Commissioning a Large Scale Painting
Commissioning an original painting is one of the most personal ways to collect art.
Unlike purchasing an existing work, a commission begins with a conversation. The painting doesn't already exist. Instead, it develops through a collaborative process that considers the collector's space, the scale of the architecture, and the artist's creative vision. When approached thoughtfully, the result is more than a painting that fits a particular wall. It becomes a work that feels naturally connected to the environment where it will live.
Within Collecting Contemporary Art, I've written about purchasing original artwork, building collections, and living with art over time. This essay focuses on the commissioning process itself. Understanding how commissions work helps collectors approach the experience with confidence while allowing the artist the creative freedom necessary to produce meaningful work.
The strongest commissions are partnerships.
They combine thoughtful planning with artistic trust.
A Commission Is a Collaboration, Not a Custom Order
One of the biggest misconceptions about commissioned artwork is that it functions like ordering custom furniture.
It doesn't.
A successful commission isn't about directing every detail of the painting. It's about creating the right conditions for an original work to emerge while remaining authentic to the artist's practice.
Collectors bring important information to the process.
They understand the space.
They know how the room will be used.
They can describe the atmosphere they hope the artwork will create.
The artist contributes something equally important.
Years of experience.
A developed visual language.
A creative process that cannot be reduced to a set of instructions.
Those two perspectives work together.
The collector provides context.
The artist transforms that context into an original painting.
I've written more about the way paintings develop through exploration in My Studio Practice, because every commission grows from the same creative process that shapes the rest of my work.
The goal isn't to control the outcome.
It's to create the opportunity for something unique to happen.
Why Collectors Choose to Commission Artwork
Every commission begins with a different story.
Sometimes a collector has discovered an artist whose work they genuinely connect with but needs a painting created for a specific wall.
Sometimes they're designing a new home.
Sometimes they're renovating an existing space.
Sometimes they simply want a painting that becomes an integral part of the architecture rather than something chosen after everything else has already been finished.
Large-scale commissions are particularly valuable because architecture and artwork have such a strong relationship. A painting created with a room in mind often feels more intentional than trying to adapt an existing work to a space it was never created to occupy.
I've explored that relationship between architecture and artwork in Large Contemporary Paintings for Modern Interiors, where scale, proportion, and atmosphere work together to shape the experience of a room.
The best commissions don't simply fill a wall.
They become part of the architecture itself.
Every Successful Commission Begins With a Conversation
Before a brush ever touches the canvas, there is usually a conversation.
We discuss the space.
The dimensions.
The ceiling height.
Natural light.
Viewing distance.
The surrounding architecture.
How the room is used.
And, perhaps most importantly, the atmosphere the collector hopes the painting will contribute.
Photographs of the space, architectural drawings, material samples, and measurements all help establish a clear understanding of the environment where the work will eventually live.
I've found that these early conversations are just as important as the painting itself because they create a shared understanding before the creative process begins.
Collectors who are new to commissioning often find it helpful to begin with many of the same discussions outlined in What to Ask Before Purchasing a Painting, because thoughtful questions almost always lead to stronger collaborations.
Trust Is the Foundation of Every Great Commission
One of the most important ingredients in a successful commission isn't discussed nearly often enough.
Trust.
Collectors commission an artist because they already connect with the work that artist creates. They appreciate the visual language, the materials, the atmosphere, and the philosophy behind the paintings. That existing connection is what makes a commission possible in the first place.
For that reason, the most successful commissions rarely come from prescribing every detail.
Instead, they begin with shared understanding.
The collector communicates the practical needs of the project, the character of the space, and the atmosphere they hope the painting will create. The artist responds through years of experience, observation, experimentation, and creative judgment.
That balance allows the finished work to remain authentic.
I've written more about the importance of scale in Why Large Scale Matters to Me, because large paintings aren't simply enlarged versions of smaller works. They require different decisions, different physical engagement, and a different relationship with the surrounding architecture.
The goal isn't to reproduce a preconceived image.
It's to create a painting that could only have emerged through that particular collaboration.
