Posted by Yuriy Aravsky
What goes through the mind of someone who has never had much to do with art and wants to commission a painting for the first time? Probably something along the lines of: “It’s bound to be expensive — and nobody really understands how the price is worked out anyway.
Unlike flooring or a kitchen worktop, the price of a commissioned painting genuinely can’t be calculated with a fixed rate per square metre. That’s not because pricing has to be opaque, but because every bespoke painting is an artistic brief of its own.
Once you know the main factors, you quickly see that this flexible pricing can actually work in your favour. Size, subject, level of detail and format can all be adjusted so the artwork fits your budget — without needless compromises on quality or impact.
So let’s take a look behind the scenes of painting on commission and answer the question: how much does a commissioned painting cost, and what goes into the price?
In essence, the price comes down to a handful of factors: size, complexity of the subject, materials, format and the timeframe you need. Understand these, and you’ll have a much clearer idea of a realistic budget before you even send your first enquiry.
Factor 1: The size of the canvas
The most obvious factor in the cost of a custom painting is its size.
A 100 × 150 cm canvas (roughly 40 × 60 in) inevitably needs more material than a 50 × 70 cm piece (roughly 20 × 28 in). The surface is larger, the stretcher frame is more substantial, more paint is needed — and the working time goes up too.
On this point, painting really can be compared a little to decorating a wall: more surface means, first and foremost, more material and more work.
There is one difference, though, that you won’t necessarily see in the finished piece. A large painting — from around 120 cm (4 ft) upwards — usually can’t be finished in a single session. Different areas and layers of paint have to be built up one after another.
So the size of a commissioned painting affects not just how much material is used, but the whole technical and time investment.
Factor 2: Subject and level of difficulty
Picture two canvases, both 80 × 100 cm (roughly 32 × 40 in).
The first carries a pared-back abstract composition with a few large blocks of colour. The second is to become a realistic portrait, with the face, hair, clothing and light all worked up in detail.
Same size. A very different artistic task.
A famous anecdote from music history fits nicely here. After the premiere of one of Mozart’s operas, Emperor Joseph II is said to have remarked that the work had “too many notes”. Mozart supposedly replied that it had exactly as many as were needed.
Whether it happened exactly like that matters less than the idea behind it: the number of visible elements says little about how difficult a piece of art really is.
A minimalist composition can demand far more precision than a highly detailed subject. With only a few lines, shapes or areas of colour, each one has to work all the harder with the others.
Why portraits are especially demanding
The difference is clearest with a portrait painted from a photo.
The skill isn’t in copying every pore with photographic accuracy. What matters is capturing a person’s defining features so that they’re recognisable at a glance.
Often just a few elements create that impression: the shape of the eyes, the line of the brows, the set of the mouth, the tilt of the head or a characteristic expression.
That’s why a professional artist may ask for extra photos or turn down certain references. A direct flash, for instance, can wipe out the shadows that give a face its depth, while faces photographed very close up on a wide-angle phone camera can look distorted.
If you’d like to commission a painting from a photo, it’s best to send several well-lit, natural shots.
There’s also a much-repeated, though unverified, story about Pablo Picasso. He is said to have produced a sketch in moments and, when the price surprised the person who asked for it, to have explained that it had taken him not a few minutes but decades.
Whether Picasso ever said those exact words hardly matters to the point.
The price of a hand-painted picture isn’t just the hours in front of the canvas and a few tubes of paint. It also covers the artist’s experience: years of drawing, painting, observing and making decisions that make a seemingly simple execution possible in the first place.
Factor 3: Materials
Of course, the cost of a hand-painted picture isn’t only the artist’s time.
Depending on the piece, it takes canvas, a stretcher frame, primer, paint and, where needed, protective varnish or materials for special textures and relief effects.
For contemporary interior art, our artists use professional-grade acrylics. Acrylic is particularly well suited to modern hand-painted canvas art: it dries relatively quickly, can be worked in many different ways and is very durable in normal home conditions.
Materials are, quite literally, the foundation of an artwork. Their quality affects colour, surface texture, stability and longevity.
