Commissioning and Buying Art
This page aims to de-mystify the process of buying original art.
Fun!
It can be a lot of fun going through the process of commissioning your own, original artwork and doesn't need to cost a fortune or reflect gallery prices. It is uniquely rewarding to have a piece of art inspired by and reflecting your individual tastes and visual reference points.
Easy!
A brief is a document that collate your thoughts and ideas onto paper so that the artist understands exactly what you want. Some key point to include are:
- Rough size & shape of the picture you want
- How much you want to pay (maximum)
- Timescale of when you want/need delivery
- Materials you want/don't want used
- A list of similar works you’ve seen/colours samples/other visual reference points
The artist can draw up a brief after some discussion with you and advise you of likely timescale. Please bear in mind that changes to an agreed brief will effect the completion date.
The brief should be signed and dated and contain contact details of both parties. One thing to remember is that if you commission a piece of artwork you are entering into a commitment to pay fully for the artwork once it is finished.
Some points to remember:
- Make sure you are very clear about what you want and what the artist is offering
- Make sure you set cost limits and that the artist is aware of these from the beginning
- Make sure you are asking the artist to do something relevant to their talents
- Write out a contract between yourself and the artist and both sign and date it
- The artist may require a certain amount of money up front to pay for materials
- Make sure that you do not constantly change the brief as this will add to both the cost and timescale taken to complete the piece
- The artist retains copyright even though you buy the work
Have fun! Commissioning is a great experience and one that often produces rewards far exceeding the commissioner’s expectations so enjoy the process and good luck!
