How to commission a painting
- Contact me
- No-obligation consultation – This can be face-to-face or virtual depending on location. We will discuss your requirements, take/review photographs and exchange ideas and options. (No obligation to proceed until after deposit payment)
- Proposals – Where applicable, I will use image manipulation software to create a number of mock-up proposals to visualise options for the final composition. I can even combine multiple images together to create a ‘composite’ scene.
- Quotation – Once the final composition has been agreed along with any optional extras required a final quotation is supplied along with an estimated delivery date.
- Deposit – Payment of a 25% deposit confirms the order.
- Painting creation – Progress can be shared with the customer via photos and videos (although many customers prefer a surprise reveal at the end).
- Balance of payment – Photographs of the finished painting can be shared prior to payment of the remaining 75% balance.
- Delivery – The artwork is carefully packaged ready for delivery using a reliable tracked service.
Prices – Painting commissions
| Size | Dimensions | Price | Packaging & postage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (A4 approx.) | 30.5×23 cm (12×9 inches) | From £220 | £20 |
| Medium (A3 approx.) | 42×30 cm (16.5×12 inches) | From £295 | £20 |
| Large (A2 approx.) | 61×41 cm (24×16 inches) | From £445 | £20 |
All paintings are painted on boxed canvas as standard.
Pet portraits – The above prices are for a single animal on a plain background. Optional extras available at additional cost:
- Detailed background.
- Multiple animals.
- Painting the sides of the canvas (see below).
- Alternative canvas sizes and shapes.
Other paintings – Final price depends on complexity of the composition. Optional extras available at additional cost:
- Painting the sides of the canvas (see below).
- Alternative canvas sizes and shapes.
Options will be discussed during the no-obligation initial consultation and a final quotation supplied prior to deposit payment and order confirmation.
Prices – Digital artwork & digital image manipulation
Priced on a case-by-case basis with the price to be confirmed following the no obligation consultation.
Framing
Standard
Sides painted
Framed
Boxed canvas looks great unframed but some people prefer the look with a frame.
A popular option is to leave the canvas unframed but to extend the paint to include the sides of the canvas. This incurs a small additional fee.
If a frame is preferred I can arrange framing at extra cost prior to delivery or you may prefer to use a local framer after delivery.
We can discuss options during the no-obligation initial consultation.
Case study – Car portrait painting – Simon’s BMW 3 Series racing car
This car portrait painting was commissioned by former racer Simon from Warwick, Warwickshire to celebrate his much missed BMW 3 series racing car which he raced in the early 2000s.
Simon’s vision was to capture the car at the iconic Nürburgring motor circuit in Germany. Unfortunately, the resolution of his preferred photograph was too low to be useable. Fortunately, as part of the no-obligation consultation, I was able to digitally create a new composite reference image by combining stock background images with close-up photographs of the car.
Having discussed options, we chose a slightly graphical ‘comic book’ style for the piece rather than 100% realism and a large canvas (80 cm x 60cm) so that I could capture the fine detail of the sponsors’ logos on his car.
This was my most time-consuming commission to date, clocking in at 32 hours! Simon chose not to receive photo or video updates as he wanted the end result to be a surprise.
Simon travelled to me for a face-to-face reveal and, he was delighted with the final piece with only minor edits being required.
Simon chose to have the painting locally framed and it looks great hung in his home office.
Simon kindly gave me the following 5 star testimonial – “Based on an old, low res photo and quite a few reference photos, Evan created an amazing painting of an old car of mine. He kept in regular contact throughout the process, ensuring I was happy with the initial mock-up. Evan was meticulous and strived to ensure every aspect and detail of the painting was perfect. I’m super happy with it, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.”
Case study – Pet portrait painting – Max the horse
This pet portrait painting was commissioned by Kevin in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire as a surprise birthday present for his wife Alex to celebrate her much missed horse Max.
