How Do You Handle Customer Requests?

A commissioned oil painting in which the customer gave me much free rein along with many requests, all good suggestions.

“Just curious–do you get annoyed, or do you appreciate it when someone makes a change/suggestion to an already completed painting?”

A friend and my most regular commenter asked me the question above.

Here is my reply:

“I am happy to do whatever the customer requests, as long as I have the ability and it doesn’t mess with the scene’s believability.”

She responded:

“That’s very kind (and flexible) of you. I can only speak for the audio arts, but I have seen situations where we took an arrangement and made a few cuts and lyric changes, and the arranger became incensed that we DARE change his precious arrangement.
I like your policy better!”

And I replied:

“I am very practical about the need for flexibility if I want to stay in business. I am here to serve the customer, not to serve my own art. If I was a hobbyist instead of a professional, I would probably have a different view. And I do put my foot down when it comes to logo design, because Design-By-Committee is how we got a camel when we needed a horse.”

A pencil commission from customer-supplied photos, with some free rein and lots of suggestions and requests, all good and manageable.

Here’s my guess about the difference between my approach and what my friend/commenter experienced:  I, the original artist, get to make the changes; my friend’s experience was that her music department was making changes on someone else’s piece. 

I recently heard an interview with an artist who said she likes commissions because she can charge more for them. Really? Should I be doing that?

Better commission me soon before I decide to raise my prices.

Another Think

Ever heard the saying, “He has another thing coming”? The correct version of this is actually, “. . .another THINK coming”. Really. I’m not making this up.

As I was working with my Friend/Customer on her coat of arms, we designed it together. I took the approach of “The Customer is Always Right”, and didn’t look at it critically through my own lens of opinion. 

There’s nothing wrong with that in commission work.

Or is there?

My Friend/Customer wasn’t as happy with the results as we had hoped. I showed her every step of the process, both the designing and the painting. We discussed shapes and colors and placements and sizes, but something didn’t mesh for her after she received the painting.

This troubles me, not in the sense of being annoyed with her, but in wondering where I went astray in the process. My job is to help the customer know and get what she wants, and I failed.

My conclusion is that if a customer thinks she knows her mind, don’t leave her out there in Design Land alone. Be critical (as in helpful and discerning), make suggestions, and help her see the best possibilities instead of letting her drive the process alone.

We are now rethinking the design. Here are the original, the painted version, and a sloppy photoshop revision. 

The shield is ever so slightly larger, some ribbons are narrower, and some ribbons are now gone.

She is a good friend, we communicate often, and together we will solve this!

 

 

Two Job Conclusions

Thing One: the A-frame is now in place. I stopped driving by the pump like some weird stalker, and just waited. Eventually, a neighbor left a nice message on the phone saying how good the sign looked, and was it my work?

So, I walked that direction the next morning.

Hey! What’s that??

The dry season is to the front.

Spring is to the rear. I wonder, will it get rotated next year?The A-frame is in place.

Thing Two: I mailed the Coat of Arms on a Monday and was told the expected arrival was Thursday. It was received on Tuesday!

Now what’s next??

Finished and Finished

The green looks a bit uneven because it is wet. Those tiny white letters were challenging, nay, CHALLENGING!

The two sided A-frame mural (sign? what is this thing?) needed a few touch-ups.

 

In case you are wondering, yes, I can name all the flowers. They are all foothill flowers, not in my wildflower book Wildflowers of Mineral King: Common Names.

 

Other than getting the quail as close to reality as possible, this side was just lots of scribbling in brownish yellows and yellowish browns. 

Now what am I going to work on??

Unacceptable Ugliness

While walking in my Three Rivers neighborhood one morning, I saw this bit of ugliness and got an idea. The neighbor, who has graciously allowed the water board to put this booster pump on his property, agreed with my idea.

What is this ugly thing in my neighborhood? Entirely unacceptable. However, it is fixable with the help of a very capable neighbor.
The very capable neighbor built and delivered this.

Side one.

It is fun to use all these colors. 

Side two and the final touch-up are ahead.

Odd Job, Day 5

Back to the coat of arms painting, an odd job of an oil painting commission.

I mixed and applied the correct green, along with a strong purple for the bottom ribbon. (It will need some detailing).

Then I mixed and applied a more golden yellow and a stronger blue.

The edges are a little weak, but the entire piece will get black outlines. This is a simple painting, but there is very little forgiveness with strong colors each abutting other strong clean colors. It requires a lot of drying time in between layers.

Another Odd Job, Day 3

First, this isn’t my third day of painting – it is the third day of posting on this topic. I don’t know how many days or how many hours, but it is entirely possible that I underbid the job. It became so fun that I just kept layering, tightening, detailing, and correcting.

Trail Guy helped me flip the sign right side up. Then I realized that the left leg of the N was too short. We ditched the oval that was part of the original design, but I neglected to reshape the words. Always learning as I go. . .
Pippin was thrilled to have company in the morning.
HEY – is that an osteospermum?
A camelia, perhaps? And the longer left leg of the N needs more layers.
Finished!

Well, not exactly finished. The back needs painting, but that is boring, so the next time you see this, I hope it is hanging above the new nursery at the Three Rivers Mercantile.

Another Odd Job, Day 2

Oh-oh, the yellow paint is picking up the blue chalk. Guess this will take many coats.
The green will also take at least 2 coats.

It was too hard to paint the bottom of the sign, so I flipped it over. But it got stuck, so I continued painting while outside. That was actually easier. (Never mind how I will get it unstuck.)

I finished the first coat of green on the bottom, leaving the “growies” for later, because I don’t know what colors I’ll use there. And I am still picking up blue chalk with the yellow paint.

I learn by doing. White paint mostly hides the yellow+blue chalk problem. Now it needs yet another coat of yellow, maybe even two.

To be continued. . .

P.S. I have guest posted again on the Mineral King Preservation Society blog.

Another Odd Job

I love these jobs! They each pose a new set of challenges, preventing me from coasting, forcing me to dig deep into my resources on the premise that everything is figure-out-able. 

What’s back there?? A Very Large Project.

First, we worked out a design with Photoshop Junior.

Mrs. Customer wasn’t pleased with Mr. Customer’s choice of colors. (I remain entirely neutral on these things, because I am there simply to serve the customers’ wishes.)
Better. The rubber stamp look of the vines will be a freer, more natural look on the real project.
Remember overhead projectors? A friend found this in a dumpster and brought it to me. I’ve used it several times and lent it to a few friends too. (No need for everyone to have to dumpster dive.)
The laptop had images to help me draw the “growies”.

Next, paint.

Odd Job, Day 4

Yesterday I showed you the not-so-good green on the background of the odd job, a Coat of Arms for my customer/friend. (Remember, “odd” means “unusual” – I am NOT insulting my friend or her job here!)

Since beginning to oil paint, I have met up with two new yellows and one new blue. It is time to get a grasp on how they all interact to make greens.

My friend said, and I agree, “More Kelly than lime”. Photoshop Junior used Kelly green, but I wasn’t very careful with mixing in the first pass over the canvas.

Clearly we need the second green down in the middle row.

Better, but too wet to continue. 

Tomorrow is the end of the month listicle. 

This coat of arms will have to wait. Another odd job awaits! (How’s that for an exciting cliff-hanger?)