The Malcaluso’s

We the painters invite you to be a part of our creative process ✨

Artwork greatly enhances a space’s mood, style, color, and look. This applies to all artwork, including photography. Photos capture what you see as it was with enhancements or filters to bring you back to the moment as it was. Every kind of art has it’s own purpose and strength; but how can you maximize your commissioned painting to get the absolute most out of this speciality piece? Painters have the capability of designing the composition (if desired) to include or exclude pieces that you dreamed of but maybe couldn’t happen in reality. They can also relay feelings and movement in a nuanced way compared to photos. We’ll be going through some fun customizations that you might not have considered just yet to ensure you don’t miss out on all the possibilities for your wedding painting.

Artists will make some small adjustments and judgements to cultivate the most pleasing composition and tie all the details together, but you are welcomed to be a part of that process. These customizations are perfect for live or studio wedding paintings.

Disclaimer: The process is usually as follows: you pick the scene, who you want included, and then item inclusions in the painting - we’ll go through customization options for all 3. Of the 3 categories, I generally recommend 1-2 customizations total (for example one memorialized person and one item inclusion). This is the sweet spot to avoid straying too far from reality, as I believe all art should point to remembrance of God’s goodness and is not a means of escapism. As always, every artist is different so be sure to ask rather than assume your requests. Be sure to make these requests BEFORE the painted is started and during the discovery process; many artists charge extra for major changes after it's finished.

Scenery Customizations

This involves the backdrop of your painting overall. Most people keep this one pretty consistent, but here are some changes I’ve encountered.

Time of day

I personally wanted a strong sunset in my photos but I can’t control the sky! So when I painted my wedding portrait I enhanced the sunset from my photos to reflect the kaleidoscope of colors to convey the feeling I felt on that special evening. I still have my photos to show the beauty of the day of, but my painting portrays the feelings I felt through color!

I danced here, but I wanted it to be here

I had a bride who loved the courtyard her venue and had a plan of doing her first dance and reception dinner outside. Because of the season, the weather might not have allowed, so they didn’t decide whether dinner and the first dance would be in the reception hall or the courtyard until the week of. She compromised: dinner inside, dance outside, and I painted the dance in the courtyard. Even if she’d chosen to dance inside, I was happy to place the couple in the courtyard on the canvas. As long I have photos of the background and the subject, generally they can be combined.

Cleanup

Artists are going to simplify the scene according to their aesthetic judgement. When you select an artist, you’re entrusting them with this, but you are also welcome to clarify anything specific you don’t want included- it honestly will make our lives easier. Here’s an example of how my client took the minimalist route (excluding background items) so their portraits could be the focus:

Loved ones

Additional portraits may come at an extra cost, but these are worth it above any other customization.

Memorializing

The most special customization is the addition of a loved one who couldn’t be there physically on the day of because their time had come too soon. It can be hard enough not having them a part of the day of, why not commemorate them in a special way to show how you still felt their presence? This reason alone is enough to have a custom painting - photoshop will not do this justice!

Pets

Adding pets who had to stay home is a special treat! As long as you get that reference photo in beforehand they can be added in (this may or may not incur extra costs). When the painting is done you HAVE to show it to your pet(s) to see if they recognize themselves in the painting.

Item/Subject Inclusions

This may be the most creative add on type, and it’s worth considering if you are really excited about something in particular…

Embracing Whimsy

One of my clients was super excited about the cultural dragon dance (reasonably so) she was having at her reception. She had the option of the dragon to be painted realistically (costumes noticeable) or whimsically (like a fantasy dragon). She went the fantasy route - which makes the most sense, because you’re getting reality in your pictures, why not embrace the magic of it as fantastically as possible through your painting! This is still one of my favorite paintings.

Items

If you’re wanting the background to be a certain spot but there’s another area that you love and you’re torn between them, think is there something in that area that you love? There was one space where the backdrop architecture was dreamy but my client also loved this fountain that was a bit far off. We decided to find a happy middle ground by including the fountain in the background. The other scene in question was a stairwell, while I can’t combine an indoor stairwell scene naturally to an outdoor courtyard (a decision needs to be made there), I can add items from one similar spot to another.

In Summary

The best way to think about the custom painting process is to think about what excites you most about that day. Are you looking forward to a cultural dance? Could you not stop thinking of your cake ever since the tasting? The things that most excite you or are most meaningful are going to be priority and can help guide the composition development process. Link up with your painter to get that vision in motion and sign up for more tips below!

Wedding Painting Customizations You’d Miss in Your Photos