If you mean, “Is it ok to commission an illustration of a house I don’t own anymore? Is that even allowed?” … then I have good news for you because the answer is YES!
Illustrating a home from your past is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Maybe it’s the house you grew up in, your own first place, or one you lived in during a chapter of life that you still love remembering. In every instance, not only is commissioning a custom illustration allowed, but I highly encourage it. There’s truly no better way to turn your individual memories into family heirlooms.
Let’s chat about what it looks like to turn your memories into custom art …
What I Need to Get Started
My goal is to make the commissions process as easy for you as possible! The first thing I want to know is what reference materials we have to work from.
It usually looks like one of these:
You have photos, old or new (or we can find them online).
The house is still standing, and I can find it on Google Maps.
Neither is available, so we'll work from your memory and descriptions.
Any of these is enough to begin! I used a combination of all three for this Grove Avenue commission: I grabbed images online, there were current photos available, and the client shared descriptions of special details to include.
What If My Photos Are Bad, or I Don’t Have Any?
This is something I’ve heard many times! Clients sometimes worry that the finished artwork won’t look like the home they remember if they can’t show me exactly what they’re imagining. I’m here to reassure you that there are plenty of ways to rebuild a memory.
We’ll Start With What You Do Have
Listing photos from when you sold the house are a good start, and so are older ones from old school photo albums or your phone. Or even the most recent listing photos from sites like Realtor and Zillow. They don’t need to be pretty … they just give me a starting point.
Let Me Do Some Digging
If you can give me the address, I can research it online and look for older photos of the home myself. I’m here to help, so you don’t have to track everything down on your own. I love a good online search rabbit hole so it doubles as entertainment for me.
Describe It in Your Own Words
When all other avenues fail … or photos don’t exist at all (it happens sometimes) … you can tell me what style of home it was. Colonial, cottage, Cape Cod, a brick row house - the great thing about architecture is that there are some well-defined standards. I can find similar homes to guide your sketch, and then we’ll identify together what adjustments are needed to make it feel like yours.
The First Look: Your Sketch and Color Palette
Your input drives the illustration first draft and it’s about so much more than just the physical address! We’ll talk about what makes this place meaningful to you, what details you’d love to have included, if you want a certain season represented. Equally, I want to know if there’s anything I might see in reference photos that it’s important to leave out or change. Don’t be shy about sharing your preferences because they make all the difference!
The Grove Avenue house illustration is nearly identical to what it looks like in person, but the client asked me to include a few details that were special to their family - the flag, porch furniture, window candles, and cardinal. You may have also noticed in the Google Maps photo that this house has very close neighbors, but we styled the illustration as though it stands alone to keep it the primary focus.
Is It Ok to Ask for Changes?
Not only is it ok … I sort of expect it!
Of course, I always hope that the first draft knocks it out of the park, but it’s most important to me that you love your finished artwork - so don’t hesitate to be candid with your feedback.
I want to know what you love and anything you’d like changed, whether that’s details, colors, or what gets the spotlight. The more honest you are about your initial reactions, the better, because it helps guide our next steps.
I’ll work your feedback into a final digital draft that becomes the blueprint for your finished artwork.
While You Wait, I’m Building Your House
This is where the magic happens and your place comes to life!
Once your final illustration is approved, I start building right away, cutting and creating your illustration by hand based on the approved design. This looks a bit different for every custom commission, but it almost always includes lots of glue, tiny tools and hundreds of delicate cardstock pieces.
(This phase takes a few weeks, but you can always check out behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube … it’s always a good time watching me fight those tiny pieces of paper!)
What It Feels Like When It Arrives
What does it feel like to open your memories turned into art? Pure magic and emotion. My apologies if I make you cry … but that’s kinda what I’m going for.
Ready to Start?
If there’s a special house in your life and you’re curious about turning it into custom art worthy of becoming a family heirloom, then I’m here to help.
Fill out the inquiry form on my commissions page and tell me all about your story. The paint color, the creaky step, the room where everyone always ended up. I’ll be in touch to talk through your photos and what I see.
