Paintings: buy a picture or commission a work from an artist
A ready painting or a commission
There are two routes. Ready paintings suit you if you want to see the work in person and take it home at once. A commission lets you choose the subject, size and colours to match your interior, or turn a photo into a painting, such as a portrait. In the second case it matters to agree on a sketch, timing and changes, because oil paintings dry slowly.
How to search with BlaBlaPrice
You write one request: subject, medium, size, original or copy, budget. You can add one photo, for example of your room or a sample. The request is checked and you are told what is missing. Artists, galleries and collectors answer in the chat: what they offer, photos of works, price, delivery terms. Reviews are shown next to the offers, and the best match is shown first. Only the one you choose gets your contacts. More in how it works.
What to put in your request
- Subject — landscape, portrait, still life, abstract, seascape;
- Artist or school — if you want a particular artist or period;
- Original or copy — the artist's own work, a repeat, a reproduction; whether you need papers or an expert opinion;
- Medium and support — oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, drawing, board;
- Size in centimetres;
- Ready-made or commissioned;
- Frame — framed or not, and whether framing is needed;
- Budget and city for delivery.
Example: “Looking for a seascape, oil on canvas, about 60×80 cm, framed, warm colours. The artist's original. Pune, courier delivery. Budget up to ₹30,000.”
How to judge value and compare
The price depends on the artist's name, the medium, size, complexity and condition. Oil on canvas usually costs more than a drawing on paper of the same size. For well-known names, ask about provenance, the signature, papers and an expert opinion. Fakes exist, so be careful with a work by a “famous master” offered for little money. For contemporary artists, a portfolio and reviews are a good guide, and for a commission it is worth agreeing on stages and an advance.
Packing and common mistakes
A painting is shipped in rigid packing with protected corners, and an unframed canvas is sometimes taken off its stretcher so that it is not damaged. A common mistake is buying from a photo, not measuring the wall and forgetting to include the frame in the size. Another is not agreeing on the signature and on who pays for delivery. Do not wrap a fresh oil painting tightly in plastic film, because the paint may not dry, so ask when the work was finished. Related pages: art objects and handmade designer items.
