Big Scary Commissions

What to do when someone asks you to paint something scary? In this case, the subject was familiar to me, being a Great Blue Heron. But the SIZE of the canvas was something new altogether. The commission called for a 6 foot by 5 foot painting, which is... well large. It was so large that Opus didn't carry anything pre-made. We bought our own stretcher bars and canvas, and did the assembly in my studio. Then I just pretended it was a regular painting and got started in my usual process of sketch, then first layer of solid color, then more layers to blend and add details.

While it may have been easier to decline this large commission, I was actually quite excited about it, and it was certainly a growth opportunity as an artist. When facing a new scary commission or task, ask yourself whether you have enough resources and support to get it done, and whether you want to. If both those are yes, then you can make it happen!