This case study is designed to take you, the client, through the various stages of a typical letter cutting commission, from the initial meeting with the artist to the finished installed piece. This could be, for example, a memorial, a house sign, a piece for your garden or a public sculpture.
The first stage is to identify a suitable artist for what you have in mind. Browsing the Members pages of this website can help you find someone whose work you like and, if relevant, who lives in the right part of the country. You can follow links to their own website if they have one. It is very important to choose an artist whose lettering and design you like: no artist will mind having an initial chat on the phone and perhaps sending you more examples of their work before you proceed further.
Having identified the artist you want to work with, the best way to start the process is to have an initial meeting with them at their workshop. This is not always possible and some letter cutters are happy to correspond through email, but meeting in person can save time and help get your thoughts across clearly. This is a chance for the artist to get a feel for exactly what your requirements and expectations are for the commission. The artist will show you their portfolio and stone samples; you can then discuss your preferences and generally have an exchange of ideas. In many ways this stage is the most important as it can clarify the way forward. You may or may not have agreed on the wording and other details of the commission by the end of this meeting. Sometimes you may feel it is necessary to go away and contemplate things in order to cement your ideas. You may talk about approximate costs, but a more precise costing will usually come later when the artist produces a design. It may be useful for the artist to visit the site, but this is not always necessary.
In the case of memorials or public works there may be regulations and planning constraints which need to be investigated early on.
Once the wording, stone type, size and other basic details have been decided, the next stage is the design. Artists work in different ways: some may make several rough sketches for your comments before proceeding to a final design, others will produce just one proposal. At the end you will have a firm design and costing which you are both happy with.
The overall cost will depend on various factors such as the stone type and size, the amount of lettering, other carving and shaping, also delivery and installation costs and other factors such as cemetery/churchyard fees in the case of a memorial. As a very rough guide, simple memorials normally start at around £2,000. Most will cost between £2,500 and £5,000. Obviously more elaborate designs or stones with a lot of lettering and carving will cost more.
For memorials it is nearly always necessary to submit the design for approval to the relevant church or council authority. The artist may be able to handle this. Once you have permission to proceed then some artists draw up a Commission Agreement for you both to sign. At this stage the artist may ask for a deposit payment, usually around 50% of the total cost. Then the artist will order the stone.
Most artists will do their best to keep you updated on progress, and may be happy for you to visit their workshop during the making process. When the work is installed and the commission completed you will receive an invoice for the final payment.
A normal timescale is anywhere from 12 weeks to a year depending on the artist’s current workload and how quickly the quarry can come up with the stone. If you have a significant deadline, discuss this with the artist early on and they will try and work to it where possible. Most commissions are completed well within a year.
It is important to stress that different artists work in different ways, and the above is only a rough guide. Every commission is different, but is always a collaboration between artist and client which can be immensely rewarding for both parties.
Letter cutting, carving or memorials
