How to commission a painting: a step-by-step guide

The wall sets the constraints: usable width, ceiling height, viewing distance, natural light direction and the colours already in the room. Photograph the wall straight on with rough dimensions, plus a wider shot of the room. That single set of images answers most of an artist's early questions.

Size is a design decision when a piece is made to order. A single artwork usually resolves at roughly 60 to 75 percent of the usable wall width, and its centre sits comfortably around 1450 to 1550 mm above the floor. Tall ceilings and long viewing distances both push you larger.

You do not need to describe a finished picture. Send three or four references of work you respond to, note what specifically appeals — palette, scale of mark, level of abstraction, mood — and say plainly what you want to avoid. Constraints help more than instructions.

Medium affects presence and care. Acrylic and oil on stretched canvas suit large statement work; works on paper suit intimate spaces but need glazing. Agree whether the piece arrives stretched, framed or ready to hang, and how it should be cleaned and protected from direct sun.

Before work begins, both sides should have the same document: dimensions, medium, agreed direction, timeline with review points, total cost including framing and freight, deposit terms, and what happens if the finished work is not right.

A single mid-point review — usually a photograph at the block-in stage — resolves most concerns early, while changes are still cheap.

Large works need appropriate fixings into structure, not plasterboard alone. Hang out of direct sunlight, away from heat sources and damp walls, and dust with a dry soft brush rather than cloths or cleaners.

Our Custom Art page walks through this process and includes a size studio for testing candidate dimensions against a reference wall before anything is produced. Send photographs of the space and the direction you have in mind, and we will take it from there.