How to commission a painting: a step-by-step guide

Commissioning a painting from an artist is easier than it looks from the outside. You do not need to understand painting, know the names of techniques or picture the finished work in advance — it is enough to say which wall it is for and what you would like to see on it. I ask the rest of the questions.

Below is the whole route from the first message to the painting on the wall: what happens at each stage, what it costs, how long it takes and what will be needed from you. The studio is in Almaty, but works also travel to other cities in Kazakhstan.

How a commission starts

With a single message on WhatsApp. It helps to write three things straight away: roughly what you would like, where the painting will hang and by when it is needed. That is enough for me to ask clarifying questions and give you an exact price and timeline — before the work starts, not after.

If you do not yet know what you want, that is perfectly normal too. Conversations often begin with a photograph of a wall or the sentence "I want something calm for the bedroom" — and the subject grows out of that.

Step 1. Shaping the idea

At this stage we decide what will actually be on the canvas. Everything helps: the mood you want to end up with, finished works you like, photographs of the interior, the colour of the walls and furniture, the dimensions of the free space.

Three things are commissioned most often. A portrait from photographs — of a person or a pet, from 80,000 ₸. A painting for an interior, where subject and palette are chosen from your wall, from 60,000 ₸. And a painting as a gift for a particular date, from 55,000 ₸. Each option is described in more detail in the "A painting made for you" section.

Step 2. Agreeing the subject through references

A reference is simply an example: a photograph, someone else's painting, a frame from a trip, a picture of your room. Working from such examples, we agree on composition, size and palette in words and images — before I pick up a brush.

I do not draw a separate preliminary sketch: it is effectively a second piece of work, it lengthens the timeline and adds nothing to the certainty. Instead we go through concrete examples — what you like in them and what you do not. The worry of "what if I pay for something I end up disliking" is answered differently: the price and the deadline are known in advance and do not change, and photographs arrive from the stages of the work.

Step 3. Painting, with photographs from the stages

I paint in oil. At the key stages I send photographs, so you can see where the work is heading and adjust something while the picture is unfinished rather than after. This matters: a change halfway through costs one conversation, a change to a finished work costs repainting.

Timelines depend on the format. A portrait from photographs usually takes two to three weeks; a painting for an interior, one and a half to three weeks. For a gift tied to a date, write early: if time is short, I say so honestly rather than promising to make it.

Step 4. Drying, packing, delivery

Oil painting needs time to dry, and a painting is never packed before it is ready. I pack the finished work for transport myself: within Almaty I hand it over in person, and to other cities in Kazakhstan it goes by courier.

What a commissioned painting costs

The price depends on the size, the complexity of the subject and the technique. The guide figures are:

portrait of a person or a pet from photographs — from 80,000 ₸;
commissioned painting with your own subject and size — from 60,000 ₸;
original landscape — mountains, lakes, sky — from 55,000 ₸;
a finished work from those already painted — from 22,000 ₸.

The full list of sizes and prices is in the Prices section. If you would rather not wait three weeks, look at the paintings in stock — they can be taken home immediately.

What will be needed from you

A short list that speeds everything up:

for a portrait — several photographs from different angles, in good light and reasonable quality. The sharper the pictures, the more accurately the character comes through, not merely the likeness;
for a painting for an interior — a photograph of the room and the size of the free space on the wall;
for a gift — the date by which the work must be ready;
examples of works you like — they say more about taste than any words.

Frequently asked questions

Can changes be made while the work is in progress? Yes. That is what the photographs from the stages are for — anything can be adjusted while the painting is unfinished.

Will the price change along the way? No. The exact price and timeline are known before the work begins and do not change.

How can I tell in advance what it will look like? Through references. We go through concrete examples — what you like in them and what you do not — and agree on composition, size and palette before the work starts.

Can I commission from another city? Yes. The conversation happens on WhatsApp and the finished work travels by courier.

What if I do not know what I want? Then we start with a photograph of the wall and a couple of examples you like. The subject assembles itself in the conversation.

How to order

Write on WhatsApp — with a photograph of the wall, a picture for a portrait, or simply a question. I will reply, ask clarifying questions and give you a price and a timeline. The studio address and all the ways to reach me are on the Contacts page.