Turning down commissions

[Julianne Lowman]

In light of my last commission, which, by the way, my husband and several friends warned me ahead of time probably wouldn't work out, I would like to know a gracious way to refuse or turn down a prospective client's commission. Do you use the "Long Waiting List" line? Do you raise prices to at least get paid for the frustration of dealing with such individuals? How do you "Just Say NO"?

[Michele Rushworth]

Many of the artists listed on this site, myself included, ask for a one-third non-refundable deposit at the beginning of the project. In my case I am paid the deposit at the time the reference photos are taken. If the portrait is not accepted in the end at least I am paid a portion of the total fee.

I also talk in detail with the client about what they are looking for and, as I mentioned in the other thread, I have the client literally sign off on the reference photos I will use. If what they are asking for is something I don't feel comfortable doing I let them know that we should probably not proceed since we will both be disappointed with the results.

[Karin Wells]

I have loudly and clearly said "no" on occasion and have told the client exactly why. Here are some recent examples:

Sometimes the problem is an expectation that cannot be met. For example, a couple came to me for a portrait of their child (because they said that they liked my work?) BUT they wanted me to paint it like an "impressionist." Since I don't paint in that manner I said "no" and referred them to a colleague who does.

Another time, someone wanted a painting on an impossible deadline. Because I work in layers I was not able (because of drying times) to meet the deadline. I referred that person to a colleague who speed paints in an ala prima style.

If anyone wonders why I am so hard on artists who post awful photo reference material for critique in this Forum, here's why: Several times I have been given substandard reference material that I was unwilling to use. I did not refer these people to any one else as I do not know of any pro who would undertake a job under those conditions.

Personality conflict: I had a man walk into my studio with the ugliest frame that I have ever seen and ask that I paint a portrait to fit it. I told him that I did not like his frame and he said something like "since I'm paying you, you'll do it my way." I refused and he left in a huff.

Here's one that I did not say "no" to but should have...a woman came to me and complained that 5 other portrait artists (good ones) had failed to do a good job painting her daughter's portrait. For some reason this did not set off alarm bells and I cluelessly began working with the two most miserable people that I have ever professionally encountered. Ugh. After wasting a LOT of my time trying to please people who cannot be pleased, I returned all of their money and refused to finish the job. I would not give them a portrait I considered inferior - they weren't going to allow me to give them a good one.

I love this work and I really care about what I paint. I will not give anyone a painting that is less than the very best that I can produce. I worked hard to develop my current level of skill and I am unwilling to compromise it. It is sacred to me.

I cringe when I hear artists say variations of: "I know it was an awful portrait but that is what the client "asked for" and I wanted/needed the money." There have certainly been times when I wanted/needed the money too, but I refuse to produce what I consider to be less than my best work.

I wonder how others feel about this?

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

I was about to write that I haven't yet said "no" to a commission, and then I remembered a request I received via telephone to paint a composite portrait of a number of family members all shown, heads only, in a "vignette" style encircling the head of the parent.

I told the client that I didn't work in that style and gave her my URL, suggesting that she take a look at my work and see whether she would like me to paint a group portrait along the lines of some of the pictures she saw on my site. She never got back to me, nor did I expect her to.

I have also given my URL to others under similar circumstances, assuming that they would be able to get a sense of my style and see whether it fit their purposes. I also ask them to review the procedures and prices on my site because that, too, can be a deterrent. People around here seem to expect to spend a couple of hundred dollars for a portrait. When I find that this is the case I sometimes refer them to another artist who works much more quickly or impressionistically than I and actually is within that price range.

I don't insist on a partial down payment because I prefer to work without that pressure; if the client doesn't like the finished painting (which hasn't happened yet) I've had the fun of working with the material and no one's the worse for the experience. It would be different if I had a waiting list, but I usually don't.

There was one situation in which I did ask for money up front, and there I also wrote out a contract and adhered to it. The warning signs went up when the client tried to get me to lower my prices and asked me to justify them.

Later she wanted me to change the mouth and substitute the expression from another photo (this was a posthumous portrait). When I complied I was surprised at how genuinely pleased she was with the final product - I expected her to find problems with it no matter how excellent it was.

My work is not as detailed as yours, Karin, and my standards are different, as are our styles. Still I wouldn't accept resource material which I didn't believe could be made into a portrait I could be proud of. The difference is that I think it's fun to work with a lot of different reference photos and make something new from them, while still attempting to express the personalities of the subjects. I very much enjoy that challenge.

[Karin Wells]

The difference is that I think it's fun to work with a lot of different reference photos and make something new from them,

Oh dear, if I gave the impression that I don't do this I am sorry. I do indeed use as many reference sources as I can. But somewhere in the stack of resource materials accumulated for a particular portrait, there must be something with enough information in it that makes it possible to produce a decent painting.

I find that all painting is fun for me - no matter what the subject matter - but I do like to get paid for my time and materials. I would rather use my "non-commission" time painting a landscape or a still life that I can eventually sell.

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Karin, I understood what you meant - it was I who wasn't clear. I meant that I enjoyed the challenge of taking material that was less than perfect and, through use of a lot of reference photos, making it into a good portrait - one that is a far better depiction of the subjects than my raw material is.

I also enjoy the challenge of "cutting and pasting" in my head so that I can use the best elements of one photo combined with what works in others. But that's a different issue and I know most of us do that!

Happy New Year, by the way!