Commissioning Modern Art

Purchasing a piece of Modern art is a really enjoyable experience. This true whether art piece is for the home or art for business. However searching for and locating the right piece of modern art is not always an easy thing to do. To overcome the problem more and more modern art collectors are choosing to commission a painting or sculpture from one of the Red Rag Bath Gallery artists. Below we list some art tips on buying and commissioning art:

How to successfully commission Modern art portraits and commission art for your home, office or business.

Commissioning an artist to create a painting or art sculpture can be extremely satisfying and may prove to be a good art investment. Original modern art pieces are unique, but commissioning Modern art makes it personal to you and should done to your particular needs. As well known British artist Ken Howard RA says: 'We all have loved ones, loved places, loved things and there can be nothing more satisfying than making them immortal by commissioning a work of art.'�

One enduring subject for commissioning art remains Portraits. Red Rag represents a number of artists who specialise in Portrait paintings including leading portrait painters David Cobley and Simon Davis

An artist can be commissioned by you to produce any type and style of modern painting or sculpture. This includes everything from Landscape paintings, Architectural paintings or Marine paintings through to paintings of Figures. One of the most popular Modern art commissions continues to be Portrait paintings.

Each artist and art commission varies in the process of producing a painting. Customers and artists come together and work in different ways through the process. At Red Rag Modern Art Gallery we are always pleased to help customers with the art commissioning process but below are some basic guidelines for commissioning modern art:

Develop an artist brief for the modern artwork or portrait painting

It is helpful if this is a written document for the art gallery and/or artist. The brief should list your ideas and needs about the completed modern art piece. It serves as an aid when reviewing the art commission with the artist and is reminder for the artist when he begins your commissioned art work.

Questions to consider for your Art Brief and Commission

Who or what is the Modern art piece for? Is the modern art for your home? Is it an Art Gift ?. Are there any constraints or special requirements? Is the art work or modern portrait painting to be a special place or of a specific individual? Do you want it to be similar to other paintings you have seen? What size of art piece are you looking for? Where are you planning to display the art work? Is there a preference for specific finishes eg Oil or Acrylic paintings; Bronze or Stone sculptures? Is there a particular artist that you have in mind? What other artists do you like? Do you prefer a particular style of modern art? What is you budget for the proposed piece of art?

Meeting the artist

Once the brief has been agreed with the art gallery a meeting will be arranged with artist. The artist needs to understand the art brief and achieve a good knowledge of what is required. Once your requirements are established the artist can decide whether, or not, he or she, feels capable of producing the art work. If you are looking for the artist to create a painting similar to one you have previously seen this may not be necessary. Talking through the modern art commission with the artist allows the chance to develop the ideas of your art brief a stage further. Before commencing a commissioned art work the artist needs to discuss the art project with the customer and agree a detailed understanding of the requirement.

Art Commission contracts

Contracts for art commissions vary upon the brief. Usually the art gallery of your chosen artist will provide you and the artist with details on: the artist; materials of the art work; and the anticipated timescale to complete the art piece. Commissioning a major art project requires the roles and responsibilities of the parties to be formalised. This is not normally the case where you commission a family portrait or painting of your favourite Landscape or possibly a painting of your home.

If it is a big, expensive art commission and you are unsure then consult a lawyer who specialises in the laws related to Arts. A legally binding contract can be drawn up to protect both yourself and the artist for larger scale art commissions. You need to ensure the contract clearly states who will pay for the art materials and any other fabrication costs eg if part of the production will be handled by a third party

The Process of commissioning your Art works.

Before commissioning your art agree the price and payment schedule with the gallery or artist. If it is a large modern art commission the payment for the art work is usually based on the artist achieving milestones. Typically 40-50% is paid upon agreeing the art commission. Once the artwork has been produced this deposit is non-returnable, even in the unlikely event that the final artwork is rejected. A second payment can sometimes be made mid way through the creation of the art and the final payment on completion and delivery of the artwork.

Artists work in different ways. Generally, but not always, the artist will produce initial sketches for your consideration before commencing the final artwork commissioning commences. After that some artists may provide on-going views of the art work such as digital images but often you will not see your art work until it is complete. Reviewing progress with the artist is recommended on very large scale commissions. The number of meetings required will depend upon the size and scale of the art commission.

When the commissioned art piece is finished some artists will delivery your art work, but most prefer to work through art galleries. If it is a very large art piece make sure to agree responsibility for the delivery of the artwork in advance. After taking delivery of your art work do consider how best to care for your Modern Art and think about Art Lighting for the commission

Finally - under copyright laws each artist retains ownership of the modern art work produced by them. If you are not happy with this you need to agree in advance with the artist the ownership and copyright of the artwork.

Modern Art, artists, paintings, sculpture and Art Prints from - RED RAG Modern Art Gallery

RED RAG 01225 332223 or outside the UK + 44 1225 332223