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Art is a personal and unique experience for every client. Whether we want to freshen up our walls, are creating a theme throughout our house or are honoring loved ones past or present . Art can also be expensive (and sometimes with good reason), so it is important to ask the right questions. This is an exciting time for you, and so a little bit of support from this E-book can go a long way.
1: PICKING THE RIGHT PHOTO
Picking the right photo is essential to improving the outcome of your artists portrait. The more detail an artists can see, the chances the ‘likeness’ of your subject will be reflected in the final product. High quality photos will also reduce the overall cost of the portrait because the artist will spend less time figuring out how to depict those vital details in the portrait that make the subject unique.
I have 5 main ‘Pro Tips’ that you can use that will greatly improve your final art piece.
1: Is your photo clear and sharp? Will you be able to paint anything that is not clear or blurred? No, right? The same is the case here. For a perfect painting, the subject in the photograph should be clear. All the lines and edges of the face are important in the painting. So, if you find anything cloudy in the subject, you may look for a better one
2: Do you have your best expression? Everyone likes a smiling face. Your favorite picture would be the one with a bright smile. While all other details like hair, clothes, the background can be altered while painting, the expression cannot be corrected without losing the likeness. So, always look for the best one.
Smiling faces make better portraits.
3: Is your photo a high resolution? Eyes should be crystal clear.
4: Do you have the right amount of exposure? Do you find any difficulty while seeing any part of the face? Is it too dark or too bright? If the answer to these questions is yes, then the exposure of the picture isn’t right. You need to find a picture in which all light tones and shadows both are visible. That would be the best photo of the painting
THINGS TO AVOID
· Using screen shots
· Taking photos of photos (if it is an old black and white photo, try scanning it, or mailing the original)
Sending photos that are too dark or blurry
2: OPTIMISING YOUR WALL SPACE
How do you get your art to look like it fits on the wall?
You’ve all seen it before, sometimes the art is so big its over bearing and then sometimes its so small it gets lost in the abyss of empty wall space.
If we choose the wrong size piece of art we run the risk of making our room feel our of balance.
When considering the purchase of a commissioned portrait, you will want to take into consideration the size of your portrait and which wall it will sit on. What colours do you already have in your home? What is the feeling of the décor?
Below, I have 6 tips to selecting the right piece of art for the right wall.
1) SPACE Wall art should take up 60%- 75% of the blank wall space.
2) BALANCE
When an art piece sits over the top of furniture, such as a couch or bed, it should be between 2/3 to 3/4 of the width of the furniture
3) FOCUS
Wall art that is 41 inches or larger in height or width should stand alone as focal points of a wall or room.
4)SIMPLE If you are hanging a large piece of art on the wall, make sure the furnishings around it are simple. This is so the art can remain the focus of the room.
5) GALLERY
If you only have a few small pieces, then group them together to create a ‘gallery affect’. Try to keep the center of the gallery at eye level.
6) EYE LEVEL As a general rule of thumb, for the most aesthetically pleasing décor, you should hang artwork at eye level.
3: RESEARCH YOUR ARTIST
Before you hand over one red dime, you really want to understand what your artist is capable of and if the style of art if what you want in your home.
So, it is absolutely crucial that you do your homework, even if the artist has been recommended to you . The art work that your friend might have had done, might be completely different to the scope of work you are looking for.
Art is a very personal taste, and it is different for everyone, so please, read the next 6 tips I have for you about the things you should take into consideration before booking your art portrait.
TIME FRAMES: Sometimes, artists are booked out months in advance, or they may have a small window opened up where they might be able to squeeze you in. Booking timeframes can be vary depending on what work they are doing. Some pieces may take longer than expected and others may be quicker than first anticipated. Which can be advantageous as little windows for new bookings may open up unexpectedly. The last thing you want to do is rush your artist to complete a project. The pressure put on the artist to finish a piece quickly will reflect in the work.
Make sure to ask your artist not just when they can get started, but also when they can expect the piece to be completed. This is super important, especially if it is a gift for someone.
ADDITTIONAL TIMES FRAMES TO CONSIDER:
If you are purchasing a commission portrait for a time sensitive gift, there are other steps in the commissioned art piece you should take into consideration:
1. Postage timeframes Do you need it express posted? Is this included in the postage and handling of the price?
2. Framing: Does the artist frame the work? Or will you need to take the art piece to the framers after you receive it. How long do framers take? A particular (and very good framer) that I use usually has a 3 week turn around time MINIMUM.
BUDGET
Budget is a huge factor in your choices. Ask the artist how they charge. There are a few ways in which artists charge: per square inch or based on size. Then some other artists can get very technical they may add more costs if there are more subjects in the piece, if they are putting several photos together, if they are doing vintage recreations, and the medium choices.
So make sure to ask about how they charge and what are the additional costs involved.
Also, (this will separate the professionals from the amateurs) ask if a deposit is required. You will NEVER have a professional artist commence a piece of art without a security deposit. This also goes hand in hand with some form of written agreement, whether it be a signed contract, emails or invoice.
Postage is another thing to factor into your budget, make sure to ask if the postage is included in the price or if this is an additional charge. Any professional working artist will include postage and handling ontop of their price. This is because, you want to make sure theu take considerable care in protecting the art during transportation, which costs money. I personally, wrap my pieces in acid free tissue paper and then bubble wrap. I also secure it between two pieces of stiff card and then place it snug in a solid gift box so there is no room for bending or damaging the product. I then also make sure to gift wrap the piece with a thank you note. This is all money well spent because I am ensuring your art is safely delivered to you.
REVIEW THEIR PORTFOLIO
Ask to see their portfolio of work. Have they commissioned pieces before? This will allow you to see if your style is on the same page as the artist and if they are established. It will also reveal if they are capable of achieving your vision.
Let them know if you like certain pieces more than others. This will give the artist a better idea of the style of art you prefer. They will also be able to communicate through this process, what is possible and what is not achievable.
It’s all about getting a clear understanding of what it is you are after and if they can create that vision.
4: HOW INVOLVED WILL YOU BE IN THE PROCESS?
Ask the artist right at the start if you will be able to see progression photos. If so , how often? Also ask how the progression photos will be communicated. Will it be via email? Gia text? It’s great to be able to see your vision coming to life, but you also want to make sure you’re not bugging the artist. Happy, relaxed artists = great work.
Artists should be more than happy to provide communication throughout the process, because it is easier to fix up things you don’t like as you go along rather than at the end.
Factoring in all these considerations will result in a fun and exciting process. You will end up with the dream art piece and a memorable experience.
Good luck!
If you would like a FREE consult with Samantha Badrock, make sure to click HERE to make a booking.
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