So You Paint Houses?

Many conversations begin the same way, “so you’re a painter? House painter or an artist?”

“Artist.”

“Oils or acrylics?”

“Acrylics, I’m allergic to oils, plus the fast drying nature of acrylics suit my style and process best.”

“What gallery do you show with?”

No Gallery?

This is where the conversation takes a different route: I am a self-represented artist. Simply put, this means when someone buys a Borbay, they do so through yours truly. For some, the entrepreneurial aspect of this arrangement enhances the experience and value, for others, they find it uncomfortable — and others still won’t buy art unless it’s through a gallery.

Since this is a recurring topic of conversation, I’d like to lift the kimono and share my process and thoughts on The Art of the Art Deal.

Existing Work, AKA, Work Created on Spec

There are many steps between starting a painting, selling and shipping it off to a new collection.

First, I create the piece….

Capturing the process on film. Upon completion, I post the entire process on my blog and share through strategic emails, the occasional newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Through this outreach, I keep an eye on who is viewing the work by way of Google Analytics, and sometimes, someone connects with the piece immediately. In this case, the transaction will typically follow this path:

1. The interested party will contact me via email, phone or text inquiring about the piece (most often, asking the price)
2. I will confirm the availability, and send a password protected price list showing this work, as well as several others to serve as a point of comparison
3. If the collector wishes to proceed, I will generate a shipping estimate to confirm the total price
4. From there, I send a contract outlining the details of the sale and arrange for payment
5. Upon receipt of the full amount, the painting is delivered

Certain paintings sell the minute they are posted, others do not — the science behind this is more witchcraft than metrics. Thus, when I create work on spec, it’s often part of a thematic series… in the case of Hunter S. Depp, he was part of my Kick Ass Actors and Kick Ass Roles series… which was exhibited this past January. This means a good deal of work…

In preparation for the show, I will land the venue (one that will offer the space for free, and not charge a percentage), create an identity, as well as a separate website featuring the pieces to be exhibited… allowing the series to breath on its own.

As soon as the site and promotional materials are prepared, I begin my advance press outreach, focusing on coverage both before the show…

And after… this creates a larger fishtail for the series, as well as yours truly in the minds eye of the public.

When all is said and done, my goal is to reach a diverse audience across a wide swatch of media outlets.

It is often through a show that I will sell a painting, as such was the case of Hunter S. Depp. Someone at the opening was interested, we discussed the work, the pricing, and closed the deal on the spot thanks to Square… the painting was then shipped two weeks later. This is the traditional art commerce transaction that has existed forever, and remains an important process.

The Commission(er) — An Artist’s Lifeblood

Commissioned paintings have been the most important building block in creating a tangible business model. Commissions are scheduled pieces of work done under contract, with 50% due upon signing… this allows the collector to get the exact composition/subject they desire, and I’m able to create a financial forecast, which is critical to my survival. There are three primary types of commissions I create: Portraits, Locations, On-Location Paintings.

Portrait Commissions

The process will start like an acquisition, typically an email or a call, from there:

1. We discuss the overall direction, existing works and the process
2. If the collector is close by, I will have them over for a photo session to create source images; otherwise, they will send them to me via email
3. In the contract, I will cite an existing portrait (or two), and will provide the image cropped to frame; 50% is due upon signing
4. If the portrait contains collage elements, I will send them in advance, un-glued for approval (typically, I will work from a conceptual list provided by the collector)
5. Once approved, the painting will be under way
6. Upon completion, the final 50% is due and the work is then delivered

Portrait Updates Are Tricky

This stage of a painting can inspire fear… it’s part of the process, but just the same, it’s often best to pull a James Rosenquist and wait until the painting is done (or close) to share.

Once you are here, it’s easier to decide of any tweaks are required…

Then we are done.

For some individuals, they do not want their painting posted and shared to protect their privacy… for those of you in ad agencies, you deal with confidentiality all the time. If you are not able to post a case study or announce you are working with a major brand, did it really happen? I have no problem protecting the identity of the commissioning party upon request, but do appreciate the ability to share the work with other interested collectors confidentially, which has never been a sticking point.

