PET PORTRAITS

To commission a cat painting, please visit the cat portrait commission page. (The prices are different from the human portrait commissions.) Typically I paint small cat paintings (12x12" and smaller) but can paint larger paintings upon request.

I like dogs and would be happy to paint them, but you won't see many examples of dog paintings in my portfolio. Prices for dog paintings will be similar to cat portraits.

HUMAN PORTRAITS

You can see a small gallery of my portraits on this page. Also, my other site, JacquelineDunster.com, has many examples of recent portraits. (Links open to new page.)

THE PROCESS

With human portraits in particular, it is very important for me to look at more than one photo of the person, to get a "feel" or "vibe" of who they are. One photo almost never is enough for me to feel confident that I can capture a genuine likeness. Even video clips of the person are helpful. In the case of memorial or posthumous portraits, as many photos (or as much video footage) that you can provide will be very helpful.

If you live in the Kansas City area, it would be ideal if I could meet the with the model (the person I am to paint). While the majority of the painting will be done from photo reference, meeting the model and being able to do some preliminary sketches would be optimal.

(An example of a sketch I did of someone who posed in person. In this case, "Marisol" posed for an artist group. This sketch took less than an hour to complete.)

Photo reference should be high quality. It is extremely important to have natural-looking lighting without excessive glare and to have the highest possible resolution. A blurry cell phone photo or a small head in a group photo will not make a good portrait reference.

My philosophy for portraits is that I want to depict someone looking like they would if they'd had a fantastic day. They look well-rested and at their best. This does not mean I will flatter someone so much that they end up being unrecognizable. But neither do I see the necessity to show every little wrinkle or pimple. These small details are superfluous and do not capture the inner person.

A simple agreement will be signed by both of us and a 50% deposit will be paid before the painting is started. Payment can be through PayPal, Stripe (takes all major credit cards), cash or check. Progress photos of the painting will be shared throughout the process. A photo of the finished painting will be sent for your approval, and the other 50% of the price will be due at this time.

The painting will be shipped (insured Priority Mail) after payment is received. You will only be expected to pay for the actual shipping and insurance costs. (If you prefer, I can deliver the painting in person if you live within the Kansas City area.)

At this time, I am most comfortable only taking custom portrait commissions within the United States, OR to select countries where I can obtain shipping insurance. (I don't feel comfortable shipping to a country if the painting cannot be insured against damage or loss.)

While you will be purchasing an original oil painting, you are not purchasing publishing rights (in other words, the copyright). To buy all rights will be separate fee and this will need to be negotiated. According to US Copyright law, artists automatically are granted copyright of their works upon creation.

In my case, I usually display commissioned paintings on my website or social media and that's all. However, I do have one "Portfolio Book" that is available online. If I ever write a "sequel" to this book, as a courtesy, I will not publish any commissioned artwork without consulting with the client beforehand.

SIZES AND PRICES FOR HUMAN PORTRAITS

(Prices may be adjusted if the commission requires a lot of adjustments or has a complicated composition. All prices are in US Dollars.)

6x8 inches: $210

8x8 inches: $275

8x10 inches: $350

9x12 inches: $425

10x10 inches: $425

12x12 inches: $550

11x14 inches: $600

12x16 inches: $725

16x16 inches: $900

16x20 inches: $1,000

18x18 inches: $1,100

18x24 inches: $1,300

Other sizes are available.

WHY DO MY CUSTOM PORTRAITS COST MORE THAN MY OTHER PAINTINGS?

Someone may look at the prices on my other website (or on DailyPaintworks) and think, "Hey! Some of those paintings are much cheaper! What's going on?!"

Commissions usually are a lot more work. These other paintings I sell online are "what you see is what you get." Either you like a painting, or you don't. I spent as much time on it as I wanted, and priced it accordingly. (Also, some of these less expensive paintings are quicker "studies" and are priced to reflect that.)

A custom painting always requires more time, adjustments, preparation, and communication. It is common for artists to charge more for custom work.

OTHER DETAILS

Painting will be painted in oil (though I can also paint in acrylics if you have a strong preference).

I favor wood supports (canvas/linen mounted on wood panel or a primed wood panel). I love the feel of painting on stretched canvas, but eventually abandoned it because I consider stretched canvas to be too vulnerable. Wood is much more durable and long-lasting. (There's a reason why so many old paintings in museums are on wood panels!)

Paintings that are 12x12" in size or below can be painted with a rigid panel with 1/8" or 1/4" thickness. At these smaller sizes this is routine and common. The school of thought is that thinner panels tend to warp at larger sizes, but 12x12" is a "safe" size and I don't notice warping. I can safely go a little larger with 1/4" or 3/8" panels, but don't tend to push my luck too far there either.

Larger paintings will be painted on a primed panel with a 7/8" depth cradle (if you intend to frame your painting) or 1-1/2" to 2" depth cradle (if you want to display the painting unframed). Please make sure to let me know if you have a strong preference for a painting 12x12" or below to be painted on a cradled panel, as this is not a problem.

(An example of a finished painting on a cradled board. I paint the sides to match the rest of the painting. This way, the painting can be displayed unframed.)

Please CONTACT ME if you have more questions or inquiries about commissioning a portrait.