As Max has sadly passed it was not possible for me to take photos but during the no-obligation consultation I worked with Kevin to review his archive photographs of Max. The best photos were digitally cropped and adjusted to give him several options to choose from.
Kevin went with my suggestion for a square canvas to best suit the chosen photo. He requested a large canvas (61cm x 61cm) so that the painting would have a powerful impact when hung in their hallway.
My initial proposal was for a plain background but as the painting developed (and I shared photos and videos with Kevin) we decided to change direction and include some of the main stable detail in the background to capture the mood of the location.
I had the pleasure of a face-to-face handover to Alex who was delighted but somewhat tearful given the emotion impact of the painting.
Kevin kindly gave me the following 5 star testimonial – “Evan created an amazing portrait of our much loved horse Max. From the outset he guided us through the process, giving us options on size, creative approach, materials etc. The outcome was better than we ever imagined and not holds pride of place in our home. We have no hesitation in recommending Evan.”
Case study – Vehicle portrait painting – Bryn’s Alvis classic car
Bryn from Bedfordshire is a car enthusiast with a enviable collection of classics and an eye for art.
Bryn has previously commissioned from another artist a painting of his Alvis Speed 20 SB. He requested a portrait of his second Alvis (a beautiful TE21 drophead from the 1960s) in the same detailed style to make a matching pair.
I travelled to Bryn on a sunny day to take some high resolution photographs to use a basis for the artwork. Careful positioning of the car gave dramatic reflections of his front garden in the bodywork to add vibrancy to the painting.
To match the existing artwork, rather than my usual stretched canvas, the artwork was painted onto mount board to be framed behind glass.
The paintings make a perfect pair and Bryn was delighted with the result.
“A great artist and a wonderful picture with a photographic quality. I will always have a wonderful memory of the car.”
Case study – Vehicle portrait painting – Linda’s horse lorries
Linda from East Yorkshire wanted to celebrate together in an artwork two of the horse lorries she has owned. She has a strong emotional attachment to them following a lifetime of equestrian adventures plus they came from the same manufacturer so make a great matching pair.
She worried that the artwork wouldn’t be possible given that she no longer owns one of the vehicles and doesn’t have photographs of them together. However, during the no-obligation consultation phase I was able to digitally bring them together from individual photos along with her yard serving as the backdrop.
Linda was delighted with the end result.
Case study – Landscape painting – David’s front garden
David from Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire had a clear vision of what he wanted. During the no-obligation consultation he provided a single photograph of his very photogenic front garden and house frontage and all that was required was to agree on a canvas size and to crop the image to suit.
This was one of my most challenging commissions due to the level of detail – leaves, stones, patio slabs, bricks etc and took over 26 hours to paint.
I was able to travel down to Buckinghamshire to meet David and handover the finished artwork personally and he was delighted with the result.
David kindly gave me the following 5 star testimonial – “Evan painted a view of our front garden and the result is fantastic, the detail of the various elements from leaves, brick, stone work and gravel is fantastic and it has captured the real essence of the space, thanks Evan.”
Case study – Other paintings – Junior mountain bike riders
Mark from Loughborough in Leicestershire knows me through the local cycling scene and approached me hoping I could capture his two mountain bike-obsessed sons in their natural habitat in a matching pair of paintings as a Christmas gift for his wife.
During the no-obligation consultation I proposed some crops to make his photographs more dynamic and bring his sons to the foreground. I digitally altered the backgrounds to demonstrate to Mark the effect on the sense of speed from increased motion blur. Mark settled on a pair of small (A4) canvases.
Despite the small sizes, the paintings clocked in at combined 22 hours due to the detail in the blurred backgrounds.
Mark travelled to me for a face-to-face collection and his wife was delighted with the final canvases come Christmas Day.
Mark kindly gave me the following 5 star testimonial – “Evan has created two amazing paintings for me. He was extremely helpful in the production process working from a frankly blurry photo to create something that really captures the essence of speed and enjoyment. Fantastic skills and a really professional.”