Are you open for art commissions?

Yeap. I'm mostly interested in portraits and illustrations. But I also won't say no to other interesting stuff. So, just drop me a bit more info about your project.

How long does it take you to complete a portrait?

That really depends on size, complication, background, number of figures and other stuff we together need to decide before we really sit down and start. Finishing oil portrait may take from 2 days to even half a year.

After we are both satisfied painting is left in my studio to dry. After half a year to year I cover it with varnish. Varnish provides protection, but also it is bringing back all color depth which could otherwise be lost. After all that is completed painting is ready to be taken to your home.

I would like to commission a portrait. May I send you photo?

Generally speaking I don't paint from photos. And definitely not from photos made by other people. Doing a portrait is so personal experience, that for me it is absolutely impossible to do something that we will both like in that way. Also photograph itself does not provide enough info for me. It's like trying to kiss someone through plastic bag! I understand that we are all busy, and it may be hard to arrange few sessions. That's why If you schedule is tight we can arrange one sitting only. I need this to drink a coffee together, know each other better (I absolutely need to know who I'm painting!), do some sketches, and to take photos the way I need them.

Do you varnish your paintings?

Always! I use only best grade varnishes which provide superior protection for years.

I don't care how my painting will look in next ages, I want it right now. Can you please not varnish my painting, and send it right now?

But I care how this painting will look in next ages! It's my name on it! Varnish provides protection from various types of danger, but also enriches the colors. If I wouldn't protect the painting, after few weeks it will start looking dull and after time it will be worst and worst. Only proper varnishing can bring back true image, and give it safe life.

Also if I wouldn't varnish it, after some time dust will penetrate the painting, making it impossible to remove. Under no circumstances I don't want any of those things to happen to my paintings!

You can easily find some people around the Internet who claim they will make painting is 2 weeks, varnish it immediately and send to you. Please, please don't believe them! Don't let them do that! It is possible with other media like acrylics, but not with oils. Oils dry slowly, and yes oil painting is usually touch dry after 2 weeks or so, but it's just first of 3 stages of drying. If you varnish painting after 2 weeks, when it is only touch dry, terrible things may happen. Paint will crack with time, something may go of the canvas. That happens because paint is still wet, even if it looks different! There are some special varnishes which does not give so permanent protection, and can be applied faster. But faster in this case means still at least 3 months!

As a general rule painting may be varnished not faster then after half a year if layers were thin. Where there are thick amount of paint it may take longer.

I'm interested in one of your paintings, but I can't see any prices and availability info.

Please send me an e-mail, and I will provide you all that info.

How long does it take you to complete a illustration?

It usually takes 1-3 weeks. I never fail to meet the deadline, and I'm not going to change that. Once I was working on the other side, so I perfectly know how important it is.

I'm interested about your illustration process. Can you provide a bit info?

Sure.

I always start with research. Even if I did similar thing before I'm hunting for inspiration, references, go to museums, find models, gadgets, clothing and so on. Being prepared is extremely important for me. Luckily I have amazing friends who can sometimes help me, and for example tell me how bow is hold properly.

Then I have all I need, I start immediately. It's much easier for me to work, when all that stuff is fresh in my head. I do some simple sketches. Some of them look like total shit, but their purpose is to help me organize my ideas, and no one will ever see them. Then, from these sketches I choose 3 ideas I like, and I develop them further to the point which can be showed to client. In most cases these are just simple color sketches with photo manipulations. I send them to the client and wait for decision. That part of process is fairly quickly, and it's usually 3rd day when client sees my propositions.

When client chooses one he likes the best I start working on selected design from scratch. That means taking photos of precise poses I need, doing more developed sketches and so on. Changes usually are minor, and overall mood is preserved. Position of hands may change a bit, background may have some additional stuff happening, clothes may get jewelry and so on. I finish this stage having complete pencil sketch of whole thing.

Next I transfer it into canvas, paint thin layer of acrylic over it to kill white of the canvas, and start developing it still using acrylics in one tone only. When things start to look recognizable I stop and take break till next day. That time is needed for acrylics to dry well, but also working that way another day I will start with fresh eye. Canvas is usually few times bigger then final product. That way I get all the details I want.

Now serious rendering begins. I work by stages, always trying to do one important element in one day. One figure, one animal, environment. During that time I sometimes develop background a bit, but in most cases I paint it in next step. Working one thing a day (which sometimes can be real challenge if character is complicated) I'm sure about color. That way there will be no subtle unwanted hue changes made by paint getting dry.

When whole canvas is covered with paint I finish for that day. And another one I start with making final tweaks and decisions. Sometimes it takes 2 days if I decided to use glazing in the process, sometimes I just sharpen, or accent few things, or correct little stuff, in some cases if everything looks good to me I do nothing.

Immediately, when canvas is still wet and colors looks best I take hi-res photos. Usually I take 50-200 photos with different exposure, on different lighting conditions, retaking the same shots few times, shooting only selected elements of whole painting, shooting it as a whole. Painting always looks best just after finishing. I also take so much photos, because I want to be sure that I have perfect picture. Hand may shake, something may go wrong, painting may fall down, you never know.

Next I start working digital. First I choose best photo(photos) and make needed corrections to it depending on what final product is. Depending on particular project I may change some elements, add some stocks, photo manipulations and so.If client demands it I add typography too.

Last part is chilling a bit to get fresh eye, dog walk, or asking friend I trust for a opinion. If it still looks good to me, I send it to client.

Will you take free job?

This depends on: subject, You, and my availability.

If your project is close to my heart, we share similar thinking, you do something for a higher reason pro publico bono, there is chance I will do that. I got fantastic time from people who share my hobbies, who love what they do, who never asked for any money. By such people world is better, and I was lucky to have them around or advantage from their work. In this case I may want to give payback and do something for free, but we two must share same attitude.

Availability is important as well. I just can't agree to any free job when I have payed project going, please understand that. I'm not kind of person who's mind is completely into money. Actually money are last thing I care about. But no matter what I think I need to eat, bills have to be payed and I won't be able to help anyone if I run out of brushes or paint.

Last words on free jobs comes to those smart ones we all sometimes find around the Internet. Those who call and say: I have fantastic project for you. You paint something for me, and I will give you free exposure in exchange. No! Of course I can't pay you! You will have free exposure, is it not enough for you?. Such people who don't take artists seriously, who think they are smart, will never be treated serious by me. And for all of them answer is here: FUCK OFF! Stop stealing! Find yourself fair job!

Who are you influenced by as an artist?

Many. Almost every week I find new heroes, but old ones never fade in time. Here are few whose work I admire:

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Jacek Malczewski, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Aleksander Gierymski, Hieronimus Bosch, Stanisław Ludwik de Laveaux, Jacques-Louis David, Theodor Hildebrandt, John Singer Sargent, William Turner, Mark Rothko, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Michael Hussar, Shawn Barber, Steven Assael, Whiliam Whitaker, Richard Schmid, Dominique Antony, Hans Ruedi Giger...

And I'm sure I forgot about many. All of them are masters.