Ever wonder how to find the perfect painting?
Art is elusive, subjective and finding the right piece can seem to be impossible. Especially if the special place you have in mind is not on the public radar. Bespoke art can fit the bill. Find an artist with a style you love and enquire how to commission a painting from them
Some artists won’t consider commissions for various reasons but many will, when asked. What does commissioning an artist involve? Each artist has their own way of doing things but here are some of stages involved in my process.
- The brief is agreed at an initial meeting. This includes size, subject matter, price, timescale, location (if relevant).
- An agreement/contract is made.
- Initial sketches to decide on the a compostion
- Creation of the Artwork. The artist will hopefully give you regular updates with progress.
- Final reveal, always an anxious point but usually the most exciting point, especially when communication is good. Always choose an artist who you can talk to and who will listen to you and what you want.
In May 2021, I was approached about creating a commission for an apartment in Canary Wharf. The customer wanted something which included the building which housed the apartment, but hadn’t been able to find what he wanted. Then, as he put it, “I found you and you have just the right style, would you be interested in painting Canary Wharf?”. I was delighted at the oportunity especially as my previous Canary Wharf paintings had been small and this was going to be a much larger piece.
Deciding the composition for the Commission Painting
A good brief is important, as it gives a clear idea of the subject matter and ensures that the art will delight the client. I ended up going on two photo shoots, one to get a feel for the location and the second to find the right location to make the composition work and include the customer’s criteria. Sadly, I couldn’t get the sun to cooperate and had to improvise the light and reflections.
Creating the Art
Large paintings take time and this one involved an experimental technique for me at the time. I’d long been wanting to display my work au natural, without glass and all those pesky reflections. So, for this piece, the watercolour paper is attached to a wooden painting panel. The final image was then treated with acrylic medium and sprayed with a matt varnish. I’ve experimented with smaller works but nothing on this scale.
There were technical issues, paper buckling and lifting, but I was able to achieve a much flatter result in the end.
The painting’s evolution can be seen in the photgraphs below.
Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I did change studios halfway through.
The Completed Canary Wharf Painting
Complex images can seem to take forever to complete, but it’s always worth the extra effort. Here’s the finished commission painting.
Canary Wharf from Limehouse Basin
Want to know more?
In order to summarise 5 months of work, I’ve kept this account brief. There’s more information about the full process on my commissions page.
Do you have a special painting you want to find? Maybe you have something in mind and you’re curious how to make it possible? I’d love to hear your vision. Contact me to discuss how we could make your dream a reality.