How Much Does it Cost to Commission a Painting? Pricing Explained

Art commissioning refers to hiring an artist to create a custom art piece with your preferred specific instructions and vision. Commissioning a painting is a unique and creative way of bringing your ideas and imagination to life.

The price to commission a painting ranges from $100 to almost $10000 and depends on many factors including the artist’s experience and reputation, size of the painting, medium and style, complexity and subject matter, and additional services and shipping.

The steps for commissioning an art piece include analyzing your vision, researching the market, identifying a suitable artist, developing ideas, and getting external help.

What is an Art Commission?

An art commission is the process of paying a professional artist and giving them personalized ideas or instructions for creating a custom painting.

The personalized specifications include the subject matter, colors, size, style, and meaningful messages within the painting.

Art commissioning allows people with minimal art skills but creative thinking to acquire help to turn their artistic ideas into reality. People commission art for various reasons, including pieces for personal collections, self-portraits, gifts, and home decoration.

At Photo 2 Painting, we transform your favorite memories into hand-painted portraits. Simply choose the size and medium, upload your photo, and our talented artists will bring it to life. In this digital age filled with AI images, handmade portraits are getting even more special and make personal, beautiful gifts.

What are the Average Costs of Commissioning a Painting?

The average cost of commissioning a painting can change with various factors, including size, artist’s experience and reputation, and extra costs. Commissioning a small painting could cost around $100 - $500, a medium painting for $500 - $2,000, and a large painting for $2,000-$10,000. 

A beginner artist would charge around $50 - $200 for a small painting but an experienced one can charge $500-$2,000 for the same painting. Moreover, additional services like framing, wrapping, and shipping can also increase the total cost of commissioning the painting. Mass-made art is normally more affordable.

What are the Factors that Influence the Cost of a Commissioned Painting?

Factors that influence the cost of a commissioned painting are the artist’s experience and reputation, size of the painting, medium and style, complexity and subject matter, and additional services and shipping.

These factors are described below.

The Artist’s Experience and Reputation

Well-known and recognized artists will undoubtedly charge more than newbies. Paintings from reputable artists are considered unique collectible items, which is why their name or signature on the artwork makes it worth more. Since their skills are in demand, they only work with people who pay them the most.

Size of the Painting

The size of the painting is a considerable factor as large paintings will require a big canvas and will take more time and effort, which increases the price of commissioning. Most artists charge money per square inch, with the average cost being $1 per square inch.

The cost of the canvas, the amount of paint used to fill up the canvas, and the hours of effortless work put into a large painting is much greater than a smaller painting. With these factors, artists will always charge more for the commission of large paintings.

Medium and Style

The medium and style affect the cost of commissioning as oil paintings usually cost more than watercolor or acrylic paintings due to their rich colors and the time-consuming process of drying them.

Moreover, the use of high-quality materials like expensive paints and brushes also increases the price of the commissioned painting. Requesting complex styles like realism, impressionism, and fresco can also cost more as it increases the artist’s labor.

Complexity and Subject Matter

Complexity and subject matter influence the price as having multiple subjects and complex figures takes more time for the artist to paint. Hence, it increases the charges. Having more than one subject or detailed figures like human beings and animals will involve more work than a simple landscape painting.

Generally, artists will charge almost 50% extra of the original pay per added subject. For example, if the cost of a painting with 1 subject is $100, adding another subject will increase the price to $150.

Additional Services and Shipping

Additional services and shipping can increase the total cost of commissioning your painting. If you select additional services like framing, installation, premium packaging, or gift wrapping, the artist or the provider will charge you extra.

Moreover, shipping costs can vary depending on the size of the painting or your location. Ordering a painting on a large and heavy canvas or getting it shipped from a different country will drastically increase the shipping charges.

How to Commission Art?

To commission art, you should analyze your vision, research the market, identify a suitable artist, develop ideas, get external help, communicate with the artist, and ask for samples.

These steps are described below.

• Analyze Your Vision: Analyzing your vision means using the best of your imagination and determining what style or type of art you want to get commissioned. Decide the theme, subjects, emotional impact, and the size of the painting before making an order.
• Research the Market: Research the market and different artists and services to find the one that suits your needs. Look for an artist with a good reputation and reviews, and find a service that offers the most affordable price.
• Identify a Suitable Artist: Identify a suitable artist whose work looks the most appealing to you and whose vision matches yours. You can also read client reviews to see if the artist is trusted.
• Develop Ideas: Develop ideas, refine your vision, and discuss with the artist to let them fully understand what you want. Decide how they can properly implement your ideas on the canvas and get the best result. 
• Get External Help: Get external help from art advisors or galleries for assistance in finding an artist or clarifying your ideas. This will help fully prepare your ideas before you commission them into an artwork.
• Ask For Samples: Ask for samples from the artist to see their previous work so you can have a better idea of who you’re working with and what level of skill they have. Try to ask for samples that are of the same style as yours or have similar subjects.

Tips for Getting the Best Value from Commissioning a Painting

Tips for getting the best value from commissioning a painting are clear communication, understanding the artist’s process, negotiating terms, and requesting progress updates.

These tips are described below.

• Clear Communication: Clear communication means sharing your ideas, preferences, and expectations with the artist so they are properly understood from the start and you are satisfied with the finished artwork.
• Understanding the Artist’s Process: Understanding the artist’s process means learning about their creativity, materials, and the total time it will take to complete the art. This will help you set your expectations properly and have an idea of how long it can take for the artwork to be completed.
• Negotiating Terms: Negotiating terms refers to agreeing on a price, deadline, or payment schedule with the artist for both parties to be satisfied and comfortable with the deal. Negotiating helps prevent future misunderstandings.
• Requesting Progress Updates: Requesting progress updates builds better communication so you can request any changes or additions during the painting process.

What are the Commissioned Painting Prices of Different Types of Artwork?

Commissioned painting prices can vary due to the type of artwork used. For example, portrait, abstract, and landscape paintings all have different factors contributing to the variation in their cost of commissioning. 

What is the Cost of Commissioning Portrait Paintings?

The cost of commissioning portrait paintings can range from $100 - $10,000. The cost also depends on the artist’s reputation, the size of the painting, and the amount of detail required. At Photo2Painting, the price starts at $149, depending on the size, medium, and complexity of the portrait. 

What is the Cost of Commissioning Abstract Paintings?

The cost of commissioning an abstract art can be around $200 - $3,000. The prices can also depend on the color depth and the amount of emotional elements in the painting that may convey a message.

What is the cost of commissioning Landscape paintings?

The cost of commissioning landscape paintings can vary from $300 - $5,000. However, this price can also depend on factors like the size, the type of scenery, and the number of subjects and elements in the landscape.