Redoing a painting without the dog

Michele Rushworth · 12-01-2003, 04:53 PM

I am more than halfway through a painting of a boy and his dog and it's going very well. I got a call from the client today who told me they no longer want the dog in the painting. Apparently he recently attacked someone and they will have to get rid of him.

The dog is an integral part of the current composition and the painting would not make any sense without him there. It's a sheepdog who is bigger than the kid. I would need to begin on a new canvas with new reference. (Perhaps some of the existing ref shots of the boy alone would work but we may need to shoot all new photos.)

I am much farther along with this painting than the client expected. They weren't aware that I had even begun the portrait since they had been a ways out, in my backlog.

How would you suggest I proceed with what will surely be a new painting, especially regarding my fee?

Steven Sweeney · 12-01-2003, 06:43 PM

I don

Michele Rushworth · 12-01-2003, 07:43 PM

I have already received (and long ago deposited) a check for 30% of the total, and regardless of whether the client proceeds with a new painting, I would finish and keep the current painting as a sample for myself.

In case it's relevant, the painting of the boy is meant as part of a pair that I am painting at the same time. The other painting is of his sister holding a puppy.

Tom Edgerton · 12-01-2003, 08:36 PM

I'm with Steven on this one. He's given you a more than adequate answer.

I would assume starting from scratch, if they're amenable to it. But I think at least the 30% deposit on the first one should be forfeited for the effort to date. (I never took less than a 30% to 50% kill fee on illustration work, depending on the stage at which it was terminated.)

Nobody ultimately will be happy with a "make do" solution from the existing reference.

Best--TE