So you are thinking of commissioning a piece?

Cool! Everything you need to know is right here. I accept commissions on a first come first serve basis. It's only me and my pencils. If I accept too many at once, people get cranky because they have to wait too long. If you want something for a special occasion, waiting until a few weeks ahead of time isn't likely to work out. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months for me to complete your piece. Before I accept a commission, I will give some estimate of the time for completion. Subjects

I accept commissions for nearly anything, though portraits are the most popular. Pets, buildings, cars, or just about anything else you might think of – I'll consider doing it. All commissions are graphite on paper. I currently do not accept commissions in color mediums. When I find a way of doing color that makes me happy, then I'll accept color commissions. It's an artist thing. I don't like everything I do. If you are interested in a commission, use the information below to get some idea of the cost and contact me at commissions@iridescentdreamscapes.com or directly at 585-948-9332. I work out of my home so don't be surprised at an informal greeting when we pick up the phone.

The Reference Photo

I work from photographs, mostly because not very many people want to sit for the amount of time it takes to do a quality graphite rendering (anywhere from from several hours for something very small and simple to hundreds of hours for something large and complex). The photograph MUST be high quality. I cannot take a worn out wallet size photo with a face the size of a dime and blow it up into a beautiful 18 x 24 portrait. I reserve the right to reject a reference photo.

If you provide the photograph you must have the rights for me to reproduce it. So if you want me to use a wedding picture taken by a professional photographer then you must get permission. The best portraits come from photos I take myself. This allows me to take dozens of digital pictures from which I can create a truly unique portrait. If you would like for me to take the photos, I charge $30/hr including travel time and expenses. Obviously this is only an option for people living in the Niagara Frontier of Western New York State.

Estimating the Cost of Your Commission

The price of a commissioned work is dependent on two factors, size and complexity. A larger size is simply more area to cover and takes proportionately more time. Complexity is the amount of detail. Simple textures and patterns take much less time than than complex prints and clothing like a ribbed sweater. So to help estimate the cost of a commission, I've created a flexible formula that will help you choose between a wide range of options. It is simply my unit rate with some multipliers for size, backgrounds and complexity.

Backgrounds:

Type Multiplier
No Background 1
Vignette 1.1
Textured 1.25
Deep black (simple, but very time consuming) 1.4
Complete (foliage, cars, buildings, etc) 1.5

Complexity:

Type Multiplier

Face only 1
Simple (silk, bold patterns) 1.25
Moderate (cloth with many folds, stitching, etc) 1.5
Complex (Beaded Wedding dress, detailed patterns on cloth) 2

The size is NOT the size of the paper but the size of the drawing that shows in the frame or through a mat. So an 8”x10” portrait will be on paper larger than 8”x10”

Example

Unit Rate Height (inches) Width (inches) Background Complexity Total

1.5 X 10 X 8 X 1.25 X 1.25 = $187.50

Unit Rate Height (inches) Width (inches) Background Complexity Total

1.5 X ______ X ______ X ______ X ______ =

The commission is executed in graphite on premium quality paper and properly cared for will last for generations (really! As in over 100 years).