FAQs

A portrait commission is a unique gift

A commission is a true collaboration between the artist and the client. It reflects not only my style and observations as the artist, but also your preferences and personality as the client. I see the whole process as a collaboration and the creative journey can be as memorable as the portrait itself.

So, get the conversation started to commission a beautiful digital mixed media portrait in various sizes and composition, including portraits of friends, family members or even yourself! Look at my previous work and consider carefully my style and overall aesthetic i.e. all my portraits wear sunglasses. Please be aware, going forward I will only be creating portraits of one individual per painting, which reflects my art practice.

The Commission Process

Working from Photographs

I am happy to work entirely from photographs, provided that they are taken with a digital camera (not an old phone camera or downloaded from Facebook as these do not give me the tonal detail that I need) and are of a high resolution. The best images are taken in natural light, close-up to avoid us having to zoom in and blur the image, at a good angle and in focus so we can see all the details to get a lifelike portrait. However, I require about five or six good close-up facial shots and some full body shots to gauge the body type of the person. If they are blurred and pixelated, I will not be able to create a good likeness.

The more information you can provide is also helpful since I want to understand the kind of portrait you are hoping for and, also to get a sense of your/their personality and spirit.

A note regarding copyright and reference photographs

Please make sure that you hold the copyright on any photographs that you wish to use as reference material. If you do not own photographs, you must have permission from the

copyright holder for the photograph/s to be used as the basis for a portrait commission (this will form part of a signed agreement between us before a portrait commission is undertaken).

Agreement

Once we have had an initial discussion on size, composition, cost, procedure etc, I will send you an Agreement document detailing all aspects of the project that have been discussed. I ask for a 30% deposit before I begin work on the piece, with the remainder (including Shipping) due on completion.

A digital mixed media digital portrait can expect to take 3 to 4 weeks.

Completion

When the digital portrait is close to completion, a photograph will be taken and emailed to you for your feedback, where upon I will attempt to make small adjustments that we may discuss (I am happy to attempt up to three small adjustments). Any more adjustments will result in further costs.

Once I have your approval of the final image, I will send over your completion invoice with details of how to make payment. When this has been received, I will send your commission to your address.

Guarantee

Of course, I want you to be totally happy with your portrait. If, however, you are not completely happy with your final completion photograph and I am not able to adjust the portrait to your liking, then I will not insist that you buy it. The deposit, however, remains non-refundable (I might add that this has never happened and hopefully never will!).

Copyright

I retain the copyright on all the artwork produced by myself, Seren Sanclêr, including any artwork resulting from a commission. This also includes the right to use images of the artwork in promotional material or on my website.

You may not reproduce any piece of artwork or artwork print in any form without prior permission. You may, however, display commissioned artwork on social media (Facebook, Instagram etc), but it must not be reproduced in any other form whatsoever. Limited Edition Prints and Art Cards featuring the commissioned artwork may be obtained from me.

Pricing

Every portrait commission is unique, and the fee quoted will take into account size, scale, clothing and background detail. This accounts for the additional time that I spend to create a piece that meets all your wishes. Please find below approximate sizes and their costs. However, these are estimates only and are intended only as a rough guide.

Approximate Commission Prices (2025)

To reiterate, I ask for a 30% deposit before I begin work on the piece, with the remainder due on completion.

Mounts and framing

I can mount, back your portraits and frame but this will be at an additional cost and please be aware the postage cost increases as a result.

Delivery

Postage depends on the size of the commission, whether it is mounted, or framed.

It also depends on the value. Anything over £50 will be sent by Royal Mail special delivery.

If you live within a reasonable distance and would like to collect, please ask, I would love to meet you! I can ship worldwide but obviously this will be reflected in the price of the postage.