The Making of a Commission

First things first, it is good to know the background of the person requesting the commission piece.  When I was asked to do a body of work for a couple, I did not know them and was concerned about getting paid.  

I also had not met the dog, I believe he had since passed away and they wanted a painting to remember him by and a large one at that.  I was given a few photographs of the dog, not wonderful ones for me to work with. I always like to take my own and do my own field sketches if possible. 

That way, I have a good grasp of my subject.  However, that is not always possible especially if the person or pet is deceased. The dog in question was a purebred husky named Bobby.  So, I started to work researching huskies and doing all sorts of sketches.  Below are examples of my research.

 

Finally, I felt I was ready to work on the finished piece and the finished product was a large painting on Masonite board in acrylic paint.  Thankfully, the couple was very happy with the result and said that I had captured Bobby’s personality which is important when working on a commission for someone.  You want to get that right!