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Price List
This is a rough guide to pricing and by no means an exhaustive or fixed list. If you have in mind something that is not mentioned or different to the suggested items below please contact me to discus any ideas that you may have.
Commission
How to commission a bespoke work of art
Decisions
First take a look at the price list and gallery to help you make a decision about your commission thing to consider are what size, how many subjects, if you would like pastel or graphite and whether to include a background or not
Contact
Contact me to discuss your commission, you can do this by filling in the contact form, calling me or contacting me on my social media platforms.We will make sure that what you would like is achievable. If you would like to piece for a specific date I would need quite a large amount of notice, this period can vary due to the time of year, especially in the period leading up to Christmas. I will always try to achieve a deadline but this is not always possible, in this event I do offer gift vouchers that could be given instead. It is sometimes nice for the recipient to be involved in the creation process, choosing photos, seeing updates etc.
Photographs
I work from photographs, if you are local to me I can arrange to come and take them myself or you can email me any that you would like me to consider working from. This is one of the most important parts of the commission process as the better the photos the better the finished product will be. Further down the page I have given some advice on how to take suitable photos and what I need to work from so please take a look.
If your subject is sadly no longer with us then feel free to send any and as many photos as you have, quite often I can find something to work from. However I have and will have to turn down commissions if I feel that I cannot produce a good enough finished piece due to poor quality reference photos.
Confirmation
Once we have agreed on the best reference photos, composition and style for your commission I will send out a confirmation email with all the details, this will also include an invoice for 50% of the total price. This payment secures your commission and work will commence once this payment has been received. If at this point you would like to make any chages then please let me know as soon as possible as I will be starting to work on your commission very shortly
Drawing
As I am working on your piece I can either send updates as I go along if you wish or if you prefer I will just send a picture of the finished work. I do not post on social media until the work is finished and received by the final recipient. Once you are entirely happy with the commission I will raise a final invoice.
Payment and shipping
I ask for payment on completion of work, once I have received the full and final payment I will package and send your commission. I will send you a copy of the tracking number, all artwork is sent via Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery or Parcelforce 24, both with extra insurance should the worst happen.
Aftercare
Pastel pencils are a very delicate medium, I do not use a fixative as I have found in the past that this can erase much of the fine detail in the finished art work. I will send your artwork properly mounted using a gutter mount so as to avoid pastel dust ruining the mount. However the work itself is liable to smudging should you brush over it and will show droplets of liquid such as rain if it is exposed to the elements. I strongly advise all of my clients to have their work framed and behind glass as soon as possible to protect and avoid daminging it.
Photographs
The most important part!
I work from photographs and normally like to take my own to ensure that the quality is good enough to work from. I can work from multiple photos to create one united work of art. I can also leave things out or add thing in to a certain extent. However good quality photos make this so much easier and will mean that I can make your commissioned artwork extra special. The more detail in the reference photos the better the outcome can be.
If you are sending me photos don't be afraid to send too many, the more the merrier as there may be certain bits I can use from different pictures. Most newish model mobile phones will take a good enough picture now, although if you have or know someone with a proper SLR digital camera this would be preferential.
Unfortunately if the subject is no longer with us I may have to turn down you commission if I feel that I cannot produce a good enough final piece. I would hate for you to be disappointed with the finished work.
Here are a few examples and tips for taking good reference photos.
Positioning
Getting the right pose can make a huge difference to a piece. Try to get on the same level as your subject, generally it doesn't look right to look down on or up towards the subject, you end up with an unflattering pose or the top of the head. It is also good to try and get you subject to look at you, a good clear view of the eyes really brings an animal or person to life. You may need someone to help, to maybe stand behind or in front (out of shot) of you to attract the subjects attention. Really try to capture your subjects personality, and think about whether the photo reflects how they look to you the majority of the time. On the left we have a well posed photo of Freddy showing off his cheeky expression, on the right we have two rather unflattering photos of Fred showing how not to pose for a photo.
Lighting
Bright natural light is best, ideally outdoors or by large windows if possible. on the left are examples of good lighting and on the right are bad examples. Try to avoid bright reflective lighting like a camera flash or indoor lighting which can leave strange highlights and distort natural colours. Likewise it is advisable to avoid dark shadows where detail can be lost, and especially shadows cast by objects that will not be included in the finished artwork.
Focus
Animals and children move around a lot, as such many photos you take will be blurred, it's really important to have a nice crisp photo to work from, as there will be so much more detail that I can incorporate. Take lots and there will be some that are good to work from, bonus points if your subject does sit still!