If you are interested in commissioning Karen for a personalized artwork, click here to submit your request!
Payments
Karen requires at least a 50% down payment of your chosen price of the commission before she can begin on your commission. Once she has completed the piece, she requires the second payment before she ships it out. She accepts cash, check, Venmo, or Paypal (in which case she will send you an invoice).
Pricing and Mediums
For charcoal/pastel portraits on drawing paper***:
$250 - 1 figure on 11"x14" paper
$300 - 2 figures on 11"x14" paper4$250 -
$350 - 3 figures on 11"x14" paper
$350 - 1 figure on 18"x24" paper
$450 - 2 figures on 18"x24" paper
$550 - 3 figures on 18"x24" paper
$650 - 4 figures on 18"x24" paper
$750 - 5 figures on 18"x24" paper
Shipping for all pastel/charcoal drawings is free within the US. Outside of requested meeting time to discuss/plan out commission ideas, there are no extra fees for traditional commissions.
Karen also creates commissions in the form of acrylic paintings. Although acrylic paintings will require more time to render than charcoal/pastel portraits, and therefore be a bit more expensive; painting pricing varies depending on requested canvas size and content; Karen will offer a price quote depending on your requests for the painting.
The choices are up to you! Regardless, Karen is most joyous and honored to give you and/or your loved one(s) a creation that is meaningful to you!
***Commission prices have been raised as of Fall 2022 due to increase in inflation and high demand of commission jobs. Thank you for understanding and for your support of this one-woman business!
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Reference Photos
Providing Karen with high-quality photos of your loved ones with good lighting will really make your commission shine. If your pet/loved one is still alive, you can even use your smartphone indoors or outdoors with good light to capture the colors, shapes, and detail in their face(s), Make sure it's well-focused, and Karen can capture all those little details much better. You can find some tips for pet photography here.
If your loved one has passed, and all you have in your possession are lower quality photos, send them to Karen and she can evaluate how well she can use them to rightfully capture your close human/pet. Sometimes she can still make up some details or shapes if it's not super clear.
All images can be sent to Karen via email at: karen.kliethermes@gmail.com
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Size and Materials
Typical drawing paper sizes are 11"x14" and 18"x24". Karen works only with high quality, archival paper brands such as Canson, Arches, and Strathmore. If she is working with charcoal and/or pastel, she will spray the piece with a special fixative that will keep the medium on the page. All acrylic paintings are done on 1.5" thick, high-quality gallery canvas, and vary greatly in size--let Karen know approximately what size you're looking for.
For paintings, she is willing to do most sizes of common canvas sizes, the absolute smallest being 8"x10", and as big as 36"x48".
Copyright
Note that while the customer receives the original artwork after payment, Karen still reserves the rights to the images she takes of original artwork that she creates, and can do with them as she pleases.
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Selected Commissions/Gifts
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2019.
19"x25", pastel and charcoal on Strathmore toned charcoal paper, 2016.
48"x24", acrylic on canvas, 2018.
24"x24", acrylic on canvas, 2018.
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2018.
18"x24", pastel and charcoal on toned paper, 2019.
14" diameter, acrylic on drum, 2020.
11"x14", charcoal on paper, 2020.
16" diameter, acrylic on drum, 2020.
14"x11", pastel & charcoal on paper, 2022.
Approx. 42" tall, acrylic & polyurethane on thrifted wooden stool, 2022.
Approx. 42" tall, acrylic & polyurethane on thrifted wooden stool, 2022.
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2018.
14"x11", pastel and charcoal on toned drawing paper, 2019.
11"x14", pastel & charcoal on paper, 2022.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2017.
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2019.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on toned paper, 2020.
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on toned drawing paper, 2018.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2017.
11"x14", charcoal, pastel, and acrylic on black Strathmore drawing paper, 2017.
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2019.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on toned Strathmore drawing paper, 2019.
11"x14", charcoal on drawing paper, 2018.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
14"x11", pastel & charcoal on paper, 2022.
14"x11", charcoal on paper, 2020.
11"x14", charcoal & pastel on toned paper, 2021.
11"x14", pastel & charcoal on paper, 2022.
18"x24", charcoal & pastel on paper, 2021.
12"x24", acrylic on canvas, 2020.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on toned drawing paper, 2018.
16"x20", charcoal & pastel on paper, 2021.
11"x14", charcoal, conte, and graphite on Strathmore drawing paper, 2015.
24"x18", charcoal & pastel on paper, 2021.
11"x14", pastel and charcoal on paper, 2018.
11"x14", pastel and charcoal on paper, 2017.
14" diameter, acrylic on drum, 2020.
18"x24", charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
14"x11", pastel and charcoal on toned drawing paper, 2019.
11"x14", charcoal on paper, 2021.
16" diameter, acrylic on drum, 2020.
22"x30", India ink on Canson watercolor paper, 2014. (All rights go to Bill Watterson!)
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2018.
86"x 36" canvas pentaptych with acrylic, 2018.
22"x30", India ink on Canson watercolor paper, 2013. (All rights go to Bill Watterson!)
16"x20", acrylic on canvas, 2023.
16"x20", pastel and charcoal on drawing paper, 2023.
18"x24", acrylic on canvas, 2023.
5"x7" graphite and charcoal on drawing paper, 2023.
11"x14", charcoal and pastels on toned drawing paper, 2023.
14"x11", charcoal and pastels on drawing paper, 2024.
11"x14", charcoal and pastels on drawing paper, 2023.
24"x18", pastels and charcoal on paper, 2024.
24"x18", pastel and charcoal on paper, 2022.
11"x14", charcoal, conte, and graphite on Strathmore drawing paper, 2015.
24"x18", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2021.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2022.
18"x24", charcoal & pastel on toned drawing paper, 2024.
18"x24", charcoal & pastel on paper, 2021.
11"x14", pastel and charcoal on paper, 2020.
22"x30", charcoal on Canson drawing paper, 2015.
11"x14", charcoal & pastel on paper, 2021.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2018.
11"x14", pastel and charcoal on paper, 2020.
11"x14", graphite on drawing paper, 2019.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2022.
11"x14", pastel and charcoal on paper, 2019.
14"x11", charcoal and pastel on paper, 2022.
24"x18", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2018.
14"x11", charcoal and pastel on paper, 2022.
24"x18", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
18"x24", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
18"x24", charcoal and conte on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
14"x11", pastel & charcoal on paper, 2017.
11"x14", charcoal on paper, 2019.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
11"x14", charcoal and pastel on Strathmore drawing paper, 2016.
18"x24", acrylic on canvas, 2015.
14"x11", charcoal and pastel on drawing paper, 2022.