How to Commission a Landscape Painting: 8 Simple Steps
Commissioning a landscape painting is a way to transform a place that means something to you into a piece of original art.
It might be a mountain you climbed, a landscape from an unforgettable trip, the view from somewhere you return to every year, or simply a place that holds a particular memory.
My landscape commissions are created from your photographs, memories and ideas, turning them into contemporary, semi-abstract landscape paintings that capture not only what a place looked like, but how it felt to be there.
If you're considering commissioning your own landscape or abstract mountain painting, here are eight simple steps to get you started.
Step 1. Start with the memory
The best landscape commissions begin with the story rather than the photograph.
Think about the landscape that means the most to you. Perhaps it's the summit you spent months training to reach, somewhere you got engaged, a favourite family holiday destination or a mountain view you'll never forget.
Ask yourself one question: how do I want to feel when I look at this painting?
That memory becomes the starting point for the artwork.
Artist, Cat Goward taking in the view on the Annapurna Circuit Trek
Step 2. Gather your photographs
You don't need one perfect photograph to commission a landscape painting.
In fact, I often work from several reference photographs. One might capture the mountain particularly well, another the light, and another the atmosphere or colours you remember.
I can bring the strongest elements together to create one cohesive composition that represents your memory rather than simply copying a photograph.
Mount Kazbek photo and Mount Kazbek painting
Step 3. Find an Art Style You Love
Spend some time looking through my portfolio of contemporary landscape paintings and abstract mountain art and save the pieces you're naturally drawn to.
Consider what you like about them. Is it the softness of the landscape, the atmospheric clouds, the expressive mountain texture, the colours or the simplicity of the composition?
These references help me understand the direction you'd like your own commission to take, while your painting is still created individually from scratch.
Semi-abstract painting, ‘Beyond the Valley’
Step 4. Think About the Mood
How did the landscape feel?
Perhaps you remember a peaceful sunrise, mountains disappearing into mist, dramatic storm clouds or the colours of the last light disappearing behind a ridgeline.
Mood plays a huge part in my landscape commissions. Rather than creating a literal reproduction of a photograph, I use colour, atmosphere, texture and light to recreate the feeling associated with that place.
Abstract mountain painting, ‘Blush summit through the clouds’
Step 5. Consider Where Your Painting Will Hang
Before deciding on the final canvas size, think about where you'd like the painting to live.
Will it become the focal point above a fireplace? Fill a large living-room wall? Bring a sense of calm to a bedroom? Or remind you of an adventure while you work in your home office?
Knowing where your commissioned landscape painting will hang helps determine the most suitable dimensions, composition and colour palette.
Abstract mountain painting - Fire Summit by Cat Goward
6. Choose Landscape or Portrait
The orientation can completely change how a landscape is experienced.
A wide landscape canvas works beautifully for sweeping mountain ranges, distant peaks, lakes and expansive skies.
A portrait canvas can emphasise the height and drama of an individual mountain, drawing the eye upwards towards the summit.
If you're unsure, I can recommend an orientation based on your photographs and the space where your painting will eventually hang.
Abstract mountain painting, Twilight Reflection by Cat Goward
7. Choose Your Colour Palette
You don't need to know the exact colours you want before getting in touch.
Instead, look through my abstract mountain art and contemporary landscape paintings and notice which palettes appeal to you.
You might love soft pastels, atmospheric blues, dramatic sunset colours, earthy neutrals or bold magentas.
I'll use these preferences alongside your photographs and memories to develop a colour palette specifically for your landscape commission.
Abstract painting of Table Mountain for a commission for Toni J
Step 8. Decide How You'd Like It Displayed
Finally, think about how you'd like your finished painting to look on the wall.
A deep-edge canvas can be painted around the edges and displayed unframed for a clean, contemporary finish, while a thinner canvas can be finished with a floating frame for a more traditional presentation.
I'll help you choose the option that works best with the painting and your space.
Framed and un-framed pictures of Afterglow
Ready to Commission Your Own Landscape Painting?
A landscape commission is about more than recreating a photograph. It's about capturing the memory, atmosphere and feeling of somewhere that matters to you and turning it into a piece of contemporary art you can live with for years to come.
I've created a free guide to commissioning a contemporary mountain painting, taking you through the process in more detail and helping you start gathering your photographs, ideas, colours and inspiration.