So if you want to save on budget, canvas, paint and primer aren’t the place to start. It usually makes more sense to adjust the artistic brief itself — for example by choosing a smaller size or a less complex subject.
Factor 4: How does the timeframe affect the price?
With a ready-made painting, this barely matters. With a bespoke commission, it does: the time available.
As in many other trades, rush jobs can mean extra organisation and juggling behind the scenes.
Painting also has a physical limit: layers of paint need time to dry.
That means a painting can’t be sped up indefinitely. It isn’t simply a matter of “painting faster”. The artist has to work out how many layers can sensibly be built up in the time available.
If you need a painting for a particular birthday, anniversary, wedding or housewarming — or as a Christmas present — let us know the date as early as possible.
The more time there is, the more freedom remains for technique, structure and finish.
Factor 5: A single painting or a triptych?
A triptych is neither just “three separate pictures” nor one big painting cut into three afterwards.
A well-designed triptych is made up of several canvases whose composition, proportions, shapes, colours and rhythm are planned to work together. Even the gaps between the panels become part of the overall effect.
Interestingly, a three-panel canvas can sometimes be a more economical alternative to one very large canvas.
Three slightly smaller canvases can cover a wide stretch of wall — above a sofa, a bed or a sideboard, say — without the whole area having to be filled with canvas.
Put simply: the gaps between the panels need no material, yet the overall visual width can still be impressive.
So there’s no general rule that a single painting is always cheaper than a custom triptych. What counts is the overall size, subject, complexity and amount of work.
How does a simple subject affect the price of a painting?
Almost everyone has heard stories of seemingly very simple artworks selling at auction for millions.
A well-known example dates from November 2015, when a Cy Twombly painting — chalky white loops on a grey ground — sold at Sotheby’s in New York for around $70.5 million (roughly £46 million).
To anyone outside the professional art market, sums like that understandably seem baffling, and it’s easy to conclude that the price of a painting is completely arbitrary.
But that’s comparing two entirely different markets.
The auction price of an internationally significant artwork is driven by things like the artist’s place in art history, rarity, provenance, demand among collectors and the work’s standing within the artist’s output. That price follows the logic of a collectors’ and investment market.
The cost of a commissioned painting is far more down to earth. It’s about size, materials, working time, complexity, technique and artistic experience. The price can be explained in concrete terms by the task in hand — not by whether the artist might become an art-history icon in thirty years’ time.
Reproduction or hand-painted original?
A reproduction serves a specific purpose: it transfers an existing image as faithfully as possible to the medium and size you want.
That can make perfect sense when the image itself is what matters most.
A bespoke hand-painted painting works differently. Here, an individual original is created for one specific commission.
You could compare the difference to photography. A reproduction is like a high-quality print of a photo that already exists. A commissioned painting is more like a photo shoot organised specially: the idea, composition and mood are developed for this one brief.
That’s the difference between simply reproducing an image and a piece of artistic work in its own right.
Whether it’s for the lounge, bedroom, office or hallway, it makes a difference whether the wall holds a reproduction of an image that already exists a thousand times over, or an individual painting created specifically for that room or that person.
To find out more, read our article “Hand-painted acrylic or reproduction?” → link: UK version of the article
How can you save on a commissioned painting?
If your budget is limited, the first question shouldn’t be “Which materials can we make cheaper?”
It’s far more sensible to adjust the artistic brief.
Go a little smaller
Unless you specifically want to fill a whole large wall, a slightly more compact painting can often do the same job in the room.
A well-chosen size frequently has more impact than an extra-large canvas that doesn’t sit well with your furniture and the proportions of the room.
Simplify the subject — not the quality
Rather than cutting corners on paint, canvas or craftsmanship, you might include fewer people, objects or background details.
A professional artist pares a composition down to the elements that matter for its impact anyway.
What remains still has to work, though: catch the eye, guide it through the picture and carry the mood you want.
Give the artist freedom on the minor details
Micromanaging every small patch of background rarely improves the result. More often it leads to extra rounds of changes and unnecessary work.
