Question 1

What services do you provide?

Accepted Answer

Painting is my first and true love so painting portraits, landscapes, abstracts and murals tops the list. In recent years I’ve incorporated the design and fabrication of three-dimensional items for art pieces and other more mainstream pieces of furniture.

Question 2

How is the price of a portrait calculated?

Accepted Answer

Pricing for portraits varies depending on many factors including the number of figures in the painting, how much of the subject(s) is being depicted (just the head, head and shoulders, torso, full figure), the intricacy of clothing, jewelry, hair style (or banded hair color for pets), the complexity of the background setting or subject props and the size of the finished piece.

Question 3

What are your typical price ranges for commissioned portraits?

Accepted Answer

A portrait  of a pet (head and top of shoulders on a tonal background) starts at $250.00 or $325.00 if the pet's torso or entire figure are included in the portrait. 
An anthropomorphic portrait of a pet (head and top of shoulders on a tonal background) starts at $300.00 or $400.00 if the pet's torso or entire figure are included in the portrait.
A portrait of a person (head and top of shoulders on a tonal background) starts at $350.00 or $500.00 if the person's torso or entire figure are included in the portrait.
For other works of representational art, such as buildings or landscapes, please contact me for a quote.
 
Please note: Crating, shipping and insurance fees ARE NOT included with the commission fee. They are calculated separately and vary depending on the size of the finished piece and where it is being sent to. Crating, shipping and insurance fees are separate from my painting fee.

Question 4

How may I pay and what are your payment terms?

Accepted Answer

I accept payments using Venmo, Paypal or personal checks. Payment is made in two installments. The first payment of 25% of the fee is due prior to the scheduled beginning of work for your commissioned piece and is non-refundable. The second payment comprised of the remaining 75% of the fee plus crating and shipping fees is due when the piece is completed and meets with your approval.

Question 5

How do I commission your services for a painting?

Accepted Answer

1. Go to the Contact tab, send me an email that includes one or more of your favorite photos of the portrait subject, the approximate size you’d like the finished piece to be and any other relevant details. IMPORTANT: Please add my email address, Laurie@LaurieDidIt.com, to your address book to ensure my reply goes into your inbox and not your spam folder.
2. I’ll contact you to discuss size, style, etc., and to provide a quote for services.
3. After I receive your confirmation and first payment, I will create your painting and when finished, send you a high resolution photo of the completed piece for your approval.
4. Pending receipt of your final payment, the painting is carefully crated and mailed to you along with a care sheet and certificate of authenticity. I will able provide you with tracking numbers so you can monitor its arrival.

Question 6

Do you offer gift certificates?

Accepted Answer

Yes! A gift certificate is a handy option for a last-minute gift idea or for instances where you may not have reference photos that perhaps the gift certificate recipient might have. In addition to the gift certificate, a portrait package featuring examples of paintings is included for easy reference. Gift certificates start at $250.00.

Question 7

How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

There are two answers for this question: how long it takes to paint AND when can it be scheduled.
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It typically takes a few days to several weeks to finish a piece depending on its content and drying/curing time for the paint and varnish.
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At any given time I am working on at least two paintings at once (or up to four or five during the holiday season), making the best use of my time by alternating between multiple canvases so I can work on one while another one is drying. Because of this, I have flexibility to accommodate clients who have a definite or approximate idea of when they would like to have it by (for example: a loved one's birthday, anniversary, or holiday, etc.). At the point a client wishes to commission me for a piece with a specific due date in mind, I can let them know if it is feasible to get it done by that date or if there would be a wait. This is typically not an issue except during the holiday season.

Please note: if there is not enough time to create a painting for the date a client has in mind, a gift certificate portrait package can be given instead if you wish.

Question 8

About murals

Accepted Answer

Please contact me to discuss your ideas and wishes. Whether for a home or business, I am available to paint murals and create any applicable custom builds for the mural (such as the tree bookcases and other features noted on this site). For job sites that are further away than a 1 hour radius from the Harrisburg, PA area, extra fees for traveling (and possibly lodging depending on the job site location) would need to be added. Please note: I do not paint ceilings and am not available to paint murals in smoking households.

LaurieDidIt.com

Paintings by Portraiture Artist Laurie Shumaker

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