Painting Commissions

I’m getting more commission work lately. This is exciting for me in that I’m painting something directly for somebody else, instead of just for me. It’s also a bit inconvenient as I have limited time to paint, so dedicating a portion of it to a commission is taking time away from me scratching my own itch.

There’s also a different vibe around painting a commission. I have to please the client, as well as myself. I have the luxury of being selective and setting my own guidelines, since I have a day job that I love. But I also want to be accommodating to the client. It’s tricky.

So far, I’ve been able to say yes and still set the ground rules. I am particular about lighting. I take my own reference photos. I don’t ever want to paint the portrait version of a “head shot” or a glamour photo. I try to communicate how I want to see more about my subjects and capture something revealing, even if only a little.

I’ve known people who’ve done a lot of commission work and had to deal with art directors and such, and that sounds like a nightmare. But the work they did was amazing, so I what do I know.

For now, I’ll just keep painting what I can when I can.