100.00 to £500.00

Watercolour, gouache, mixed media, acrylic, pastel: £200.00 to £1,000.00.

Oil: £200.00 upwards. Note that there may be a longer delay before delivery of finished oil paintings, if more drying time is needed, and we may recommend that oil paintings are varnished professionally after six months to a year thorough drying in your possession.

All prices plus postage or shipping to you, and insurance.

All pictures are supplied in standard size mounts, but not framed.

Prices per size: The range of prices above can generally be assumed to range in size from approximately A4 to A3. The mount is much larger than the finished picture; for instance an A4 size painting fits into a mount at least 31 cm x 41 cm (12 inches x 16 inches) or larger, and the frame will make it larger still. Double this size for an A3 size painting.

Larger works than this will cost more.

The larger the artwork, usually the longer to execute, so time taken for production will also range from one month to six months. More specific size-cost-time quotations will depend on your exact requirements.

For more information, please contact us.

Artists - what you need to know

• Ours is a brokerage service, matching artists to clients, and handling all negotiations, finances, agreed timetables, progress chasing etc for mutual security. We are building up a stable of ‘regular’ dependable artists of high quality, plus a network of others for more occasional use, perhaps specialising in more unusual subject matter or materials.

• The client has to supply all necessary reference information, or to pay agreed expenses for us or the artist to obtain them to complete the artwork to the required standard. We will suggest you as the artist if we consider you appropriate for the work. The client has to agree to you as the artist offered, plus the size of the picture, medium, material, timeframe and final cost. Both the client and you as the artist sign contracts with us to agree to all the terms, which we will administer to the best interests of all parties. Your contract is with us, not with the client, and we will enforce terms of delivery, quality etc.

• After initial appointment, the artist has to supply a simple sketch treatment of the composition for the client to agree it before the final go-ahead is given.

• Payment to the artist is on completion of the work, after the client has paid, less commission.

• Commission is deducted by us as broker before payment is passed on to the artist (at a similar rate to that paid to a commercial gallery).
This commission includes all our expenses incurred in promoting and advertising the brokerage service, negotiating with clients on your behalf, preparing contracts, progress chasing, getting payments, paying credit card merchant charges, all telephone, fax or email costs etc.
The artist is responsible for completing the artwork to a professional standard, mounted and securely packed, but not framed. It must be delivered at the artist’s expense to our Yorkshire address within the timeframe agreed in the contract.

• Note: Copyright: The client only buys the finished artwork. The reproduction rights remain with the artist. The client does not have the right to use the artwork to produce any printed reproductions of it (such as in books, cards, calendars, advertising material etc) unless this has been specifically agreed in the original contract. Reproduction rights may be purchased by the client (this usually costs more than the cost of the artwork itself) only if the artist agrees.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO:
• If you wish to join us; Please send full details by email: name, address, telephone, fax, email, type of work undertaken, your background, experience, qualifications (if any), and a little about yourself in personal terms. Also please send jpeg reproductions of two recent works by email (or good quality prints by post) for inclusion in your individual page which can be included on our website, plus, if possible, references from recent clients regarding your work and your efficiency in delivery, if we do not already know you and your work. If you are accepted, and if you wish (it is not compulsory) we will set up a page with your details at no charge to you. If, like a number of our artists, you prefer that your details are kept confidential and not published on the website, we will only divulge them to a potential client in the course of negotiations. We also need to know if you are VAT-registered. If so, VAT has to be added to the price if delivery to the client is within the EU.

CLIENTS COMMISSIONING ARTWORK: what you need to know:

• Ours is a brokerage service, matching artists to clients, and handling all negotiations, finances, agreed timetables, progress chasing etc for mutual security. We are building up a stable of ‘regular’ dependable artists of high quality, plus a network of others for more occasional use, perhaps specialising in more unusual subject matter or materials.

• The client has to supply all necessary reference information, or to pay agreed expenses for us or the artist to obtain them to complete the artwork to the required standard. This may comprise photographs, scale drawings, specifications, written notes , or access for us to prepare relevant information. If specific items are to be included or excluded, this must be made clear. Also, within reason, stylistic exclusions will be observed (ie specific preferences over what you expect to see, or do not want to see included in the finished work). Any research expenses necessary to prepare the brief have to be paid at this stage, if you are unable to provide such materials.

• We will then suggest an artist we consider appropriate for the work, with a sample picture of a relevant artwork to support the suggestion. If you agree to the artist offered, plus the size of the picture, medium, material, timeframe and final cost, then 10% of that cost is payable as a non-returnable deposit and the artist is appointed. Both you as client and the artist sign contracts with us to agree to all the terms, which we will administer to the best interests of all parties. Your contract is with us, not with the artist, and we will enforce terms of payment etc.

• After initial appointment, the artist has to supply a simple sketch treatment of the composition for the client to agree it before the final go-ahead is given.

• If the client agrees the sketch treatment, another 20% of the total payment is required from the client, then the final go ahead is given to the artist to complete the actual artwork: total 30% paid by now.

• The balance of 70% is to be paid on completion by the agreed date, before work is shipped to client (this balance may be in two stage payments of 35% if the work is particularly large or time-consuming, by prior agreement).

• Commission is deducted by us as broker before payment is passed on to the artist (at a similar rate to that paid to a commercial gallery). Payments are only made to the artist after completion of the work. Our experience tells us that it may be unwise to make ‘stage payments’ or advance payments to certain artists who may lose the incentive to complete a work once they have been paid, if only in part.

• Once the artist has completed the artwork to a professional standard, and delivered it to us within the timeframe agreed in the contract, we will check that it complies with all the contract requirements and then contact you for the balance of the payment. If required, we can send you a print or digital image for you to see the finished work.

• The picture will be mounted but not framed. If framing is required, at extra cost, the type and quality of frame will have to be agreed at this stage, and we will quote costs and time delay. When all is completed,arrangements will be made for collection, post or shipping. The shipping and insurance costs are payable by the client in addition): agreed expenses incurred by the artist in preparing the artwork (travel costs, accommodation etc if agreed in advance by client), postage or shipping costs, insurance, framing if requested.

• Note: Copyright: You are purchasing a finished artwork. The reproduction rights remain with the artist. You do not have the right to use the artwork to produce any printed reproductions of it (such as in books, cards, calendars, advertising material etc) unless this has been specifically agreed in the original contract. Reproduction rights may be purchased additionally (this usually costs more than the cost of the artwork itself) if the artist agrees.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO FIRST WHEN COMMISSIONING ARTWORK:
• Contact us by email, post, telephone or fax with a general outline of the type of artwork you think you might want to commission, and its purpose. We can then discuss the project and develop it to the point where we can consider a suitable artist to carry out the work.