Pricing Information

2009 Portrait Price Guide

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PORTRAIT  OPTIONS

The following options should help you decide what you want your portrait to include.  We will be happy to work with you, if you would like, in making decisions for your drawing or painting.

~ For full background, landscape or interior, 20% is added to the base price of your selected size.

~ For each additional person or pet in the same portrait, 20% is added to the base price of your selected size.

Once you have a pretty good idea of what you’d like your portrait to be after reviewing the above options,  you’ll want to go to our Ordering tab for the drop-down  To Place an Order (or just click on it here!)  There you’ll find eight simple steps to commission a portrait.  And of course, we’re always happy to help you with any questions you may have.

OUR MATERIALS

Our Full-Color Portrait Paintings are made with fine-art quality acrylic paints like Winsor & Newton and Golden brands on double-primed cotton or linen canvas applied to hardboard, or stretched on kiln-dried wood frames for the larger sizes.   For their long-term protection, we varnish all our portrait paintings twice.

Our Drawings are made with Conte (pronounced “KONtay”), a traditional clay and wax drawing medium that has been used by artists for centuries.  We use a combination of two to four colors for each portrait—black, white, terra cotta, and umber (a deep brown)—depending on what’s appropriate for the subject.  Our finished conte drawings come beautifully matted with backing board at no additional charge, ready to be framed by you.

Fine Art Papers for Conte Drawings

We use high quality, beautifully textured, American and European fine art drawing paper that is tinted.  Tinted drawing paper is traditionally used with Conte because white highlights are more visible against a tinted background. We offer five colors of paper from which we and you select the one that most complements your portrait’s image: cream,  soft light gray, wheat, pearl, and dusty robin’s egg blue.  The colors are neutral in nature, and will harmonize beautifully with most any decor.

Mats and Mounting Boards

Our select mats and backing boards are of conservation quality and acid-free to ensure a lifetime of non-yellowing and fade resistance.  Mats have a 45-degree beveled opening.  With our mat and backing board, the portrait is entirely frame-ready when you receive it.  (Please note that for drawings, the actual inside measurements of mat windows are 1/4-inch smaller on all sides than sizes shown in the pricing guide. For example, a 16 x 20 drawing has a mat window opening of 15 1/2 x 19 1/2.)

PROTECTING YOUR PORTRAIT

The painted portraits are frame-ready and do not require glass when framed.   Although it’s not essential for drawings to be framed under glass or plexiglass, it’s probably a good idea, since paper tends to be absorbent and is hard to clean.  We recommend avoiding direct sunlight for all fine art—drawings or paintings.  However, if direct sunlight exposure is unavoidable, we recommend using a UV-protective plexiglass.

We apply two coats of clear acrylic varnish to our painted portraits.  Two thin coats of conservation-quality fixative are applied to our finished conte drawings.

SHIPPING INFORMATION

We personally wrap and professionally package each portrait with the utmost attention to its safety in transit.  It should reach you in perfect condition.  We hand-deliver the portrait to the carrier, and they deliver it to your door.  For our customers who have post office boxes, we also ship through the U.S. Postal Service.  Shipping charges are Free for all our portraits shipped within the continental United States!

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MuralScapes

Pricing for Murals, Folding Screens, Faux, & Decorative Painting

Because of the individual, site-specific nature of murals and decorative painting, we can only give a quote when we know more about the project.  Some factors that affect the price are: size, amount of detail, complexity of composition, layers involved (for faux), access and staging requirements, and location (travel distance).

After meeting with you and discussing your project, we’ll work up a sketch of the composition (for murals / folding screens / decorative painting) or create sample boards (for faux).  You can have as much or as little input as you would like, and we work with you until you’re happy with the design.  Our fee for this design service is $50 per hour.  For faux, there is a $50 charge for each sample board.  (Please note, the design service fees and sample board fees will be deducted from the contract price at the completion of the project.)  After a contract is signed, a one-third deposit of the contract price is paid on the first day of on-site work.  Another third is paid about half way through, and the final third is paid upon completion.  During the painting process, we stay in regular contact with you, so you are kept informed during the different stages as the project progresses.

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Our exquisitely detailed Folding Screens are hand painted by us in our studio on three panels.  They stand approximately six feet high by six feet wide and are painted on both sides generally with a scene or design on one side and a coordinated painted faux on the other.  These paneled screens are hand crafted by a local craftsman with three kinds of wood and include two solid walnut base stands for stability.  For your convenience, they have two-way hinges, and can be folded in several different configurations–-we can think of five.  A wonderful conbination of artistry and practicality, our folding screens are an elegant way to section a room or just create a private space for yourself.  Prices vary depending on size and design.  Call or email us to discuss our designs-–or to have us create your own custom screen!

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