Commissioning a Portrait During Covid-19
During the present Covid-19 lockdown I will not be holding any face to face sittings or consultations. However, I will be painting portraits and if you would like to commission a portrait then I am able to discuss a painting with you over the telephone and we can make arrangements for a commission contract to begin and in most cases for a painted portrait to go ahead with an initial deposit paid before work begins and a final payment made on completion and delivery.
Although I prefer to have a meeting with my client to take my own photographs and make notes for reference material sadly that cannot be done during the Covid-19 lockdown. The portrait can be done using a selection of photographs provided by the sitter. They need to be digital images sent via email, in colour, or as prints using traditional postal services. Permission from the photographer to use the photo as reference has to be provided and sent to me so that there is no breach of copyright. The image must not be scanned and the person needs to be in sharp focus, using white light, no flash, do not edit the image or compress. I can interpret the reference material using my artistic license and to suit the requirements of the sitter, an understanding with the sitter can be reached via telephone consultations and advice on the pose can be offered. I will consider the photograph sent and if it is not suitable for reference I will inform you and you can send a more suitable image, please do not regard that as a criticism of your photographic skills.
The client will be updated frequently via email and jpeg images of the work in the studio. All contact details and images from the client will be held confidentially and if no commission takes place then those materials will be destroyed. If any prints were provided they will be returned.
No consultation fee will be charged and the prices for the various canvas sizes remain as they are my Prices page. If the client wants a different canvas size to those listed then a price can be sought and offered. The work is regarded as commissioned as soon as I have received suitable photo reference and a deposit of 20% has been paid to me. The remaining cost is invoiced by me and is due once the painting is complete. The work will be in oil on canvas and takes several weeks to complete and dry ready for delivery. It is unfortunate we have to work like this but I am offering a portrait painting service during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 lockdown here in the UK.
Memorial Portraits of Loved Ones
I can help you create a personal memorial portrait of someone you have lost due to Covid-19 and am offering the service of painting a posthumous portrait in oil on canvas or specially made paper.
We can talk over the phone about your preferences such as a size and what type of photo needs to be supplied for me to work from as reference. There is a list of prices on my Prices page and if the client prefers any other size then a price can be offered for that size.
The painting will take about six weeks or more because of the drying process of oil paint. The client will be updated regularly about the progress of the work. I will offer a full quotation which includes packaging and delivery and a 20% deposit is required before work begins and there is no charge for the consultation.
Guarantee, Cancellation and Copyright Details
If the portrait is lost or incurs damage in transit then a full refund or replacement painting will be offered to the client. If the client is not completely satisfied with the painting they can return it within 30 days for a full refund, not including the return postage cost.
If the commissioner or sitter cancels the portrait before the painting is finished then a fee is still due for any work and expenses incurred by me on the project, payments already made will be taken into account.
I keep the copyright of all the paintings I make. I may display the work in my website, along with a title. If you don’t want the image to be displayed then you have to let me know and it can either not be included in the site or it can have a title such as: Private collection and the date. The contract will be governed by English Law.