Commissioning an original painting and buying a skateboard wall art piece solve genuinely different problems, and confusing the two leads to disappointment either way. This guide compares them honestly — price, timeline, uniqueness, and what you actually own at the end — so the choice is about what you actually want, not which sounds more impressive.
What You're Actually Choosing Between
A skateboard wall art piece from a catalogue is a printed reproduction (of a public-domain classical painting) or a licensed print of an original artist's design, produced to order on a fixed schedule at a fixed price. A commissioned painting is a one-off original work, made specifically for you, at a price and timeline set by the individual artist you commission. Neither is objectively better — they're different products serving different goals.
The Three Formats and Real Pricing
Single
85×20cm, €140
Diptych
171×20cm, €230
Triptych
256×20cm, €310
Every piece in the catalogue costs the same regardless of subject — €140/€230/€310 by format. A commission has no equivalent fixed price: it depends entirely on the individual artist's own rates, experience, medium, and the size and complexity of the piece requested. There's no way to generalize a commission price honestly, since it can range from very affordable to well beyond what any catalogue piece costs, depending entirely on who you commission.
Timeline: Fixed vs Unpredictable
A catalogue order ships on a predictable production schedule through partners in the US and Europe — not instant, but bounded and consistent. A commission's timeline depends on the individual artist's workload, their process, and how much revision or back-and-forth the piece involves; it can take anywhere from a few weeks to many months, and delays are common in commissioned work generally, since it's a bespoke creative process rather than a production line. If you have a fixed deadline (a specific date a piece needs to be on the wall by), that predictability is a real practical advantage of a catalogue piece.
Uniqueness: What "One of a Kind" Actually Means
A commissioned original painting is genuinely unique — there's exactly one physical object, and no one else will ever own that specific piece. A catalogue piece, even a numbered limited edition, is one of a production run; see our Limited Editions guide for what a numbered certificate actually confirms. If genuine one-of-one uniqueness matters to you more than anything else, a commission is the only way to get it — no catalogue product, however limited, offers that.
Custom Options Within the Catalogue
Between a catalogue print and a full commission sits a middle option: a custom photo-to-deck order, where your own photo becomes a piece in the same single, diptych, or triptych formats. This isn't a commissioned original painting — it's a print of your own image on the same fixed production schedule and pricing as the standard catalogue — but it does give a personal, one-off result without the open-ended timeline and pricing of commissioning an original.
What You Actually Get for the Money
| Catalogue piece | Custom photo order | Commissioned original | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Fixed (€140/€230/€310) | Fixed, same as catalogue | Varies by artist, unpredictable |
| Timeline | Predictable production schedule | Predictable production schedule | Varies, often weeks to months |
| Uniqueness | One of a production run | One-off image, standard format | Genuinely one of one |
| Subject control | Choose from catalogue | Your own photo | Fully custom, artist-dependent |
| Material/format | Fixed (maple, 3 sizes) | Fixed (maple, 3 sizes) | Artist's choice (canvas, panel, etc.) |
When a Commission Is Genuinely the Better Choice
If what you want is a specific, personal scene rendered in an artist's own style — a portrait with a particular emotional quality, a fully custom composition that doesn't exist as a photo to begin with, or a piece where the process and relationship with the artist matters as much as the result — a commission is the right tool. It's also the right choice if genuine one-of-one uniqueness is a hard requirement, not just a nice-to-have.
When a Catalogue Piece Is Genuinely the Better Choice
If you want a specific painting or artist you already know and love, want a predictable price and timeline, or want a piece for a wall that doesn't need to carry deep personal significance, a catalogue piece does that job well without the open-ended cost and timeline risk of a commission. It's also the more practical choice if you're furnishing multiple walls or rooms and need consistent, bounded costs across several pieces rather than negotiating each one individually.
The Original-Artist Middle Ground: Licensed Collaborations
A third option exists between fully public-domain reproductions and a private commission: licensed collaborations with living artists, where the artist keeps copyright and earns a royalty per order, but the design is produced on the same fixed schedule and pricing as the rest of the catalogue rather than as a private one-off commission. See how the artist partnership works for the artist's side of this arrangement. This gives you original, living-artist work without the unpredictable timeline of commissioning that same artist privately — though also without the fully custom, one-off result a private commission would give you.
