Want me to paint your pet?
Before we start: Please begin by emailing me at sagittariusgallery@gmail.com with the subject line "Pet Commission". Within the body of the email, please tell me a bit about your pet, including name, breed, and any information you'd like to share to let me know the personality of your pet (it will only make the painting better!) Let me know at this time what size canvas you would like to commission me to paint (sample prices and sizes below.) Please attach some images to the email (see image guidelines below!)
I will work with you to settle on the right photo of your beloved pet for the painting. Please see photo guidelines for information on images that will work for the project. Yes - I am picky about my references, but this is only meant to ensure the best possible final product! Do not be discouraged if I can't use a specific image - it's not that your dog isn't adorable or beautiful. It's just that the image won't work for this application. I will work with you to find the right one! I will then ask you some basic questions about what you might like to see in the background and foreground. Would you like a moon in the sky? What colors would you love to see most? Would you like a sunset? Perhaps a Starry Morning, or even a daytime rendition? Would you like flowers in the foreground? Water? Lush green grass or a more autumnal palette? The choice is yours. Is there a prior painting of mine you love and want me to emulate? See them all at my Starry Night Dogs site.
Once this has all been settled on, I will require a 50% nonrefundable deposit to begin the piece.
I work in thick oil on canvas. *These are original oil paintings!* I have had people ask if these are photoshop or some sort of image changing program - nope! It's all me. When you commission me, you receive an original oil painting on canvas.
I can offer custom paintings any size from 8x10 all the way up to 48x60 inches – I can have custom canvases made in any size you need to fit whatever spot you’d like to fill with my art. I offer two profiles of canvas - .75 inches thick and 1.5 inches thick. This is how far the canvas comes off the wall. All paintings up to 36x48 inches can be either .75 or 1.5 inches thick. Larger canvases will need to be 1.5 inches. I can even do 2 inch thick canvases, from sizes 24x36 and up. The sides of the canvases are painted either black or, for a fee, as an extension of the painting being commissioned.
Regarding the painting process – there does need to be a free flow to the work for it to be successful. Though I will seek out references, color choices, and a basic understanding of what it is you would like in terms of the final painting, please understand this is a wholly new artistic work and you are commissioning me to translate your vision – not read your mind. If all of that sounds good to you, please read on!
Photo submission guidelines
- Please, no overhead shots (pictures taken from above looking down at your pup). If you took the picture standing above the dog and you can only really see your dog and the ground or floor in the image, I won't be able to use it. Further, please submit images that are of your full pup - this is to ensure your pup exists in the Starry Night landscape!
- Please ensure images you submit are crisp, clear, and well lit - I need to be able to see the detail in the pup. Black animals can be difficult to photograph, I know! But if I can't see the outlines of your pet, it will just look like a dark blob. No one wants that! ;)
- Please submit images of your pet not moving. Action shots are almost always blurry and unfortunately I will not be able to use them.
- If you want more than one subject in the painting, you will need to provide me with a reference photo with them all existing in the same space at the same time to ensure continuity of color, light, proportions, and angles. I do not splice together images.
I have painted over 100 of these so far, so I have a lot of pieces for you to look at to see what kind of reference images I gravitate towards for these paintings. You can see examples of all completed works at www.starrynightdogs.com or my instagram.
I have some side by side shots of references submitted by fans and finished paintings on my instagram to further help with illustrating the types of references I can use for these paintings.
Painting Time Frame: Paintings 12x16 and smaller all will take 1-4 days to paint, start to finish. Larger pieces will take a bit longer. Please note this does not include time you might need to be on the wait list. Email me to ask about current wait list times. I will tell you about how long it will be before I can paint your piece. The final piece(s) will be deliverable upon receipt of the final payment installment and the required drying time of the painting. Paintings take anywhere from 3-4 weeks to dry, depending on oils used and how thick the paints have been applied. Paintings need to be fully dry before they can be placed into a box and shipped. Drying time may vary and patron will be updated throughout the drying process.
Progress Reports & Revisions: Once I have sketched your piece, I will contact you and let you know your piece has begun. These images will be posted to my Instagram and Facebook accounts, username sagittariusgallery. Most pieces though are worked on over a span of several consecutive days. No reply will be construed as approval. Due to the nature of these works, revisions will be almost impossible. The paint is incredibly thick - if something jumps out at you though when I send you a progress report, please let me know asap. Revisions can only take place before I have begun using the palette knife. You will receive an image of the piece at this time.
Commission Sizes and Prices (single subject)
8x10 - 900.00
9x12 - 1000.00
12x12 - 1400.00
11x14 - 1800.00
12x16 - 2100.00
14x18 - 2300.00
16x16 - 2500.00
16x20 - 2800.00
18x24 - 4000.00
20x20 - 4000.00
20x24 - 4500.00
24x24 - 5000.00
24x30 - 5500.00
24x36 - 6000.00
30x30 - 6500.00
30x40 - 8500.00
36x36 - 10000.00
36x48 - 12000.00
*Prices include domestic shipping. These prices are for .75 inch thick canvas paintings.
I can create custom sizes as well, and can create larger works - contact me for details.
Prices are for a single subject. Please contact me if you wish to have multiple subjects in the painting. Please see above for multiple subject guidelines.
Prices are also dependent on the fact that you are allowing me to reproduce this image on print products as part of my Starry night animals project. If you want exclusivity to the image and do not want to allow me to reproduce the painting in any way, please contact me and I will quote you the commission price to retain the artwork copyright.
Payment Terms: A nonrefundable deposit of one-half (50%) of the selling price is required before the work commences. The deposit secures your spot on my waiting list and pays for initial materials for your commission as well as time spent. Payment in full is due upon completion and patron’s approval of artwork(s). Commissioned work will not be released prior to payment of balance due and shipping. Payment of final balance must be remitted within 21 days (3 weeks) of completed artwork.
Shipping: Domestic shipping is included within the US. Though I am based in the USA, I ship almost anywhere in the world. Contact me for details.
Payment methods: Payment to be remitted via credit / debit card. I also accept Paypal and can send an invoice to you. If you choose Paypal, please send me the email you use for Paypal.
Copyright and resale Information: Artist reserves the common-law copyright to all works commissioned by Patron that are created by the Artist, including all reproduction rights. Patron understands that by commissioning artist, artwork will be offered by artist on print products for sale in Artist's online storefronts. No work may be reproduced for distribution by the Patron without the prior written approval of Artist.
I know it’s a lot to take in, but I want you to be as informed as possible before we go ahead with a custom piece! I like to ensure expectations are laid out clearly so that the commission process is smooth and enjoyable for both of us! I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
~Aja
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