How to Commission Original Artwork

Although there are many artists who produce commissioned art--from family portraits to custom-made wedding rings--finding just the right artist for the job is the most important and the hardest step.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

1. Determine what media you're interested in (painting, sculpture, film) and the project's budget before you begin searching for an artist. (See How to Immortalize Your Spouse in a Sculpture.) You'll find out quickly whether you can afford a well-known and established artist or a less expensive, emerging one.
2. Search for an artist through art agencies, art dealers and galleries, the Internet and personal references. Beyond aesthetic considerations, look for an artist who will listen to your ideas, follow your direction and clearly understand what you want the finished piece to look like.
3. Once you've identified an artist who is willing and able to work with you, set a date to hold a planning session and begin to write down as many ideas and detailed descriptions about the commissioned piece as possible.
4. Create an agenda for the meeting that will ultimately become a creative brief. Include as many details as possible in your discussion. What is the piece for? How large will it be? What format? Are there specifications that need to be met? This will help guide you and the artist through the meeting and ensure that you express all of your ideas and concerns. The more successfully you and the artist communicate with each other, the more closely your expectations will be met.
5. Be sure to have a commission contract drawn up and signed before further work is done. This legally binding contract should include details regarding the following: preliminary designs, payment schedule, completion date, insurance, shipping and installation, termination agreements, ownership and copyright, alterations and maintenance, contact information, and the state in which the work is produced.
6. Schedule a review of preliminary sketches as the artist begins the project. A commissioned artist must be open and willing to follow your direction. At the same time, you're paying for his or her talent and vision: Don't consistently squelch his or her creativity merely to stay in control of the process. This is a collaborative process, not a win-or-lose proposition.
7. Review the sketches thoroughly at each review stage in the process and be honest in your assessments. Carefully examine the finished piece and give it your final approval. Remember to get the artist's certificate of authenticity and any other documentation that he or she may provide.

What to Look For:

• Art agencies
• Art dealers and galleries
• Commission contract
• Preliminary sketches
• Artist's certificate of authenticity

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on the complexity of the work and the budget, you may ask the artist for a second, more refined series of sketches to solidify a direction or narrow the choices. The artist should not begin work on the final piece until he or she is completely clear on every aspect of the project.
• If the subject can be studied in person, allow the artist to do so as much as he or she likes. This will help the artist capture nuances and contours that photographs are rarely able to convey.
• If the commission is extensive, complicated and/or involves several artists, you should probably hire a professional art consultant to manage the project.