Commissioning Art: Why and How?

Many times when people reach out for a custom art commissions they confess, “I’ve never commissioned a piece of art before,” as if that is something to be embarrassed about! Let’s turn that embarrassment into empowerment!

Let’s first address the why commission a piece of art question. There are so many reasons to commission art that it’s really hard to think of a reason most of us have never done it.

  1. It’s a Beautiful Collaboration

One of my favorite parts about custom commissions is that these are the clients I interact with the most. Commission clients always end up being sort of my friends because we’ve talked so much, gotten to know each other and worked on this piece together. Relationships are the most important part of any business, heck, they are the most important parts of life! So I’m always excited when I get to work with a client, bringing their vision to life and getting to know them, their personality, and even their family. I always walk away from these client interactions more thankful for people.

  1. It’s Completely Custom

This is also what is special about custom commissions. Is your favorite work by a particular artist already sold? Or perhaps you love one piece in particular but would like the colors slightly different? Bam custom commissions are the way to go. You get a piece of art completely tailored to your taste and your space. I’ve commissioned several works from other artists and I always get something that is 100% my style, perfect for my room, made just for me. These shopping experiences are always better than store bought, and I don’t have to waste my time hunting around for the perfect piece when an artist I know and trust can make me exactly what I want.

  1. Commissioning Means Shopping Small

This may be my favorite part about custom commissions.  Shopping from small artists actually makes a difference in real people’s lives. When I commission a piece of art from an artist friend, I know that money is going toward putting food on the table, helping pay for doctors’ appointments, or a much-needed vacation for his or her family. Commissioning art and shopping small means real families lives are being changed for the better instead of lining the pockets of big corporations.

How to commission art?

That really depends on the artist. Some artists do not take commissions, but reaching out to ask is usually never something an artist minds. If they don’t take commissions they usually have that information available on their website, but if not, you can always shoot them an email.

Every artist handles commissions differently. Some require contracts, some have long waitlists, some only take a handful of commissions a year. No commission experience will be the same with any two artists that you work with but there is also beauty in experiencing different processes. So if there is an artist you’ve had your eye on, shoot them a message and ask about a commission! If you’re interested in commissioning a piece of art from me visit my commission page and let’s start our collaboration!

Comments

  1. It’s definitely much more personal to commission a piece of art instead of buying a piece at a gallery or shop. You know for sure it’s a one of a kind!

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