How long a hand-painted commission really takes, and why

Where the time goes

A painting isn't painted in one sitting. It's drawn, underpainted, built up in layers, refined, allowed to dry and varnished. Much of the calendar time is drying time between layers, which is exactly what gives a hand-painted canvas its depth.

Why it can't simply be faster

Rushing shows. Brushwork gets careless, layers stay thin, colors turn muddy when wet paint is worked into wet paint, and a canvas rolled before it's properly dry can crack or stick in transit. A painting done in half the time usually looks it.

What makes a painting take longer

• A larger size
• More people or pets in the picture
• Fine detail, such as fur, lace or architecture
• Heavy palette-knife texture, which needs longer to dry
• Humid weather, which slows drying
• Revisions at the proof or photo stage

Drying and curing

Acrylic paint is dry to the touch within an hour, but a thick layer takes much longer to cure all the way through. Rolling a canvas before it has cured is the most common cause of cracking in transit, so we don't.

If you have a hard deadline

Tell us when you ask for a quote. We work back from the date: confirm the photo and size first, schedule the painting, and leave time for approval and shipping. If a date isn't realistic for the size, we'll say so before we start rather than rush the painting.

Shipping time

Shipping is separate from painting time. Express courier usually reaches the US, UK, Canada and Australia within about 3 to 7 days; air freight and sea freight take longer and cost less for larger shipments. Your quote gives the estimate for your route.