Commissions: how it works, what it costs — Louise Barr • Printmaker

Commissioning a print: how it works, what it costs

I love the challenge of commissioned prints and I’m happy to discuss commissions of pets and other animals, the natural world, and even musical instruments. Commissioning a print is easy:

Step 1: You contact me with an idea for a commission.

I’ll get in touch to discuss your idea in more depth—the subject of the commission, what size prints you’d like, how many prints you want, and if there is a specific deadline.

We can chat by email, over the phone or via video call.

Sometimes people have a clear idea of what they’d like or a specific photograph they want to use (see Huey on the right, there)
Other folks send me lots of photographs and let me decide which one will work best or I might use a few together
Lots of people know they want a commission for a special date or anniversary, but they’re not sure what they’d like as the subject. Don’t worry if you’re in this camp, we can have a chat and narrow down the options.

I can work from photographs of your pet / animal / etc as long as the quality is good enough. I’ll have a look at everything you send me and let you know if I need more photos, different angles, or pictures taken in better light etc.

If it’s the only photograph and the quality isn’t great, never fear, we’ll do our best to resurrect it and get something I can work from.

An English Bulldog looks over its left shoulder at the camera with a look of either total disdain or love. Could be either.

A black and white relief print of the head and shoulders of an English Bulldog. The dog has a pale coat and a white patch in the middle go the head, and at the top of that iconic short muzzle.

Step 2: I’ll create a sketch and send it to you

We’ll have another chat about the sketch and see if any changes are needed before I commit to creating the finished piece.

Once we’ve agreed on the composition it cannot be changed and I will send you an invoice for a 50% non-refundable deposit.

Step 3: I’ll cut the lino block

This may take some time depending on the complexity of the subject! I’ll send regular messages to keep you updated with my progress.

Once the block is ready, I’ll make an artist’s proof and send you a photo of the print to ensure you’re happy. At this point I’ll send you an invoice for the remaining 50% of your order.

Here’s the print of Huey once his owner had given me the okay to print the edition.

Step 4: Once I’ve received your go-ahead I’ll print the edition and send your prints to you.

How much does it cost?

Prints as detailed as mine take a long time to create, so the price of commissioned prints is higher than if you’re buying one of my own prints.

Personal Limited Edition of Four Prints

I will print you your very own limited edition of just 4 prints (and an Artist’s Proof which I will keep). You will receive all four prints and I won’t print any more from the block or do anything with the image other than use it to promote my work.

Print Area

210 mm x 297 mm (Up to A4)

148 mm x 210 mm (Up to A5)

Number of Prints

4 + 1 AP (Artist’s Proof)

Price

£600

£480

Ouch, that’s expensive, have you got any “wiggle room” on prices?

I want to be honest about my prices. If I’m spending time working on a commission for you, it’s time I can’t be making prints that I can sell and make money to live on, so I need to charge enough to compensate me for my time and skill while I’m away from my own work.

But if I think your commission subject might have a wider appeal, we might be able to look at options like you receiving just the first two prints in a limited edition, leaving me free to keep and sell the remainder of the edition for myself. This is just one option, so do drop me a message and we can have a chat.