How to Paint Portrait Commissions

What artist or art student wouldn’t want to make money with their art? Just in time for the holidays, this course will teach you how to confidently take on portrait commissions, and you’ll paint a portrait from start to finish in your unique style while learning how to approach commissioned work professionally.

Have a friend or family member in mind who would love a portrait as a gift? Use them as your subject for this course! As soon as your friends and associates discover that you paint, they may ask you to create portraits of them, their children, or loved ones. After this course, you’ll be ready to say yes.

A commissioned portrait comes with unique challenges that are different from painting purely for your own enjoyment. You need to capture a convincing likeness, communicate clearly throughout the process, create something your client will love, and price your work so that the project is worthwhile.

In addition to offering personalized feedback to every student on their paintings, professional artist Olya Losina will share practical advice from her own experience creating and commissioning portraits: covering pricing, choosing photo references, the composition, and your medium, achieving likeness, communicating with and accepting feedback from your client, and applying revisions that make your client happy while maintaining your authentic style.

Through creating your own portrait, you’ll put these ideas into practice while learning how to balance your artistic vision with your client’s expectations. Whether you’re painting a special holiday gift for someone you love or preparing to accept your first paid commission, this course will give you the skills and confidence to create successful, rewarding portrait commissions.