Commission of a Boat Painting

Professional commission of a yacht by UK marine artist Mark Woollacott

Painting commission of a boat

The following work-in-progress images show how a painting commission of a yacht progresses from its beginning to its completion. This commissioned boat painting, which took ten weeks to paint, is of a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42DS yacht anchored off Nice, Southern France. Canvas size: 65 cm x 95 cm.

Making a start

After drawing the various elements of the boat commission onto the canvas, I begin by mixing oil paint with professional artists' thinners and apply it to the primed layer on the canvas.

The underpainting

The first painted layer of the painting is known as the underpainting. This this usually quite a thin layer of paint which establishes the base layer of the various elements in the composition. Brushstrokes will often be visible at this early stage in the painting process.

As the painting progresses and additional layers are painted, the painting becomes more refined and detailed in appearance.

Once an oil painting is finished, it is left to dry for some weeks, before a protective coat of artists' retouch varnish can be applied.

Are you interested in commissioning a painting of a boat?

Have you ever considered owning a commissioned painting or investing in original art? Perhaps you would like to commission me to paint an original for you, something which is special to you, which will reward you with many years of enjoyment. Commissioning a painting for yourself or for a friend or a loved one can be a really enjoyable experience. At every part of the process you are kept updated with weekly progress emails and images of the commissioned painting. So even if you don't know a great deal about art and if it is the first time you've considered commissioning a painting, you will really enjoy the experience - and you might also gain a few interesting insights into painting techniques along the way too!

« For more details on what is involved in a painting commission, please visit my Paintings Commissions page, which has plenty of helpful information.

If you are interested in commissioning me to paint an original painting for you, then please contact me using the email address below and I will be happy to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you may have regarding the commission. I am based in North Devon, South West England.

Email: info@markwoollacott.com

Some more comments...

Mr J Ballantyne

“The attention to detail was incredible!”

J Hockin

“I feel most privileged and honoured that you would so kindly do this for me … thank you!”

Quality

The most important thing about any brand of paint is the quality of the pigment. I use professional grade artist paints. These oil paints contain high quality pigments with excellent lightfast qualities. The art panels, canvas panels and canvases that I use are professionally made and are pre-stretched and primed.

Commission Prices

The prices refer to the price of the painting only, unframed. The prices below are the prices the client can expect to pay for a professional painting commission painted by an artist with several decades experience. Paintings requiring more detail or requiring some research would be understandably higher in price because of the extra work involved and extra time taken to complete such a painting. Example: I recently completed a maritime painting for a client which took me over two months to complete and required over 70 hours of research before the painting was begun. The canvas size was 24 x 36 inches and the client paid me £3,500 for the commission. Please enquire by email for a quote. Postage and packaging costs are additional and will vary depending on the size/weight of the painting and the location of your delivery address. Typically, Postage & Packing costs for a 65 cm x 100 cm painting, delivered to an address in the UK, would be £50.00.

Prices

These are prices for paintings not requiring much detail, such as beach and landscape paintings.

30 cm x 40.6 cm (12 x 16 inches - approx. A3 in size) canvas panel From £695.00
46 cm x 61 cm (18 x 26 inches) canvas board From £1,600.00
46 cm x 91.45 cm (18 x 36 inches) art panel From £2,000.00
61 cm x 91.45 cm (24 x 36 inches) art panel/canvas From £2,495.00
76.2 cm x 101.6 cm (30 x 40 inches) deep-edge canvas From £2,995.00

Helpful Notes On How To Look After A Painting

It is important to hang and display your painting in the best place and to look after it. Please remember that paintings should not be placed or displayed close to a source of heat, such as a radiator or strong halogen lights, and should not be hung for long periods on a cold or damp wall or stored without any protection in a place, such as a draughty loft or a garage, where dust is likely to settle on it and where it is likely to be exposed to increased heat in the summer months and colder temperatures during the winter months.

Regarding the storage of your painting. When not on display, it is always best to store paintings upright (not leaning) in an environment where the temperature and humidity is fairly constant and not liable to fluctuate to extremes. If a painting is displayed, stored and looked after properly, it will remain in excellent condition. If your canvas is affected by the humidity in your home and begins to show signs of sagging or rippling, then this can usually be fixed by carefully placing the painting picture-side down on a soft, clean sheet or cloth, on the floor, and lightly banging in the small wooden wedges into the wooden stretcher bars with a hammer. The wedges are located on the wooden stretcher bars on the rear of the canvas, in the corners. Lightly tap each wedge two or three times, so the tension in the canvas is evenly tightened up.

As oil paintings do not require glass protecting their painted surfaces, it is recommended to prevent dust from settling and accumulating on the surface of your painting by removing it with an inexpensive squeezy dust blower (the kind photographers use to remove dust from their camera lenses) at least once every two months. This will ensure your painting will remain in good condition. Alternatively, you can use a soft brush, or a lint-free anti-static cloth for cleaning the surface of the painting and the frame (which is prone to being touched more than the painting's surface and therefore susceptible to fingerprints); but do not rub too hard and do not clean the painting with a paper towel or a sponge; and do not place any water on the wooden stretcher bars, as the moisture may cause them to warp.

