Thinking of commissioning a painting? Here's what you need to know.

Things to do before commissioning a painting:

1. Choose an artist whose work resonates with you the most.

2. Contact the artist and tell them you want to commission a painting.

3. Give details of what you want them to paint. Give detailed information about what you have in mind. For example, if you want a painting of horses, be specific about small details. Specify the colour of the horses and the background setting. If you have reference photos of paintings and photographs you like, this is a good time to share them with the artist.

4. Specify the size of the painting.

5. Now you can discuss the price and ask for a quote from the artist.

Things to do before confirming the order:

1. Agree on the price

2. Ask for a timeline

3. Enquire about the shipping cost. It should be clear who pays the shipping cost.

4. Decide whether the artist can sell reprints of the painting you commissioned. Remember the copyrights will always belong to the artist. This means that you cannot sell prints of the painting or use them for any commercial purposes. You can resell the original painting.

5. Decide if the artist can share the painting and the progress pictures on their social media. If the painting is a personal portrait of you or your family, you can request the artist not to share it online. But, please keep in mind that an artist needs to show their work to get commissions.

6. If you provide a reference photo to the artist, be mindful of copyright issues. Do not use any photograph from the internet. Only use open-source photos or photos licensed by the photographer.

7. This step is a little awkward but it will save the artist and client from future grievances. The artist should ask for a percentage of the total amount in advance. This should cover the cost of art materials and the artist's time. In case the client is not satisfied with the painting, they can decide not to buy it. The artist gets to keep the money paid in advance to compensate for the cost and time.

8. Once you are both happy you can confirm the order.