Commissioned paintings are both a blessing and frankly, a bit of a pain. On the plus side, you’re probably getting paid more for a work you create in the studio. That’s good. On the other hand, you are put in the sometimes difficult situation of taking a concept to the visual stage.
When I start a commission, I ask clients for pictures, elements that they want included in their painting. I’ll also encourage them to talk about why this work is important. Oftentimes, these conversations yield valuable clues to their vision. The vision, after all, is what I’m trying to re-create. There’s another tool you can use in your planning stages with your clients–the mood board
Used widely in the design world, a mood board is like a design board. It’s a place where you display elements of style, color palettes, and images. It’s a way for you to capture the feeling of the concept. For the artist, it’s a helpful way to capture ideas and concepts in a way that makes the actual creation of the work easier and more focused.
You know how it is: a client comes to you with an idea, one of those I’ll-know-it-when-I-see-it kind of ideas. As artists, we understand this. We know how it is when the idea is bouncing around in our heads, waiting to be freed. We know how to rein in it in. The trick though, for a commissioned painting, is bringing the client’s vision to life.
Discussing the concept works. Adding some visual elements to a client’s mindset can help bring you closer to your goal–a satisfied client.
Photo by przemko.stachowski (on holidays)
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