Blog · News
Fine Art and Sculpting are now on The Spool List
The Spool List now has two art markets. Fine Art is new. It sits alongside the existing Art & Sculpting market. Use Fine Art for paintings, portraits and prints. Use Art & Sculpting for sculptures, busts, statues and 3D art.
Both work like every other market on the site. You post a job for free. Independent makers send bids. You pick one. Payment is held until you confirm delivery.
Here is what each market covers, taken from the market pages themselves.
Fine Art: paintings, portraits and prints
The Fine Art market is for paying an artist to make an original piece to your brief. It also covers the work around finished art, such as reproductions and framing.
These are the typical jobs the page lists:
| Job | What it means |
|---|---|
| Portrait from photos | A painted or drawn likeness of a person, couple or family, worked from your photographs |
| Pet portrait | A painting or drawing of a pet, made from several clear photos |
| Original painting for a space | A piece sized and coloured for a particular wall, home, office or lobby |
| Illustration | Artwork for a book, an album cover, a poster or a brand |
| Mural | A painting applied directly to an interior or exterior wall |
| Fine art reproduction | Giclée prints or other high-quality copies of an existing artwork |
| Printmaking and editions | Hand-pulled linocuts, woodcuts, etchings or screen prints |
| Framing and finishing | Framing, mounting, varnishing or stretching canvas |
The materials run from oil, acrylic, watercolour, gouache, ink, pastel, charcoal and graphite to stretched canvas, linen, wood panel, archival pigment inks and cotton rag paper.
Who it's for. The page names collectors, gift-givers, businesses and anyone who wants an original piece made to order. Quotes come from artists and print studios registered on the platform: painters, illustrators, printmakers and print studios.
Art & Sculpting: busts, statues and casts
The Art & Sculpting market is for one-of-a-kind pieces in three dimensions. The typical jobs on the page:
| Job | What it means |
|---|---|
| Portrait bust | A likeness sculpted from photographs or a 3D scan, in resin, plaster, bronze or stone |
| Pet sculpture | A small figure or bust of a pet, modelled from photos taken from different angles |
| Memorial piece | A plaque, figure or relief for a memorial, a building or an anniversary |
| Garden or lobby statue | A weather-resistant piece sized for its site |
| Scale-up from a maquette | An artist's small model scanned and enlarged by CNC milling or large-format printing |
| Bronze or resin casting | Moulds and casts from an existing original, as a one-off or a numbered edition |
| Trophy or award | A sculptural award for an event, a team or a company |
| Relief panel or wall art | A carved, cast or milled panel for a wall, door or façade |
The materials include bronze, resin, Jesmonite, plaster, clay, stone, wood, steel, foam, fibreglass and cold-cast metal. The processes include hand modelling and carving next to digital sculpting, 3D scanning, large-format 3D printing, CNC milling, mould making and lost-wax casting.
That mix is why hand and digital work share one market. A bust can be modelled in clay by hand, or sculpted on screen and printed. Both kinds of maker quote in the same market.
Who it's for. Collectors, businesses and anyone with an idea for a one-of-a-kind piece. Quotes come from sculptors and fabricators whose studios and machines are registered on the platform, from hand sculptors in clay and stone to studios with 3D printers, CNC mills and casting setups.
Which market should you post in?
| If you want… | Post in |
|---|---|
| A portrait painted from photos | Fine Art |
| A bust of the same person | Art & Sculpting |
| Giclée prints of a painting you own | Fine Art |
| A bronze or resin cast | Art & Sculpting |
| A mural | Fine Art |
| A trophy or award | Art & Sculpting |
| A framed linocut edition | Fine Art |
| A carved or cast wall panel | Art & Sculpting |
What to put in your brief
Both pages give the same kind of advice. Include:
- The finished size, or the wall or spot the piece is for.
- Clear, well-lit reference photos. For a likeness, add close-ups and several angles.
- The medium or material you want, or examples of work you like.
- Framing, base, fixings or installation needs.
- For reproductions: how many prints, what size and paper, and proof that you own the original or have permission to copy it.
- Your budget range, deadline and delivery country.
Two things to agree before work starts
Copyright. Both pages say the same thing: commissioning a piece does not automatically give you the copyright. In many countries the artist keeps it unless it is transferred in writing. If you plan to print copies, sell merchandise or use the piece in branding, agree the rights in the job thread first, and check the rules where you live.
Approval points. For larger pieces, agree checkpoints before work begins: a sketch, progress photos, a small model or a digital render.
How payment works
Makers set their own prices. The pages say price depends on size, medium or material, level of detail and hours of work. So post your brief with a budget range and compare the bids.
- You pay the price the maker quotes. There is no buyer fee on top.
- The platform holds the payment and releases it to the maker only after you confirm delivery.
- If something goes wrong, disputes go through the in-app dispute tool, and unresolved ones go to The Spool List's moderators.
- Reviews are tied to completed orders.
- Prices on the site are shown in USD. The app shows your local currency at checkout.
Have a painting, portrait or sculpture in mind? Post your commission free and let artists bid.
Sources
Post it free and let makers bid. Payment is held until you confirm delivery.