Location Commissions

Many times, I will have a collector contact me saying they love the color palette of a painting, but have a special view in mind… this is how most location commissions begin. The process is similar to the portrait commission:

1. We discuss the overall direction, existing works and the process
2. We will select a composition based on photographs taking by yours truly for a location in the area, otherwise, a series of photos provided by the collector
3. In the contract, I will cite an existing painting (or two), and will provide the image cropped to frame; 50% is due upon signing
4. If the location painting contains collage elements, I will send them in advance, un-glued for approval (typically, I will work from a conceptual list provided by the collector)
5. Once approved, the painting will be under way
6. Upon completion, the final 50% is due and the work is then delivered

The process for a location painting, particularly without collage, isn’t as jarring… but as you can see above, it still doesn’t quite look like much in the beginning. So, it really comes down to collector preference regarding in-progress updates.

When it’s all said and done, the painting is approved, delivered and released into the wild public.

On-Location Commissions

A big debate for as long as art has existed: to work from a photograph, or to not work from a photograph. Short answer? Sometimes it matters, others it doesn’t. If a collector has an exact location in mind, and wants the energy of the view to inspire the painting, I am always willing to travel for a commission.

Things go down a bit differently for this type of deal:

1. We discuss the overall direction, existing works and the process
2. Upon drawing up the contract, I will provide a production schedule — the collector will pay for travel and lodging; 50% of the commission is due upon signing
3. While we will cite an approximate view in the contract, it’s best to look at the view in person to discuss the final composition upon my arrival
4. Once we decide, I will begin the painting, and depending on the collectors proximity to the location, they will be able to see the entire process evolve, in-person
5. If the location is the collectors place (they want the exact view as in the case of the Seattle painting), the work is already delivered… so what you add in travel/lodging costs, you save in shipping
6. Upon completion, the final 50% is due and the work is then delivered

Ultimately, I’d be really interested in a commissioned series of paintings, on-location, in a particular city or destination.

So How Do You Price Your Work?

This is always a major question. I’ve outlined my thoughts in great detail here…

But Wait! There’s More…

As an artist, you work tirelessly to create a visual language. From time-to-time, said language becomes a fine direction for a brand. In the case of Bomb Wines, I created a painting which served as the background for the label… and I hand drew the Bomb logo. This was a rare instance of a painting/design hybrid project I worked on. Here, I felt it was really important to handle all visual aspects personally.

The deal looked like this:

1. Was put in touch with the client through a collector
2. We discussed the Bomb brand, wines, launch schedule and what they were looking for
3. After an in-person meeting for a full download, I created a detailed, ten page statement of work outlining the engagement, including a timeline, design iterations, feedback and acceptance schedules, final approval, file delivery and post-completion promotion
4. From here, the traditional commission process began, with the additional process of logo approval followed by label design and approval (50% due at signing, 50% due upon successful delivery)

Calling upon my graphic design degree to compliment a painting in this type of project is exciting and stimulating. This type of collaboration is something I’d like to explore in greater depth, which is why I advertise on The FWA.

In addition to Bomb Wines…

I was commissioned by Advertising Week to create this painting…

Which was used to promote the event in Fast Company, Business Week, AdWeek…

And the process video appeared in NYC Cabs during Advertising Week itself. Beyond a painting, the creation process and resulting image become promotional material in-of-itself… naturally, reproduction rights and exclusivity are determined in the contract.

Education, Workshops and Appearances

A few unexpected things happened as a result of sharing my process online. There are classes of high school students creating Borbay inspired work around the world. I’ve begun conducting high school art workshops, critiques, guest lecturing at colleges, serving as a judge for contests (I’m a panelist for SVA’s 5th Year Award tonight), and live painting event appearances.

These areas continue to evolve, and I’ll share more on them at a later date.

To Print, or Not to Print

With the high-profile exception of four prints created for the Major League Baseball Fan Cave, I very rarely do reproductions. In a recent print request email, I responded with:

Honestly, the print market is a tough nut to crack… in order to get the highest quality prints, you have to shell out a fat stack of green, which means the resulting prints available are usually quite costly. Until your originals are selling for 20k+ a piece, there isn’t much of a market for people paying $500-$1000 for a print (my originals are mostly in the $5-8k sweet spot, with smaller works starting at $2-3k).

This is the best way I can say that the print market doesn’t really exist for me… yet. I catalog all of my images, and retain the Intellectual Property rights in my contracts, so the option to create a robust print market is very real for the future.

In Conclusion

If you are still reading, I’m duly impressed. Here’s hoping you enjoyed this share… Please feel free to leave your comments below, I’ll be sure to respond — a healthy dialog is always, well, healthy.