A commission begins with a short message, not a contract. Search for how to commission a painting and you find guides from artists and design sites, plus the city’s public-art programmes. Very little speaks to a private buyer in San Francisco. This is that guide, and a way to ask Terry Bauer.
What a commission is
A commission is work made to your request. You describe what you want, the artist makes it, and you buy the result. The guides describe a set of steps: a brief, usually some sketches, a deposit, a schedule and delivery. It is closer to a conversation than to choosing a finished piece.
Public commissions, such as the San Francisco Arts Commission’s programmes, run on open calls and panels. This guide is about the private kind, where one person writes to one artist.
What Terry Bauer lists
His artist page at L’Original, a Montreal gallery that lists him under his tag name, 13auer, names custom artwork on canvas and murals among what he offers. His own site does not publish a commission process or terms.
So nothing below describes how he works. It is a list of what to ask.
Start with a short brief
Guides advise a short but detailed brief: the colour palette, the size and the budget, with reference to work the artist has already made. Point to pieces on the work page that you like. Several are untitled, so describe those in your own words.
The piece above, On the way to see the Wizard…, shows echinacea blooms and floating orbs on white. A reference like that tells an artist more than an adjective does.
Decide the size early
Size belongs in the brief, because it shapes everything after it. Measure the wall and say where the piece will hang. For a sense of scale, Richard Schlop, on wrapped canvas, is 20 × 24 in, and Yo/duh! is 10 × 8 in.
Ask about sketches and changes
Many artists share a sketch or a palette for approval before starting the final work. Some include a set number of revisions and charge for more. Upfront payments often cover materials and design work such as sketches or mockups.
Ask whether you will see a sketch, and how many changes are included.
Deposits and the balance
Guides say to expect a deposit of about a quarter to a half of the total, with the balance due on completion. Many deposits are non-refundable, so ask. Also ask what happens if either side cancels, and when the balance falls due compared with delivery.
Timelines
Settle the schedule at the first conversation, and allow for making, packing, shipping and hanging. If you would like progress photos or a studio visit, say so early.
Estimates on artists’ commission pages run from a few weeks to several months, so a general figure will not help you. Ask for dates in writing.
Who owns the image, and the agreement
Owning a painting and owning the right to reproduce it are two different things. Guides on commissioned art point out that paying for a piece does not, by itself, hand over the image. If you want to print it on invitations or products, ask first and get the answer in writing.
An agreement is sometimes requested by the artist or gallery, and the guides suggest it covers price, size, theme, schedule and rights. Ask for one, even for a small piece.
Asking Terry
The inquiry page asks what your message is about. The options are an original painting, a print or poster, an exhibition or collaboration, or something else. Choose “A commission” and put the details in your message.
Include:
- The wall size, or the space the piece will fill.
- A palette, or the colours you want to avoid.
- The works that sparked the idea.
- Any date that matters.
- Your email, so he can reply.
To know more about him before you write, the about page has his shows and collaborations.