Real Examples From the Catalogue
Caravaggio's Medusa (classical reproduction)
A known, historically significant work at a fixed €140
Iridescent Fish (licensed artist collaboration)
Original living-artist work, same €140 catalogue price
These two examples show the range within the catalogue itself: a historically significant classical reproduction and an original contemporary artist collaboration, both at the same fixed price and production timeline. Neither required the buyer to negotiate directly with an artist, wait on an open-ended schedule, or take on the uncertainty that comes with a private commission — the trade-off for that predictability is that neither is a one-of-one original.
Finding an Artist to Commission Directly
If a commission is the right choice for what you want, sourcing one is a separate process from anything deckarts offers — typically through an artist's own portfolio site, a gallery representing them, or a commission-focused platform. Look for an artist whose existing body of work already resembles what you want, since a commission generally works best when it's an extension of style the artist already has, rather than a request for something entirely outside their usual practice. Ask directly about typical timeline, deposit structure, and what happens if either party wants to end the arrangement partway through — these vary artist to artist and are worth clarifying upfront rather than assuming.
Risk and Recourse
A catalogue or custom photo order goes through standard checkout with the usual consumer protections of an online purchase. A private commission with an individual artist depends entirely on that artist's own terms, deposit structure, and reliability — there's more variability in what happens if a commission is delayed, doesn't match expectations, or the artist becomes unresponsive, since it's typically a direct arrangement between two individuals rather than a structured retail transaction.
Setting Honest Expectations
Neither option is a financial investment. A catalogue piece is decorative art without a resale market; see our full explanation for why. A commissioned original from an emerging or mid-career artist is also not a reliable investment — art appreciation is unpredictable and tied to an individual artist's career trajectory, which is a real risk, not a return you can count on. Choose based on what you want on your wall, not on any expectation of future value in either case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is commissioning an original painting always more expensive than a catalogue piece?
Not necessarily — commission prices vary enormously by artist, from very affordable to well beyond catalogue pricing, so there's no honest generalization to make. A catalogue piece has one advantage: the price is fixed and known upfront, which a commission usually isn't.
How much faster is a catalogue order than a commission?
A catalogue order runs on a predictable production schedule; a commission's timeline is set by the individual artist and can take anywhere from a few weeks to many months, with delays being common in bespoke creative work generally.
Can I get something as personal as a commission through the standard catalogue?
Partially, through the custom photo-to-deck option — your own image becomes a piece in the same fixed format and pricing as the catalogue. It's not a fully custom original painting, but it gives a personal result without a commission's open-ended timeline.
Is a numbered limited edition as unique as a commissioned original?
No — a limited edition is one of a numbered production run (see our Limited Editions guide for what that actually means), while a commissioned original is genuinely one of one. If true uniqueness is the goal, only a commission delivers it.
What's the safest option if I have a fixed deadline for a wall?
A catalogue or custom photo order, since it runs on a predictable, bounded production schedule. A commission's timeline is set by the artist and carries real risk of delay for anything with a hard deadline.
Are licensed artist collaborations the same as commissioning that artist directly?
No — a licensed collaboration is produced on the same fixed schedule and pricing as the rest of the catalogue, giving you original living-artist work without a private commission's unpredictable timeline, but also without the fully custom, one-off result a direct commission would provide.
Is either option a good financial investment?
No, in either case. A catalogue piece has no resale market. A commissioned original's value depends entirely on an individual artist's unpredictable career trajectory, which is a real risk rather than a dependable return. Choose based on what you want on your wall.
Article summary
- A catalogue piece is a fixed-price, fixed-timeline reproduction or licensed print; a commission is a genuinely one-of-one original at a price and timeline set by the individual artist.
- Real catalogue pricing: €140 single, €230 diptych, €310 triptych, regardless of subject — commission pricing varies too widely by artist to generalize.
- A custom photo-to-deck order sits in between: a personal, one-off image on the catalogue's fixed schedule and pricing.
- A numbered limited edition confirms production-run scarcity, not the one-of-one uniqueness a private commission delivers.
- Licensed artist collaborations give original living-artist work on the catalogue's schedule, distinct from commissioning that artist privately.
- Neither option is a financial investment — choose based on what you want on your wall, not expected future value.
About the Author
Stanislav Arnautov is the founder of deckarts, a graphic designer and print specialist originally from Ukraine, now based in Berlin, where he personally designs and prepares every deck. Follow on Instagram or visit stasarnautov.com.
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