How to Be an Art Consultant to your Client during COVID-19

How to Be an Art Consultant to your Client during COVID-19

With the current coronavirus outbreak, a lot of us in the interior design and architecture industry aren’t sure when we will be going back to work, because of this a lot of us have been working remotely or from home.  

With government guidelines still in place and many of us not returning to our normal working schedules and environments anytime soon, we here at Luminaire Arts thought it would be a great idea to write a blog on a few of our tips, tricks and things to consider to help you provide the best art consultancy service to your client. 

So here are three top things to discuss with your client when beginning to think about sourcing artwork for your project. 

 

 

Number One: Figuring Out Your Lead Time

One of the key things to consider is lead time. The time you have to complete a project can have a massive impact on specifying and selecting the artwork.

Some artists are in more of a demand than others and some artists use unusual or difficult to source materials which can impact their lead times. It's always important to know your lead time before you start looking at procuring any artwork as some things may not be possible on a short lead time. 

It's always worth asking the art consultancy or artist what their lead times are and if they have any available artwork that is ready to ship.

If you're looking at a sculptural piece, you could be looking at a lead time of anywhere between 3 to 6 months depending on the materials, size and how popular the artist is.

 

 

Number Two: Nailing Down Your Budget 

Another important thing to think about is the overall budget for artwork. Just like your lead time, your budget can affect what sort of artwork you can specify. 

Sculptures and ceramic elements are usually higher in price, so this is something to be mindful of if your client is looking at sculptures/ceramic pieces. These are usually more expensive because of the other factors that are involved such as materials and technical aspects. Some pieces also need installation work which again will affect cost of the selected product.

If you have a project with a smaller budget, one thing you may want to consider is prints or photography or available artwork. Photography is normally more affordable when specifying artwork (unless you’re looking at very well-known photographers) as these have usually already been produced, so reproduction costs are usually more affordable.

Sometimes certain artists are out of budget or have too long lead time so sometimes there is the option to have a print of an original painting or artwork. While this isn't always possible, it's something to consider if you have a short lead time or a very small budget to work within.

 

Number Three: Beginning Your Search

Now the fun part begins.

When you finally set your budget and the lead time is sorted, you can begin the process of looking for artwork. 

When you start looking for artwork, it can be hard to know where to look. Some good places to start are at art gallery, art websites, local art fairs and with art consultancies. 

At Luminaire Arts we have our own Art Portal where you can browse artwork based on your style, budget and size requirements. We also have dedicated sculpture and artwork specialists who are available 7 days a week to discuss your art needs. 

By now you would have hopefully had your lead time and budget nailed down and a art brief from your client. These three things will help you narrow down options and give you a good idea of where to start.

As an art consultancy, we work with interior designers and architects on a daily basis when sourcing artwork and we usually ask for a concept image so that we can begin the search, this is something that you may also want to do and it definitely helps having images of artwork no matter which genre painting sculptures or ceramics that your client likes. 

A tip for your client: When they are gathering images, ask them to use online visual search engines like Pinterest or create a mood board where possible, this is always really useful because from that you can see a visual example of what the client likes and it can make your search easier and gives you the advantage of getting to know your client and providing them with a more intimate service so that you have more knowledge when discussing their needs with artists/consultancies. 

 

Ultimately, you will know your client best, especially if you've been involved in the project from the beginning. The key things to remember are to try to get a clear and concise brief from your client, no detail is too much and it will all help to make it easier for yourself to source artwork but also don't be too rigid when looking for art, the process should still be exciting..it's ok to throw in a wild card.

 If you still need a little bit of extra help feel free to get in touch with us here and also click here to browse our online website where you can view a variety of different artists and art works to suit all styles, budgets and requirements.

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