I am a photographer, sketcher, and watercolor painter. I offer training on learning how to use your camera more efficiently as well as on sketching and watercolor painting. In addition, I sell originals and prints of my watercolor paintings.
I am a photographer, sketcher, and watercolor painter. I offer training on learning how to use your camera more efficiently as well as on sketching and watercolor painting. In addition, I sell originals and prints of my watercolor paintings.
A custom ink and watercolor painting of one’s home is a unique and one-of-a-kind gift to yourself, a loved one, or a friend. As evidenced by two of my commissioned paintings pictured below, the painting doesn’t have to be of a person’s home. It can be of other structures such as the one I did for someone of the Virginia Episcopal School Chapel who gave it as a wedding gift to friends. Another painting is of The Parkmont Condominiums in Lynchburg, Virginia where my client’s husband had lived when he moved to Lynchburg.
The most common request I get by far, however, is to sketch and paint a house by the current homeowner.
If the house is in the greater Lynchburg, Virginia area, I will photograph the house myself. I take lots of photos from different angles and of details (e.g., medallions, gargoyles, or other unique architectural features) which I may be able to show in the finished painting. If, however, you are not in the immediate area, you can supply me with a photo of your house along with detail images as described above. If I have taken the images, I share several angle shots with my client and have them choose the view they want me to sketch and paint. Whether local or from another area, we then decide on what size finished painting they want and agree on a mutually acceptable timeline for completion and delivery.
I deliver unmated finished paintings. I do the painting either digitally or on high quality, 140lb/300g/m², acid-free, watercolor paper. Paintings I do digitally are printed professionally on archival quality paper equivalent in quality to the paper described above. My fees are based on a 12” x 9” or 12” x 7” (for longer houses requiring a narrower presentation) finished painting. However, if the house painting requires a lot of detail, the price can be higher. I will do smaller sketches on request.
The fee for a painting done traditionally no matter what size using pen and watercolor paint is $250. My fee for doing a digital inking and painting and then presenting you with a fine art print as described above is $180. I can also do the painting as an 8x10 if you prefer. The cost is the same but it can be difficult to find ready made mats and frames for 9x12 prints, whereas pre-packaged mat and frames for 8x10 prints are readily available online and in craft stores such as Michael’s. If I do the painting digitally, I can also offer a package that includes 20 note cards of your house painting. These are 5 1/2” x 4 1/4” cards on textured paper and include envelopes. The package price is $219.00. If I do a digital painting I can also have additional prints made in the same or different sizes. A second 12x9 is $45. A 10x8 is $40 and a 7x5 is $25. Some people have also asked for a digital image file of their painting and I have a package for that. A digital print as described above plus a high quality TIFF file of the painting that includes a license to make reproductions of the painting is $240. I require a 50% deposit before beginning the painting with the remainder due on delivery.
Top: Traditional. Bottom: Digital
Should you just want note cards featuring your house painting, I have a package that includes 20 note cards with envelopes for $175. However, for $35 more you get 60 note cards with envelopes for $210. That’s $3.50 per card. Less than commercial cards and these have a custom painting of your house!
Generally, I finish the painting 2-3 weeks from starting. I charge an additional $50 for a rush job.
Whether I paint your house traditionally or digitally requires the same level of skill. The reason I price my digital commissions less than the alternative is because working digitally gives me greater flexibility when creating your fine art painting. Plus, when working digitally I can match the colors much more closely to those found on your house. And, as I note above, having the painting in digital format allows for greater options of end results, i.e., note cards, extra prints, gift tags, etc.
If you are interested in having a house portrait done, please contact me. You can use my contact form or text me at (434) 238-5571.
Two non-traditional “house” commissions.