Okay, I started this post like 3 months ago. Can you tell that this is a topic that is just festering in the back of my mind??? And I’m not so sure that I even will post this anytime soon, because man, being vulnerable is so hard! But I feel like in order to grow as an artist, I have to take some risks. And that means being out there, and looking for feedback, and talking to other artists. But I don’t want to do that! (No offense- seriously, this is about me, not you, lol). I am most happy creating, but part of me wants to leap out of that comfort zone and carve out a commitment to my art and get out there with it. Anyone else feel this way?
For the last month (well, now it is like 4 months since I procrastinated in posting this for so long), I have been working on a commissioned piece, a family drawing that includes every member of this particular family, on a huge 24×36 in piece of paper. I thought I would share that process so far, minus any terribly revealing photos, since it is still in the working phases, and I want to respect that this is the family’s process, as much as it is mine.
So, it all started when I was waiting outside for my child who was at dance class, and I had with me my portable art stash, like this one, and I was doing a drawing of my dog; I was being productive, like any Mom/artist should be, trying to squeeze in some art making time. A nice gentleman came up and asked to see my work, and asked if I could do a family portrait. I was reluctant, because I didn’t want to over commit my life in general, and to be honest, was fearful that I would somehow screw it up. But I gave him my contact info, and about a month or so later he called me, with permission of his wife, to do this family portrait. Which is pretty exciting.
In order to make sure that everyone was on the same page, we discussed a lot of things before starting, mostly through email. From there, I put together an artist agreement that we both signed, stating how the process would work, and how much communication and input the purchaser would be able to give as well as the timelines and deadlines that were to be put in place. I researched the best way to do this and found a great examples here that you are encouraged to check out. I also would recommend seeking out the advise of a lawyer if this is something you would consider doing on a routine basis, to come up with a form that would protect you and your business, and your client.
Of course, the other part to negotiate was the price. And since I have not done commissioned work for people since college, I had no idea what a fair market value or even time compensation would be! Let’s be vulnerable here a bit, right? I quoted a price for the unframed work, which was probably under my value, to be honest, but it definitely will cover my supplies, and this process will give me a better understanding of how much time it will take, which will better help me gauge a project in the future. So I did not mind undercutting myself for this one, because it A. Fell in my lap, and B. Is giving me some really valuable information that I will then use to determine a general cost for the future. The way I wrote my contract was that 50% of the total fee is due before starting the project, to cover the cost of supplies and for motivation to actually work on it. I am the type of person that will stay more motivated for someone else than for my own fun. I just work better that way.
At at this point, I got started with some preliminary sketches. For the piece that he asked for it to be as large as possible, like 3ft by 4ft for the wall, which I figured, a 24×36” image would then be framed and matted nicely to fit a 3x4ft wall space. Not a problem! I’ve worked with that size in college. So I started the process of creating a few drawings, based on the image that was provided, and came up with a few mockups to give an idea of what type of media they would like to see; they chose colored pencil. Which I love, because it is my favorite at times for getting a lot of precise details.
Once we got all of that squared away, I realized, a 24×36 in piece of paper may have been standard in college for a painting, but no one seems to carry that size paper! Not online, and not at the retail stores. So, I ended up getting a huge roll of 45in x something mixed media paper at the art supply store. Which was within my supply budget, and it means I can make more and more huge drawings! The only struggles is wrestling with the rolled up paper and getting it cut to the right size. I’m sure that would have been a fun picture to share with you, but alas, I couldn’t cut, uncurl, and take a photo, so you’ll just have to trust me on that one. Finally though, I got my page taped down to a board, and I use a large Masonite board from the hardware store, about 1/4in thickness as a way to keep my workspace from being dominated by one project at a time.
I have been working on this for a while, and over time have found that I will avoid drawing in places that are potentially difficult. It took me up until the last two weeks to even think about doing the faces! And then to have to present that to my client was so nerve wracking! But every week I send a photo of the imagery and he is so kind in his responses.
I was skeptical about the genuineness (because sometimes being vulnerable leads to underestimating ourselves, right?) but on Monday I was again sitting at dance, and he came in with his daughter and I was able to share the most recent update. He seemed to be so excited to show is daughter, who is absolutely precious, by the way, and he lavished me with compliments. Hearing his feedback made me so happy, and reassured me that he is pleased with this process so far. And that I need to use this as advertising for other people (thanks!) He even told me that I undercharged him. That was probably the biggest compliment of all!
It has come a long way! 
And there are definitely areas that I see as flaws, but this is a process, and I will keep up with the layers and the details.
Where do you find yourself most vulnerable with your art?