A COMMISSIONED PAINTING IS A VERY SPECIAL PIECE OF FINE ART—IT IS A TREASURE YOU (OR THE LUCKY RECIPIENT) WILL HAVE FOREVER. FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, I’VE HAD THE HONOR OF PAINTING PORTRAITS OF PEOPLE AND ANIMALS, IMAGES OF DREAMS, HOME SCENES AND MORE—THE SKY’S THE LIMIT. EVERY ARTIST’S COMMISSIONING PROCESS IS DIFFERENT, SO I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH MINE! I HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON SOMETHING.
STEP ONE—DISCOVERY. So you want to commission a painting! You’ve come to the right place. First, we’ll chat either via email or on the phone about what you have in mind—and don’t worry if you don’t have it all figured out! It’s part of the process for us to decide on imagery, general color scheme, and the energy of the piece together. I work from photographs, so we’ll talk about what kinds of photos work best, composition, and background themes that reflect the subject if that’s desired.
STEP TWO—DECIDING ON TYPE AND SIZE. I work primarily in gouache (a traditional illustration medium) and acrylic for commissioned pieces because of their quick drying time. However, I can work in oil if you don’t mind waiting 2-3 months for the cured, varnished piece to be ready to ship. I enjoy painting on archival paper, canvas or wood panel in equal measure. We can discuss what substrate and medium might be best for the piece you have in mind. More on sizing below.
STEP THREE—PRICING, TIMELINE, AND CONTRACT: Once the image, size, medium and substrate have been determined, so too can the pricing. Commissioning a painting is a special event in one’s life, and depending on lots of factors, the pricing can vary. If it all looks good to you, you’ll sign a contract (here’s a sample!) that will solidify all of this information so that it’s clearly understood by all involved. The timeline will be my best estimation given the complexity of the project and what’s on my plate. Typically, depending on complexity, single portraits take 4-8 weeks, and multi-figure or larger pieces take 3-6 months.
PRICING STRUCTURE AS OF JULY 2025:
STEP FOUR—PAINTING: Once we’re all set with logistical and contractual details and we’re both agreed on the direction, I will begin painting! A little more information about that process and revisions is included in the sample contract above. Once the piece is finished, it is either shipped to you or potentially hand-delivered if you are in the NYC area.
THAT’S IT! I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH EITHER THROUGH THE FORM HERE OR VIA EMAILING ME AT JOAN@JOANLEMAY.COM. YOU CAN EVEN DM ME ON INSTAGRAM @JOANLEMAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU SOON. I HOPE WE CAN MAKE A PAINTING HAPPEN TOGETHER.