What Is THE Commission Process?

Custom paintings are priced based on size, complexity, and framing.

Each commission begins with a $100 Design & Consultation Fee, which covers concept development and mockups. Once the design is approved and the final size is selected, you’ll receive a detailed quote for the finished artwork, with the design fee applied as a credit.

For full pricing and size options, visit the Pricing Guide.

Prices do include US shipping. Ohio residents will be charged 8% sales tax.

Timelines vary depending on the scope of the project and the time of year, but most commissions take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to deliver a finished product. The design phase happens first, followed by painting, proofing, and printing.

If you’re working toward a specific date, let me know early and I’ll be honest about what’s realistic.

A digital painting is created by hand using a stylus and tablet, much like traditional painting, just without physical brushes and canvas in the early stages.

This is not a filter. It takes hours to bring out details in the reference photographs, clone out backgrounds, and then meticulously build up layers of digital “paint” with different-sized brushstrokes and textures. Each image is absolutely unique.

Once the painting is complete, it’s printed on canvas and finished to create a physical piece meant to be displayed and enjoyed, not just viewed on a screen.

IS IT REALLY ART?

Absolutely! There are many different way to create a piece of art, from oils to watercolors, papier-mâché to ceramics... digital painting is just a different technique. It requires years of practice and experimentation and a solid knowledge of how the software reacts to your input. We use different digital brushes and techniques to achieve the results we’re looking for.

While there are many powerful programs out there that promise to convert your photographs into paintings, no computer algorithm can replicate the thoughtful brushstrokes of a digital artist. Proof of that is that each artist has their own unique stye that is identifiable by the people familiar with their work.

Whether you choose a digital painter or watercolor painter or felt artist to create your heirloom artpiece is dependent entirely on how you feel about the artist’s style. The fact that the medium is digital should not discourage you - if you love it, that’s all that matters!

There are usually three types of images that translate especially well into a finished painting:

• A head-and-shoulders view with the subject looking toward the camera

• A profile view

• A full-body image

Images where the subject is reasonably close to the camera tend to work best, as they allow me to see details in fur, hair, feathers, and expression.

Rather than trying to choose “the one perfect photo,” I prefer to see a small collection of images. For most commissions, 5 to 50 images is ideal. This gives me flexibility to combine the best elements from multiple photos and create a more natural, polished result.

You’re also welcome to include inspiration images, whether they’re examples of backgrounds, lighting, poses, or artwork styles you’re drawn to. These don’t need to be of the subject itself.

To make things easy, I’ll provide a Dropbox link for uploading files, so there’s no need to worry about email size limits. If you’re working from a single image and would like that exact photo painted, you can simply send that file directly.

If you’d like a better sense of what tends to work well, you’re welcome to browse the portfolio or [read this blog post]

Yes. Backgrounds can be simplified, customized, or completely reimagined. This is part of the design phase, where we explore options and settle on a direction before painting begins.

Nope! I paint people, cats, frogs, landscapes, houses... whatever you want! If you've got a decent photograph of it, I can paint it.

I accept credit or debit cards, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, cash, or checks.

The Design & Consultation Fee is paid first. Once the design is approved and the final artwork details are set, a second invoice is issued for the remaining balance.

Payment plans are available. The finished painting will not ship until the last payment is made.

Every painting I create is a custom, collaborative process—designed to honor your subject in a meaningful, lasting way. I want you to love your portrait, and I’ve outlined the policy below to keep things fair and clear.

The Design & Consultation Fee covers professional creative work already completed, including consultation and mockups. If you decide not to move forward after the design phase, that fee reflects the time and expertise invested.

The process is structured to avoid surprises, with collaboration and approval built in before the final artwork begins. My goal is always to make sure you feel confident and excited before moving forward.

I truly want you to be happy with your painting, but also need to protect the time and care that goes into each piece—especially during the design phase. If you ever have questions about this process, I’m always happy to walk you through it.