Atmosphere Matters More Than Color Matching
Many collectors begin by thinking about dimensions.
Some focus on color.
Those are important considerations, but I believe another question is even more valuable.
How do you want the room to feel?
Original paintings influence atmosphere in ways that extend far beyond coordinating with furniture or echoing an interior palette. A painting can introduce calm, movement, energy, reflection, openness, or quiet tension. Those qualities often become the defining character of a room long after the novelty of new furnishings has disappeared.
That's why I encourage conversations about experience rather than decoration.
How do you use the space?
Where does natural light enter?
What happens there throughout the day?
How should the room feel when someone walks into it?
Those questions often lead to much stronger paintings than simply discussing color samples.
I've explored the relationship between atmosphere and original artwork in Atmosphere in Contemporary Painting, because I believe the emotional experience of a painting is ultimately more enduring than any particular palette.
The best commissions don't simply complement a room.
They help define its character.
The Painting Still Has to Be a Painting
Although every commission begins with specific requirements, I don't believe those requirements should dictate every creative decision.
The painting still needs room to evolve.
That's true of every work I create.
Unexpected relationships emerge.
Layers change direction.
New possibilities appear that couldn't have been anticipated at the beginning. Those discoveries aren't interruptions to the process. They're often where the most meaningful parts of the painting originate.
A commissioned painting deserves the same freedom.
Otherwise, it risks becoming an illustration of a plan rather than an original work of art.
I've written about that evolving process in How I Build a Painting, because each canvas develops through observation, revision, and response rather than following a predetermined formula.
That's one of the reasons every commission remains unique.
The process is guided.
Never manufactured.
Communication Keeps the Process Moving Smoothly
One of the questions collectors often ask is how much communication should happen during a commission.
The answer is enough to keep everyone aligned without interrupting the creative process.
Most artists establish key milestones where updates are shared. Those may include confirming dimensions before work begins, providing occasional progress photographs, discussing scheduling, or coordinating delivery and installation. These conversations help ensure that practical expectations remain clear while still allowing the painting to develop naturally.
It's important to remember that progress images are exactly that.
They show a painting in progress.
Like any creative work, a painting often changes dramatically as layers are added, surfaces are revised, and relationships begin to emerge. Judging a painting too early can be misleading because many of the most important decisions happen during the later stages of the process.
Clear communication builds confidence.
Creative freedom builds great paintings.
The strongest commissions respect both.
The Painting Finally Meets the Space
One of my favorite moments in any commission happens after the painting leaves the studio.
For weeks or months, the work has existed in conversation with drawings, measurements, photographs, and discussions about the space.
Finally, it arrives where it was always intended to live.
The relationship between the painting and the architecture becomes real.
Scale can finally be experienced.
Natural light begins interacting with the surface.
The atmosphere the painting creates becomes part of everyday life rather than something imagined during the planning stages.
For many collectors, this is the moment when the entire process comes together.
The artwork no longer feels like a project.
It feels like it belongs.
A Commission Creates Something That Cannot Be Repeated
No two commissions are ever exactly alike.
Even when dimensions are similar, every collector, every space, and every conversation introduces something unique into the process. The finished painting reflects not only the artist's evolving practice but also the particular environment and relationship that made its creation possible.
That's one of the reasons I find commissions so rewarding.
They allow a painting to respond thoughtfully to a specific place while remaining completely authentic to the way I create all of my work.
The result isn't simply an original painting.
It's an original painting with a story that began long before the first layer of paint reached the canvas.
Continue Exploring
Some projects begin with a specific space, while others begin with a broader collecting vision. Commissioning Original Artwork explores the commissioning process more generally and how artists and collectors collaborate to create meaningful original work.
After a commissioned painting has been installed, the experience of living with it is only beginning. Living With Large Scale Art explores how oversized paintings influence architecture, atmosphere, and everyday life over time.
Thoughtfully commissioned artwork often becomes an integral part of a home's design. Contemporary Art in Modern Interiors examines how original paintings contribute to architecture and interior spaces by creating identity, balance, and lasting visual presence.