Commission work - to do or not to do

Have you ever been in a position when someone asks you to produce a specific painting for them? Some artists embrace commissions with enthusiasm while others shun them altogether.

If you're having difficulty deciding if you wanted to paint a commission, here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros:

• There is a great sense of satisfaction in converting a person's vision into a beautiful painting
• Many people charge more for commissions so you can make more money
• Some commissions offer artistic challenges and this improves your portfolio.

Cons:

• Painting something specific for a client adds additional pressure to the artist
• Sometimes the business relationships doesn't work out. Some clients are too demanding, controlling or hard to please can make the commission experience a bad one.
• When asked to do something different, many artists underestimate the level of effort and are challenged in delivering on time.
• The subject could be out of the artists comfort zone and not end with positive results.

If someone is interested in creating commissions, I've heard that there are websites that connect painters with collectors.  Under these and similar situations, you might want to consider getting some protection in the form of a contract.  The contract lays out the terms and conditions (e.g. when the work is due, and when preliminary sketches or photos of work in progress are required), including payments.  There are numerous sample contracts on the internet.  Check it out, if you are interested.

On the issues of costs, some artists ask their clients for up to 50% of the costs. However, some only accept payment when a customer is happy with the final commission.

Here is this week's art find  from Mariano Galan:

Have a great week,
Danielle