Do not clean or wipe dust from the painting with your bare hands, as your hands contain natural oils which will transfer to the painting's surface and any marks will colour over time.

Maritime painting

Half a Century — Painting Commission

I really enjoyed working on this commission, which had a combination of architecture as well as the fascinating maritime aspects. This oil painting is a depiction of a yacht, moored outside the owner's home in Port Grimaud, St Tropez, South of France. There was a lot of detail involved and a certain amount of realism to be achieved. Painting the water with great care and patience (which took me two weeks in total) really brought the painting to life. Painting info: Oil on canvas. Canvas dimensions: 36 x 24 inches.

Maritime painting

Casper — Painting Commission

This recent oil painting was a wonderful commission to work on and a great privilege for me. This painting shows Casper, a stunning Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42DS yacht, anchored off the beautiful city of Nice, South of France. The deep blues in this painting really bring to life the vibrancy and the quality of the natural light in this picturesque part of the world. I really enjoyed painting the water and bringing together all the separate details and elements that added to the final realism of this artwork. Painting info: Oil on a bespoke linen canvas. Canvas dimensions: 65 cm x 95 cm.

Maritime painting

Whitsuntide — Painting Commission

This recent painting commission was a pleasure to work on. I was asked to depict the Salar 40 yacht Whitsuntide sailing through Alum Bay and heading towards the Needles, Isle of Wight. It captures the yacht as it would have looked during the 1970s. Painting info: Acrylic on a bespoke linen canvas. Canvas dimensions: 70 cm x 110 cm.

Seascape painting

Ilfracombe — Painting Commission

This was a delightful painting commission, in which I was asked to depict a detailed view of Ilfracombe from the vantage of Hillsborough. This picturesque North Devon town has a wonderful history and continues to have one of the most beautiful working fishing harbours in the county. Painting info: Acrylic on Italian fine grain linen panel. Dimensions: 30 cm x 40 cm.

Maritime painting

Cassiopeia — Painting Commission

This painting shows the client's yacht taking part in a popular sailing regatta in Greece. The yacht is Cassiopeia. A degree of realism was requested by the client in the initial brief for this painting commission, and I was also to depict some landscape in the composition. Painting info: Acrylic on canvas. Canvas dimensions: 16 x 28 inches.

Maritime painting

Abigail — Painting Commission

This was a hugely enjoyable painting commission. I had the honour of being asked to undertake a painting commission in which I was to depict the yacht, Abigail. Painting info: Acrylic on canvas. Canvas dimensions: 16 x 24 inches.

Maritime painting

Lucky Cat Sivota, Greece — Painting Commission

I really enjoyed painting this particular commission, which was based on a superb reference photograph supplied by the client. Sivota is such a picturesque setting for sailors, and I can understand why people visit the place. In this commission, I was asked to paint a scene which not only incorporated the yacht, Lucky Cat, and the beauty of the harbour as dusk approached, but also to paint the whole scene with a degree of realism. Painting info: Acrylic on canvas. Canvas dimensions: 24 x 22 inches.

Maritime painting

On Board SY Albatross HYS 1974 — Painting Commission

This painting is based on a photographic slide of V. Hanf, taken in August 1974 onboard Sailing Yacht Albatros of HYS (Hanseatische Yachtschule) in the Fehmarn Belt, during the early morning (at sunrise) after having sailed through the night. HYS stands for Hanseatische (Hanseatic) Yacht (ing) Schule (School). Albatros belonged to HYS from 1953 to 1995. Albatros was ordered in 1936 by the Reichs Air Force Ministry, General Christiansen, who lived on the island of Föhr as a training trip for Naval pilots and it was built on the river–shaped fjord by the name of Schlei, as a ketch. It was built from oak larch & teak. Its engine: 125 hp. Its placement thirty tons. After the war it was confiscated by the British and was consequently rebuilt interiorly. In 1952 Albatros was changed to a Bermuda rigging and was given as a donation to HYS, to be used for training trips, where it was a very much loved ship until 1995. Finally it was sold to be a charter vessel on the Adriatic Sea. Painting info: Acrylic on canvas board. Canvas dimensions: 16 x 20 inches.

Maritime painting

The Rescue — Painting Commission

This painting, entitled The Rescue, is based on an original detailed sketch (drawn in 1990 by sailor Mr J Ballantyne) of a real-life rescue that took place off Berry Head quarry, Devon, on 10th September, 1989, featuring the rescue of a dismasted Beneteau Double First 32S5 by the Brixham-based, Arun-class lifeboat, The Edward Bridges. The painting features two additional yachts, Papillion (which Mr J Ballantyne was onboard) and Sigmagnifique. Painting info: Acrylic on canvas. Canvas dimensions: 16 x 24 inches. Available as a print.