Art Commission Disasters! And How to Avoid Them....

It is so exciting when you get the opportunity to make an art commission for someone! 

It’s such a privilege to make something meaningful that your collector is going to cherish.  However, it’s been my experience that commissions can go horribly bad.

I have literally had this conversation: Okay you want an abstract painting.  And you love purple.  But not TOO MUCH purple.  Not like a super purpley purple, just a mellow purple.  You want it to be all purple but also make it really subtle purple but make it pop purple at the same time.  And for sure not that one kind of purple that looks kind of sad because you want it to be a happy purple. You just really want me to spiritually connect with the purple so it’s kind of transcendent but not too serious.

Does that sound familiar?  Sometimes things can get kinda nuts with commissions so today I want to talk about the different types of commissions you might get offered and how to work with your clients to create the best possible experience for both of you!

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There are two main types of commissions.  

One type of commission is when your artistic expertise is very specific in a medium and style.

Let’s say you’re a mosaic artist that creates landscapes.   You might be commissioned to make a landscape mosaic based on your previous work.  It may even be a copy of previous work.   

The other type is a commission where your aunt wants a painting of her dog.  You are an artist, but you do not paint dogs, so fulfilling the commission could possibly be a stretch for your creative skills.

Both types of commissions have their place, but I recommend trying to stick with the first one.  It is much easier to make it clear to the collector exactly what they’re going to get, and it’s easier for you to estimate the time and cost of the project so you can price it appropriately.

However, at different points in your career, you might have time, the energy, and enjoy the challenge of your painting your aunt’s adorable pooch.  I mean, why not?   

Young and hungry?

You need the payment from the pit bull project and if it takes you a bit of time, it can still be worth it for you to learn and get paid.  Just assess the costs before you get going to avoid heartbreak and frustration. Know that the pitfalls of getting stretched creatively and technically can be very frustrating for you and the client. I've got a story about that I'm going to tell you in a minute.

 Sometimes people hear you’re an artist and they don’t realize that in the field of art there are a lot of different skills and specializations. They think, artist: oh, you can draw my portrait.  Artist: you can design my Art Deco tile layout for my fireplace.  Artist: you must love to paint watercolor flowers!  So, it’s your job to make it clear what you can do very well, or you are willing to try. 

TWO COMMISSIONS STORIES

A few years ago, I got an opportunity to make a giant mosaic at the MSP airport.  I do not do mosaics, but it was a 6-figure project.  I spend a full year learning the kind of mosaic I wanted to do and designing the project. It was challenging but fun!  I had the budget to afford the kind of technical learning and designing that I needed to do.  My design needed to get approved by a committee and we went back and forth on a few ideas which took a tremendous amount of energy and thought for me.  But the budget was there, and the project was ultimately incredible.

After the airport mosaic was installed, someone saw it and loved it.  She wanted one for her house but had different ideas for the composition.  I thought, well okay, I’ll try it.  I gave her a budget (much smaller than the airport) and we agreed.  And then I suffered.  I simply did not have the technical skills or time to do what she wanted (she was the nicest lady by the way, this debacle was 100% my fault for not accurately assessing my abilities).  I sent her a progress shot and both of us hated it.  A lot.  I had a ton of sunk hours and expensive materials into the project. Ultimately, I told them I would either refund the deposit and refer them to another mosaic artist, or I would make mosaic butterflies like the airport project (I knew exactly how to do that). They went with the butterflies and the project looks amazing. But boy did I learn a lot about setting the expectations and boundaries around a project.

Ultimately at this point in my art career I rarely do commissions. I find that the creative process is really hard for me when I am trying to please myself AND my client. It’s hard to get into someone else’s head and I end up having anxiety when I’m trying to shape the art to suit them.  

When I do agree to commissions, they have to be higher than a certain price threshold, and they have to be based on previous (usually recent) work.  I used to do realistic oil paintings, but I’m not set up or wired that way anymore, even if I have the skills.  But I can make a lovely dragon petal abstraction this afternoon if you want one!  I like to give the client one or two choices (for me it’s usually around color).  I’ll say, oh you like this painting from my website?  Great, I can make one very similar.  Are there any colors you’d like me to emphasize?  Do you prefer 18 X 24 or 20 X 20? Done and done.  

Hopefully this has helped YOU clarify the process of creating a successful commission.  Some artists have entire careers on painting commissions!  (Custom pet portraits are HOT BTW). AND—don’t forget to download my amazing cheat sheet on all the commission considerations you need to keep in mind, from contracts (yes, contacts) to payment (everyone loves getting paid!).