How do I commission a Kev Hardy illustration

I’m glad you asked.

If you are asking the question, then you are already 50% of the way there. The rest is easy.

Get in touch

Hopefully the social media posts and reels I have been making over the months will have planted the seed so that when you ask, as we all do “What do we get them for their ___” (insert birthday, anniversary, engagement, wedding, or any occasion you can think of here) you will remember my website and that I do beautifully detailed illustrations that make perfect gifts or keepsakes.

Ideally, I would love you to contact me quite a while beforehand as this gives us plenty of time to plan the project, review progress, make changes etc. But this is the real world, and sometimes we all leave things to the last moment. It is possible for me to complete illustrations in a surprisingly short time. But this is not ideal as it means we won’t have time for all the planning, discussions, reviewing etc. But it is possible (see How Long… below).

Discuss the commission

Occasionally I get to meet customers face to face, but generally the first step is an email, message, or text. There is a contact form on the website, and email links on most of the pages. The email address is: kevhardyart@gmail.com. The WhatsApp username is @kevhardyart.

Once we have found each other, we can then start a conversation. Creating the finished piece is a collaboration and you will be involved throughout the process.

I will initially ask some questions, such as “Who is it for”, “What’s the occasion?”, “When do you need it?” Potentially the most important part of that is how long I have to complete the piece.

How Long Does It Take?

I can work surprisingly quickly when I have to, but you should always consider how long the postage will take, especially if you are not in the UK and add that to your timeframe.

I will also need to consider the scale and complexity of the subject as this will be a major factor. As a guide an illustration of a private home will take an average 20 hours which can be anything from 3 to 14 days - I can produce a digital image in 3 days if you have left everything to the last minute. But I would always recommend allowing plenty of time.

Commissioned pieces will always take priority over any other work. However, if I am already working on someone else’s commission this could affect the timeline.

Please also bear in mind that professional quality prints and framed illustrations will take a up to an additional 7 days to produce.

If time is an issue or you do not require a professional quality print or framing, a digital copy of the artwork can be sent immediately by email after final payment has been received.

Providing Photographs

I generally work from reference photographs. If it is a public building, I can usually find these on the internet, but if it is of a private home or similar I will need you to provide me with these (usually by email or WhatsApp as the file sizes can be too large for messages).

The images can be taken with your phone and don’t have to be professional quality, but being in focus would help. I only use the photos for reference, so they don’t have to be perfect. I would also ask for some close ups of any details you would like included such as decorative doorways or windows, intricate brickwork, ironmongery, signage etc. If I see something in your photographs that I think would be interesting to capture I can always ask for some follow-up images to be sent.

How much will it cost?

As a rough guide the cost would be around £300 for the illustration.

Professional quality printing, framing, and postage will be additional to this and will be dependent on the size of the print, frame, and where in the world it is being posted to.

These are the additional printing, framing, and postage costs (if the delivery is outside the UK the postage and packaging charge will be different):

When we have agreed the details of the project, I will provide a detailed quotation (with a timeframe) of the final costs, including printing, framing, and postage (as appropriate).

Once the quote is accepted by email, we can move on to the next stage.

Agree the sketch

Once I have the reference images and the quotation has been accepted, I will produce a rough sketch (usually within a day or two) to give you an idea of the composition – size, angle, aspect, etc. I try to capture the most pleasing angle for the illustration, but you will always have final say on what this will be.

Pay the deposit

I don’t ask for a deposit until the sketch has been agreed. I will then need a 25% deposit of the agreed final cost to be paid by bank transfer (I will provide those details at the time).

When the deposit has been received, I will move on to creating the first draft.

Approve the draft

This will be a lower resolution image with a watermark of the line work and some of the finer detailing to give you a much better idea of what the finished piece will look like. The draft copy will be sent to you by email and once this is accepted and agreed I will then proceed to the finished piece.

The finished work and final payment

Once the illustration is finished the remaining 75% will be due before the illustration is printed (and framing if required) before posting.

Once final payment has been received, I will also send a digital image of the artwork via email for you to use as you wish. The copyright to the image is yours. I only retain the right to use the image on my website or for promotional purposes – unless you specifically request that I do not.

Still have questions? Take a look at FAQs