Saturday, January 7, 2012

Commissions Step-by-Step

Some of you might wonder how I go about painting a commissioned piece.  Here's a step by step run down of my process, shown here is a recent painting, "Virginia Farm."


I start with a good reference picture from the client.  



The client asked for some of the trees to be removed from the front of the house so we can see more of the house up on the hill.  Luckily, they got another close-up of the house so I could see what was behind those trees!






We decide on a 12" x 16" oil pastel painting, and I begin with a basic sketch. (Send layout to client for approval/feedback)




I lay down a layer of oil pastel on board primed with pastel primer.  (Send progress picture to client for feedback)




When client replies that all is on track, I go in with more pastel to refine/blend.






I am constantly editing, adjusting colors, adding detail, and stepping back to see how things are looking. At this point in the painting, the trees in the background and in the middle of the hill are making me a bit crazy.  There is not much vibrancy in the trees, so I need to enhance the colors and punch them up a bit.  Now is a good time to take a breather for a day (send progress pics to client), and come back with fresh eyes.  Also, the pastel needs to dry and "set up" a bit so the next layers will go over and not blend with the previous layer.



I have added highlights to the trees and some pops of color to make it more exciting.  I put in more shadows around the distant structures and add detail around the barn in the foreground.  My mom, a talented painter and my best friend, comes over and suggests that I push the trees on the left up so they break up the bar of blue sky.  I agree and take another break, and then go in for the last round...


I'm pretty pleased with everything and stop before I think I'm finished.  I've learned that I'll never be 100% satisfied, but there is a point where you have to quit before you make a mess and muddy it all up!  I send the client a final version for approval.  

They are happy and have no changes, so the final step is to sign the painting and take a good photo in natural light with my good camera!  

finished oil pastel painting

again, the reference photo for comparison

I hope you enjoyed my painting demo!  It's so much fun taking a photo and making a painting for a client... hopefully this was a memorable Christmas present.  


For more about commissions and pricing, visit my Etsy shop or see the Commissions section on this website.  


Happy weekend!







1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the step by step.....always nice to see how others work.

    ReplyDelete

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