Portrait commission agreement

Tell the client what makes a usable reference for your medium and process. Explain the importance of lighting, focus, angle, and visible detail without assuming they understand why a favorite small image may be hard to work from. Ask which features matter most to the intended likeness, and identify any part of the subject that the photographs do not adequately show.

Discuss permission to use the references, particularly when a professional photographer took them. The client possessing a photograph does not necessarily settle the rights needed for your commission. Record which images and composition you have accepted before beginning. If combining separate photographs is part of the service, describe that work rather than promising a likeness from incomplete material. Agree on how you will resolve missing information, and avoid suggesting that a later dispute can be prevented by guessing at details the reference never contained.

Choose review stages appropriate to the medium. A drawn layout may be a useful approval point before irreversible work begins, while later photographs can report progress without reopening the entire composition. Explain what you want the client to assess at each stage. A casual update and a request for formal approval should not look identical if they have different consequences.

Define which adjustments remain possible after approval and how a significant change is considered. Moving a figure, replacing a reference, or asking for a different background may involve more than correcting a small detail. Tell the client how to submit consolidated feedback and what happens if they are unavailable. Keep approvals with the commission record. A sensitive subject deserves a calm review process, but that does not require you to promise unlimited repainting or abandon the choices the client previously approved.

Describe the physical artwork precisely: chosen medium, support, dimensions, orientation, and the composition you intend to make. Include the subject count and any agreed background treatment. Clarify whether the commission includes a digital reproduction or only the original object. Explain variations in your offer through the work and materials involved, rather than presenting someone else's example as a standard price.

Make decisions about framing and presentation visible before quoting. An unframed work, a mounted drawing, and a framed painting involve different responsibilities and delivery needs. Discuss the finished appearance your medium can reasonably provide without promising that the result will resemble a photograph. If the client changes the size or support after materials have been acquired, review the effect on the commission. The agreement should identify the artwork the client will receive, not leave its physical form to be settled at shipping.

Record the delivery destination and whether collection is an option. Discuss packing, tracking, insurance, and the carrier's practical limits. If framing is included, explain who selects the frame and how it affects transport. For an international shipment, clarify responsibility for customs information and any applicable import charges rather than assuming the quoted delivery cost settles every obligation.

Set out a process for reporting damage that asks the client to retain packaging and document the condition on arrival. Identify who contacts the carrier and how a repair, replacement, or other resolution will be discussed. Have legal responsibility and risk language reviewed locally; a template cannot decide those questions for every shipment. Check the delivery address before dispatch and keep the handoff record. Avoid guaranteeing a gift arrival date where production approvals, customs, or carrier conditions remain outside your control.

A personal commission requires a policy that reflects your work and the consumer rules that apply. Explain what happens if the client cancels before production, after an approved layout, or after the artwork is substantially completed. Identify how payments and approved expenses are taken into account. Do not assume that describing an object as custom-made removes every possible refund obligation.

Distinguish cancellation from a concern that the delivered work does not match the agreed commission. Give the client a clear contact and a process for explaining the problem. Refer back to the accepted references, medium, dimensions, and approvals rather than relying on an emotional argument about how much effort went into the painting. Ask a professional to review any non-refundable payment clause. Preserve enough documentation to discuss the issue fairly, while avoiding unnecessary collection of private family information or details unrelated to making and delivering the portrait.