Thank you for your interest in commissioning a custom portrait. It’s exciting to be thinking about getting a custom portrait commissioned. I have laid out some details about the process below, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Are your portraits hand painted?
A: Yes, all portraits are 100% hand-painted by me without use of technology or tracing techniques. All my work is original.
Q: What materials are used in making of a painting?
A. I use professionally primed, archival-quality stretched canvas and professional grade oil paints with rich pigments that last for generations. My paintings are made without the use of turpentine, turpenoid or other toxic solvents. I use linseed oil as medium. It is up to you if you want your painting varnished (varnish adds gloss and acts as a protective layer against dust, dirt, pollutants, and UV light, and it is designed to be removed and replaced without damaging the oil painting), varnish should be applied after a painting is fully cured – which can take up to 6 months depending on thickness of paint.
Q: How long does it take for the painting to complete?
A. Oil paint is the slowest drying medium and offers best long-term rewards. Typically, each painting has 4 to 5 layers of paint and each layer takes about 5 days to dry. With this assumption, it takes about 3-4 weeks for a painting to fully cure. Depending on the size of the painting and my current schedule, I offer to ship a painting within 3-6 weeks.
Q: What kind of photos work best?
A: High resolution photos taken using camera or phone in ample daylight and not enhanced with heavy filters work best. Screenshots, WhatsApp images, or social media downloads usually lose important details. A photo in .jpg or .png format is accepted.
Q: Do you ship domestically or internationally?
A: Shipping within the continental United States is complimentary. I currently do not ship to non-continental U.S. or internationally.
Q. Do you offer framing options?
A. Currently I do not offer framing as this is a personal choice and I leave it to the taste of my clients. But I highly recommend floater frames because these frames will allow your art to display fully without hiding edges that a typical wood frame will do.
Q. How will you ship my painting?
A. Each painting is carefully prepared for shipping to make sure it reaches you safely.
All shipments include tracking, and the package is marked as fragile artwork. You will receive tracking details as soon as your painting is on its way.
If you are local to the Bay Area, pickup can also be arranged.
