Terms & Conditions

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Booking & Payment Terms

Every portrait is a bespoke piece of fine art created just for you. Because of the custom nature of this work, I operate on a structured payment schedule:

• The Booking Deposit: To secure your spot on my studio calendar, I require a 50% non-refundable booking deposit upfront. This deposit covers our initial consultation, photo selection help, composition planning, and the materials I secure to start your piece.

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• The Final Balance: The remaining 50% balance plus shipping costs is due once the painting is finished and you’ve given your final approval, but before the physical artwork is packaged and shipped.

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• Surcharges: Standard pricing is based on a single subject with a soft, neutral background. Adding extra subjects to a single sheet of paper adds a 20-30% surcharge to the base price. Choosing a complex, custom setting instead of a neutral background adds a 15-25% surcharge to cover the extra painting time.

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The Creative Process & Collaborations

To make sure your painting feels completely right, we’ll follow the stages of my creative workflow:

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Stage 1: Reference Photos & Sketches

I work from your photographs, so the final artwork depends heavily on the quality of the images you provide. We will look through your photos together to choose a reference that shows your subject's true expression. Once we agree on a pose, I’ll create a mock-up or basic pencil sketch for you to review.

Your approval of this initial design is final. Once you agree to the composition, I cannot change the pose or the perspective of the painting after I begin working on the pastel paper.

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Stage 2: The Painting & Updates

While your art piece is on my easel, I’ll send you occasional text or email updates to show you how the painting is progressing. This is where I layer in the rich colours for the background, and bring out the details. I welcome your honest feedback during this stage so we can make minor adjustments to colors, details, or highlights.

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Stage 3: Final Approval

When the painting is complete, I will send you a high-quality photograph of the finished painting. At this point, we can make very minor tweaks to ensure the details are just as you remember them.

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Once you give your final approval and submit your final payment, the portrait is considered complete and no further changes can be made.

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Shipping, Delivery & Damaged Work

I take immense care to package your finished painting so it travels safely from my studio to your home.

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• Shipping Methods: I ship worldwide using trusted, tracked courier services. Shipping costs are calculated based on your location and the size of your framed or unframed artwork, and will be added to your final invoice.

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• Transit Damage: In the rare event that your artwork is damaged during shipping, please contact me within 48 hours of delivery. You must provide clear photographs of both the damaged packaging and the painting so I can file an insurance claim and work with you to make things right.

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Archival Care & Framing Guidelines

I only use museum-grade, acid-free surfaces to ensure your heirloom stays in your family for generations. However, soft pastels are a unique, delicate medium and must be handled with care:

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• Handling: Never touch the surface of a pastel painting. The oils on your fingers can smudge the pigment and damage the fine details of the art.

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• Framing: Pastel paintings should always be framed behind glass, and they must be mounted with a border (mat) so the surface of the painting never touches the glass directly. I highly recommend using UV-protective glass to keep the colors rich.

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• Environment: Do not hang your finished portrait in areas with high moisture or humidity, including bathrooms or damp entryways. Keep the artwork out of direct, intense sunlight.

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Copyright & Ownership of the Art

It's important to understand the legal difference between owning a physical painting and owning the rights to the image:

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• The Artist's Rights: As the creator, I (Ivon Portellez) retain the absolute copyright to all artwork I paint. This includes the right to display images of your portrait in my online portfolio, on my social media pages, in advertising, or as printed reproductions. I will never sell prints of a personal family portrait without discussing it with you first, but I reserve the right to share my work to show what I can do.

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• The Client's Rights: When you purchase a custom portrait, you own the beautiful, physical piece of art. You have the right to display it in your home or office for your personal enjoyment, and you can share photos of your finished painting on your personal social media.

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• Prohibited Uses: You may not use the artwork for any commercial purposes, nor may you scan, print, or reproduce the image to sell or use in a business without my express, written permission.

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Cancellations & Refunds

Because each piece of art is a custom commission created for a specific pet and family, my cancellation policy is as follows:

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• If you need to cancel your commission before I begin painting on the pastel paper, your 50% deposit will be retained to cover my consultation time and planning, but you will not owe the remaining balance.

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• Once I have begun painting on the paper, the commission cannot be canceled, and the full contract price remains due upon completion.

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• I do not offer refunds or returns on completed, approved custom portraits.