TERMS: Paintings take approximately 2-3 months to complete
Waiting Lists are on a first-come first-served basis.
Reservation Deposit: $500 non-refundable, reserves your time on the year’s schedule.
First Payment: 1/3 non-refundable deposit on the estimated final cost. This covers size and subject discussions and photography sessions, followed by study drawings and sketches. The reservation deposit is credited toward this amount.
Second Payment: 1/3 non-refundable deposit due with acceptance of the study drawings for the paintings. Pricing will be finalized at this time by the artist.
Final Payment: Final Payment is due upon completion of the painting. Included are all study drawings and sketches (also suitable for framing). All work not fully paid for will be retained by the artist.
Framing is not included
Shipping is not included
Referrals: Yes, I pay for referrals. Please see the addendum.
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How is pricing established?
The most important thing to portray is the personality, feeling, and energy of the subject. The time this takes varies. Other factors are the design and composition of the artwork, and this is very much influenced by the client.
Four weeks is the minimum amount of time to paint a final portrait. Preparation time beforehand is a process which involves study, experimentation and interaction with the subject. Compositions with more than one subject can take more time. expectations range from $4000 to $20,000 depending on the total amount of time committed to creating the portrait from concept preparation to finished work. The base price is $1,000 per week.
However, keep in mind that the initial payment commitment is only the first 1/3 estimate. This means that all the way through the development process from initial meetings up to a final study drawing, you only pay approximately 30% down and own all sketches and drawings up to that point of your commitment. Not until you have accepted a final drawing will you be committed to the remaining 2/3 of the cost. This gives you absolute control of what the visual expectation of the artwork will be, and if you decide against the project, you still will have the drawings and sketches for your initial investment, many of which are suitable for framing in their own right.
What the Artist needs from you
1.
Access to the
subject preferred but not mandatory. Availability of the subject for
photo sessions, and opportunities to get to know the personality of the
person is preferred. However, outstanding paintings have been made from
photos without ever meeting the subject. You may have the perfect photo.
You may have a shoe box of snapshots. We will see what can be done after
reviewing the materials and discussing them together.
2. Support materials. Favorite photos of the subject are very helpful for helping me understand how the subject sees himself, and how others see him.
3. Some discussions of habits, activities, and state of mind. What is this person really like? What do they enjoy doing? How do they spend their time? How would they describe their inner self?
4. Timely commitment to the reservation schedule. Availability during the scheduled time is extremely important. Missed reservation windows will require a new reservation.
What size will your painting be?
Generally the dimensions below are favorable. It’s helpful to cut out cardboard rectangles and try them in your home. A painting is very much like a piece of furniture. It needs architectural placement. Size does not affect pricing; the same picture small or large takes about the same amount of time to complete. Add an additional 6-10” for the framing (3-5 inches each side) to the size.
34 x 44”
26 x 34”
20 x 26”
18 x 22”
14 x 18”
Jess Bates
is an accomplished Silver and Goldsmith, a self-taught Oil Painter, holds a degree in 3D Digital Modeling and Animation from the Digipen Institute of Technology, and has studied figure drawing with Dan Sprick and Dean Bowlby.
Her work has been the recipient of nine Regional Art Awards and four National Art Awards, as well more than a dozen Invitational and Juried Art exhibits in the West. She has completed numerous commissioned works on a variety of subjects, and was featured in the 10th edition of the Encyclopedia of Living Artists.
Jess has taught and mentored adult painting and jewelry students at her former Basalt studio, students at the Aspen Community School, the Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Wyly Community Art Center, and Samamish High School.
Jess is a native of Aspen, Colorado; the youngest daughter of Artisan Jim Hayes and writer/photojournalist Mary Eshbaugh Hayes. She divides her time between Aspen, Seattle, and Maui Hawaii.
ADDENDUMS
Referrals: $500 per commissioned painting.
Credited to you when your referred client pays the second 1/3 deposit after approving the study drawing (when the painting commences).
You may collect your referrals in the following ways:
1. As a deposit toward your own painting commission. Credited to your account to the second 1/3 deposit (when your painting commences after study drawing approval)
2. As a cash payment. –note. You must decide which option you will take. Multiple credits toward a commission cannot be redeemed later as cash.
3. You will be issued a receipt for your referrals every time you present one.
Referrals and word-of-mouth advertising are the heart of my business and I hope that sharing the rewards will benefit us all.
Download the Referral form here
Questions and Answers
Q: It isn’t possible for
my subject to meet the artist. What then?
A: It depends on the photos you
have available. I have done several portraits without meeting the subject.
Two were post humus, and the families were moved to tears when they saw
the final paintings.
Q: My home is not where the artist lives. Can the artist travel to my place of residence to do the photo sessions, and will this be very expensive?
A: The client must pay airfare and lodging (or a place to stay in the home). The truth of the matter is that the preparation for a painting is often the most expensive time period. Anything which helps saturate the process with access to the subject is going to help make this stage productive and efficient. Concentrated time with the subject in their own environment may in fact lessen the cost in the long run.
Q: I would like to have a portrait painted of a loved one from photos. But I don’t really have the perfect photo. Is this possible?
A: Yes. Working from imperfect photos-only is an option and usually very successful. In this situation it’s best to allow the artist access to as many photos and snapshots as possible even if they aren’t ‘good’ photos. Otherwise the process is the same; development of study drawings until an acceptable drawing is produced before commencing with the painting.
Q: I have a photo that I like and want to be made into a painting. Is this ok?
A: Yes. This is usually a shorter and less expensive development process. Oil sketches for color variations and canvas dimensions will be done, and some discussion about the fluidity of the painting style.
Q: I would like to have Giclee prints made of the finished work to give to my extended family. Are there additional copyright charges for this?
A: All copyrights for portrait commissions are retained by the artist under a Creative Commons 2.0 attribution license. This means that you may create as many copies as you wish as long as you affix a tag to the back with my name, address, and website.
Contract: Portrait Commission
Between
Jess Bates (the Artist)
PO Box 497 Aspen CO 81612
And
________________________________________________ (the Client)
________________________________________________ Address
________________________________________________
________________________________________________ Phone number
Description:
Size:
Initial estimate: $_________________ Date:
Finalized price: $_________________ Date:
Taxes
$_________________
Shipping $_________________
Total: $________________
Deposits: ($ 500.00) Reservation Deposit
Date paid:
($_________________) Drawings Deposit
Date paid:
($_________________) Painting Deposit
Date paid:
($_________________) Final Payment
Date paid:
Payment notes:
Agreement: Signatures herein abide by the Terms set forth in “Portrait Commissions” Jess Bates
The scheduled time frame for this contract: ____________________________________
Agreement to the initial estimated price: ____________________________________
Artist
Date
____________________________________
Client
Date
Agreement to the finalized price:
____________________________________
Artist
Date
____________________________________
Client
Date
Notes
Estimated completion date for the finished painting shall be:____________________________
1. The finished work requires an additional month to dry and a temporary varnish before it can be framed.
2. All paintings should have a permanent coat of varnish applied after they are one year old (most frame shops can do this. Instructions will be attached) so please make sure that your painting is not permanently nailed into the frame.
This contract contains a referral: Y N
1. Referral credits:
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