Focus on what really matters: the person, pet or place, the colour palette, the mood, the meaning and the key elements of the picture.
On secondary details, it often pays to give the artist some creative licence.
Choose a different format
The proportions of a canvas also shape its effect.
A portrait-orientation piece, a wide panorama or a series of several canvases can sometimes suit an awkward wall — an alcove, a chimney breast, a long hallway — better than one very large painting.
A custom triptych, for example, can create a generous horizontal sweep even though the actual painted area is smaller.
How does a commission work at YS-Art?
The path to your bespoke painting starts with an enquiry.
You describe the subject, format, approximate size and colours you have in mind, or send us suitable photos and references.
We then assess the brief and match it with an artist whose experience and style suit your subject best.
Once the concept is agreed, the actual painting begins. And it doesn’t have to happen behind closed doors: with a bespoke piece, you can follow the process and see work-in-progress stages along the way.
That keeps it transparent how your commissioned painting is coming together.
When it’s finished, the painting is photographed and signed off with you once more before it’s dispatched.
The result isn’t a mass-produced decorative product, but an individually made, hand-painted artwork created for your commission.
Frequently asked questions about commissioned paintings and prices
How much does a commissioned painting cost?
The cost generally depends on size, subject, complexity and execution. At YS-Art we have deliberately kept pricing simple: you choose the size you want and know the price before any work begins. That way there are no unpleasant surprises during the project.
What affects the price of a custom painting?
The main factors are the size of the canvas, the difficulty of the subject, the level of detail, the materials used, the format and, where relevant, a particularly tight deadline.
Does a commissioned painting cost more if I need it quickly?
A very tight deadline can affect the planning and which techniques are possible. Because each layer of paint has to dry, a painting can’t be sped up indefinitely. If you need it by a specific date — a birthday, wedding or Christmas — mention it in your enquiry.
How long does a commissioned painting take?
A commissioned painting usually takes around three weeks from the agreed concept to dispatch. Large formats, triptychs and detailed portraits may need longer, so it’s best to get in touch early if you have a date in mind.
Which is more expensive: a single painting or a triptych?
A triptych isn’t automatically more expensive. What matters is the overall size, the painted area, complexity and the amount of work. In some rooms, a three-panel composition can even be a particularly efficient way to fill a wide wall.
Can I have a painting made from a photo?
Yes. Photos can be the basis for portraits, pet portraits, landscapes and other personal subjects. Sharp, naturally lit shots give the best results. For portraits, several photos help the artist judge a person’s defining features.
Can I choose the size, colours and subject myself?
Yes — that’s exactly the advantage of a bespoke painting. Size, colour palette, subject and key design elements can all be tailored to your room, your interior and your own ideas.
What paint do you use for commissioned paintings?
Our artists paint with professional-grade acrylics on canvas. Acrylic dries relatively quickly, allows for both smooth and textured surfaces, and stays stable and vivid for many years in normal home conditions.
Do you deliver commissioned paintings to the UK?
Yes. Delivery within the UK is free, and prices include VAT and import duties, so there are no extra charges when your painting arrives.
The bottom line: the cost of a commissioned painting makes sense
The price of a bespoke artwork isn’t a mysterious figure charged simply for the label “art”.
The cost of a commissioned painting comes from clear, understandable factors: size, subject, complexity, materials, workload and format.
Many of these can be adjusted deliberately.
If you’re working to a set budget, you can change the size, simplify the subject or choose a different format — without giving up professional materials or quality craftsmanship.
Original, hand-painted art isn’t reserved for collectors and millionaires — and it isn’t only sold at Sotheby’s.
At YS-Art, the price of a commissioned painting is based on a transparent calculation of craft and artistic work.
If you already have a rough idea of the subject, size or colours, you can take the next step right away: get a price for your bespoke painting → Custom Painting from Your Photo or Idea | YS-Art and talk your idea through with YS-Art. A first idea then becomes a concrete size, a realistic timeframe and an artwork with a clear, predictable price.
