Commissions FAQ

When I think about the commission process the most important thing to me is trust and reassurance. To commission a piece of art is an investment, but not just of money; you are investing your trust, time and emotions into this collaboration with your chosen artist and similarly the artist does the same. It is so important to me that whomever I’m working with feels they can trust my creative process and so I will do my best to reassure them every step of the way, encouraging any and all questions. 

I totally understand that there must be lots of people who would love to commission a piece of art but have NO idea where to even start. People I have spoken to feel this is something that is inaccessible to them or would feel self conscious in approaching the artist. So I’m here to tell you the best thing to do (in my opinion) is just ask, get in touch, send a message. I personally love getting messages and connecting with people through my work and I will always offer as much information as possible and encourage people to ask as many questions as they need. I’m going to share with you a bit more detail about my creative process when creating commissions and hopefully this will strengthen the trust and reassurance you need. 

What medium/materials do you use?

I work digitally so my medium is not necessarily tangible which is relatively new and upcoming art form. I use different creative software such as Procreate and Adobe Illustrator on my iPad to produce my art works before creating the final one of a kind Fine Art Print for you to take home. 

What size is a typical commission?

The great thing about working digitally means there is more freedom in sizing. The final piece can be scaled to your preferred size for the final Print whether A3, A4 or custom sizing.

What do you need from me to create my commission?

I seldom work from one image to create portraits. In most cases I first spend time composing the initial reference image from a selection of photos so I always ask for lots of images so I can take the best bits and piece them together. Also some photos may not suit the style I work in so the more photos I have to work from the better! The great thing about being able to do this means you don’t need to have the perfect photo with everyone in it. Working this way also allows me to bring people together who may not be able to be together in person. My largest portrait was composed of 10 photos from all over the world! This can take quite some time to make sure the reference image is correct before I even get to start the portrait but it makes all the difference. 

How long does the whole process take?

So this is hard to pin down to any exact time frame because every commission is different and it can depend on the speed of communication too. As I mentioned, making sure that you are happy and trust the process is very important so I’ll answer all your questions before we start. So I guess I’m saying, the sooner I can get started the sooner I can finish! I never do my commissions all in one sitting. My creative process requires multiple sittings so that I can revisit the piece with fresh eyes to capture the portrait in my unique style, composed through a balance of line and space. It may seem unusual but time away from the piece is as important as time spent on it. All that being taken into account you should allow 3-4 weeks for your portrait to be completed. 

How much does it cost?

Price is based on subject rather than size. I work digitally cost is not really dependent on size unless you’re ordering a particularly colossal custom size final print. The more people in the portrait the more time and attention is needed in composing and creating the piece. The cost for a portrait of up to 2 people is €150 and then it is €50 per extra subject. 

Do you frame commissions?

I work with a local framer , 360 DPI, in Bray who does all of my professional framing. If you would like your portrait to be framed I can arrange this for you. Cost would depend on the size and style of framing you choose. 

How do you deliver commissions?

When possible I like to hand deliver portraits but unfortunately it’s not possible at the moment. I offer free postage and packaging of unframed portraits within Ireland and can arrange a courier service for framed pieces at a cost of €10-15 within Ireland.

Thank you for reading and thank you for considering me for your commission! If you have ANY questions please ask away. It can be a confusing process but I’m here to help and make sure you are 100% happy with your commission. 

Contact me about a commission here.

Lucy