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Mike Jones Exhibition at the Towngate Gallery
Mike Jones has dedicated his life to capturing the essence and beauty of the sea. This exhibition of images is a stunning range of Mike’s work and a joy to view.
Paintings of Italy
Featuring original paintings and limited edition fine art prints of Italy.
Alan’s first trip to Italy in 1991 was the catalyst for many more watercolour painting excursions and Alan Reed has produced an ever increasing, comprehensive collection of limited edition prints of scenes around Italy. This Italian collection includes a number of familiar sights and landmarks. Alan Reed has painted Rome, Tuscany, Siena, Umbria and more.
NKB Gallery 2010 - This Time Around by Mike Rowland.
NKB Gallery is pleased to announce that the first show solo show of 2010 will be This Time Around by Mike Rowland.
A Celebration of Colour - 24 FINE ART CARDS By Irish Artist John
John Nolan has published a spectacular set of 24 contemporary Fine Art Greeting Cards.
Each unique card is a reproduction of his original contemporary and pop art styles, a true celebaration of colour.
Gilding and Restoration Courses in Scotland
Livingston and central belt residents can now benefit from additional framing services of gilding and restoration following the success of 4 day training course conducted by guest tutor Jan Pike, at Atkin Framers Ltd, Livingston West Lothian, Scotland
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Commissioning an Artwork
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Portrait by Lindy Alfrey, kind permission of Walton House Gallery |
Artists specialise in a wide range of subjects - from animal portraiture to abstract murals – as well as a range of techniques, including watercolour, sculpture, video art etc. Their prices also vary widely. Before setting about finding an artist, you need to clearly consider:
- Subject matter, or the topic of the picture or sculpture
- Media; do you want an oil painting, a bronze sculpture etc
- Budget; you can spend £150 on a pencil sketch of the front of your house, or £20,000 on a painting in oils from a member of the Royal Academy. Work out how much you have to spend
- Timescale; some artists are booked for commissions for several years ahead. If you need your artwork in six months’ time, the first question you should ask is how long will this take, as this may disqualify some artists immediately
Finding the right artist
Art associations are an excellent place to start your search for a suitable artist. The Fine Art Trade Guild has professional artist members who work to a code of ethics. Guild artists specialise in a wide range of subject matter, and examples of their work can be seen on the online Guild Artists’ Exhibition. Your local Fine Art Trade Guild gallery can help. They may have artists who produce work for them who can fulfil your requirement, or maybe they could recommend artists who come to them for framing. See the directory of Guild Member galleries on this site.
There are also exhibiting societies focussing on specific types of art, such as the Guild of Motoring Artists, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Regional art societies can also help; the Royal Cambrian Academy and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists are well-known examples, but may small towns have their own art groups too. More and more areas are holding artists’ open studio events; if there isn’t one coming up soon, look online at the list of exhibitors in last year’s event.
Meet the artist
Once you’ve found a possible artist, you must make your requirements absolutely clear. When commissions go wrong, it is normally due to a lack of communication. Don’t be too embarrassed to talk about money. If you are commissioning a portrait, for example, and the most important aspect of the subject for you is his sparkly blue eyes, then say so. Don’t expect the artist to automatically see the sitter in the same way as you.
Be sure to look at the artist’s portfolio and confirm to yourself that he or she can create artwork to your liking. Some artists, such as portrait painters, are used to working to a brief, while commissions may be new territory for other artists.
Some artists work through agents, so most of your communication would be through this agent, who is often also a gallery owner. Having an experienced professional handle your commission can ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Agreeing terms
The terms between the two parties should be in writing, though this need not be a complex legal document. Just a signed and dated letter outlining key points.
The artist may wish to take photographs. You should agree the number of sittings required, in the case of portraits, or access to your home or office if a picture is to be set in a specific setting.
You also need to set the date for completion, and times at which you can see sketches or works-in-progress.
The best way of ensuring that a commission runs smoothly, and you like the finished piece, is to ask to see as many sketches as possible as the work progresses.
An issue which is often forgotten, but which is important, is copyright. In most cases, copyright rests with the artist, and can be sold by the artist, as an entirely separate commodity from the original artwork. However, when work is specifically commissioned, copyright normally rests with the person (or organisation) who has commissioned the work.
You could allow copyright to remain with the artist, so he or she can earn money in the future from sales of licences in the image. If your commission is for a neutral subject, then this may not be a problem for you. However, in the case of portraits, most people would prefer it to be clear that they own copyright, so that the image does not appear on merchandise in the future. The key thing is to be clear about who owns the copyright from the start, and this must be put in writing if it is to be legally binding.
Cost and payment terms
The artist will give you a price, which you must be happy with. If the price seems high, ask for an explanation.
Prices for art hinge mainly on the artist’s reputation; unknown artists can ask much less than people who have won prestigious prizes, exhibited in high-end galleries, regularly paint celebrities etc.
Factors such as the size of the work, the level of detail required and the number of people in it also affect price. The cost of materials affects the cost of sculpture; casting bronzes, for example, is an expensive process.
The price you are being quoted should fit with other prices for that artist’s work. Check what galleries are charging and do an internet search.
Once you have agreed a price, is it likely that the artist will want a deposit before starting work. This is very unlikely to be more than 50 per cent of the price. Artists may ask for a substantial deposit for portraits, because in the event of a disagreement or your not liking the finished work, it would be hard for them to sell it to anyone else. If you are commissioning, for example, a local landscape, the deposit might be at the lower end, because the work should be readily saleable, if necessary.
