How to commission a wax carving
A guide to commissioning waxcarvings and miniature sculptures
The first step, obviously, is to get in touch with us, if this is a new experience for you, don't worry, we will talk you through the process.
We can do the entire process remotely via phone calls and email, but whenever possible we'll have an initial meeting before beginning the job, during which we will check the design requirements with you and resolve any design issues. At various stages we will contact you whenever it is necessary for you to approve any work before moving to a further stage of production.
An appointment is necessary before any meeting, we discourage drop-ins as we don't like clients to cross over in their visits, and have found over the years that clients don't actually enjoy this either.
When communicating electronically, we do ask that you stick to one medium [ideally email] and keep all communication in the same thread. If you do send partial details by different modes of communication [part email, part text, part whatsapp] it becomes very difficult to collate all information relating to your job and we will charge extra accordingly.
Below are a few pointers that you might like to consider. These will help to make commissioning a carving, master-pattern or finished piece a more pleasurable experience for both us and you. A little forethought can go a long way.
- What is the object you would like to commission ? This may sound obvious, and for something like a ring it is, but it's important to know this in advance for other items such as brooches, earrings, pendants, as the fittings for these and the way they attach to the piece are varied and significant. There are weight allowances to be considered too.
- Can you provide drawings or a rough sketch with visual references/pictures/photographs ? The more you can provide us with, the less we'll have to guess at or interpret and the easier communicating your ideas will be. Verbal descriptions are also useful, but not without a rough sketch at the very least. This will also save you money as reworking takes time and we will have to charge accordingly. Alternatively we can accurately draw your design for you, however there is a charge for this.
- What are the dimensions of your design; height, width, length, thickness, depth, etc. ? In the first of the two following examples, all measurements are required. In the second example, only one measurement is necessary if the object is fully three-dimensional, as all other dimensions are relative to the first. If the object is a relief carving, then the depth or a side view is also required. (Please click on the images to enlarge them)
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- If the design contains stones, we'll need to know the size and cut, if we are going to put settings into the piece. Ideally bring us a sample.
- What is your time scale ? This is very important, our time is booked in advance and we accommodate people on a first come first served basis. Small jobs can sometimes be fitted into our schedule, as we like to maintain a little flexibility, but do not depend on this. We recommend booking your work in 4-6 weeks ahead of when it is required. If the piece requires any subsequent specialist work, setting, plating, engraving, enamelling etc. Then you will need to allow time for that too. Please ask for advice, we are more than happy to help.
- Is the item a one-off unique piece, or is it for multiple production ?
We hope that you find these guidelines helpful and hope to see you soon. Please visit the Gallery Page to get an idea of how much carvings might cost.