2008 Policies and Price Guide for VnV Studios
Important Notes:
I specialize in dark colors. Blue Black, Dark Bay Silver, Dark Red Chestnut, Dark Bay are my favorites to paint. I will do others though, please see below for details.
As of January 2008 I am no longer accepting unprepped horses for painting. All painting orders must have a fully prepped body provided, I no longer want to be 'blamed' for prepping issues. IF you have a free repaint certificate or prize that has not been collected yet this applies to you also. Prepping was never included in the 'free' paint jobs I gave away, and I am sorry for not clarifying this.
The only exception to this is if you have a normal breyer horse you want painted with minimal prep work (just very general sanding of seams and removal of logo). I will no longer carve anything nor will I spend hours looking for the slightest inperfection on the model before I paint. If you want that kind of detail please pay a professional prepper who makes money doing this sort of thing.
Important Notice on the quality of my work:
I will not guarantee LSQ of any sort. I especially will not guarantee NAN quality work, and in fact I would prefer not to paint for people who are looking for that calibur of work, because inevitably you will be disappointed. There are truly talented and amazing artists charging people a ton of money to create stunning show champions. I'm sorry I'm not one of them and I don't desire to be, nor do I claim to be.
With the incredible calibur of horses available now and with artists using many different mediums on each horse, I'm afraid a simple 'acrylic' paint job done by hand can't compete any longer. I have no desire to learn other forms of painting just to 'compete' in an arena I don't personally show in.
My work stands as what it is, a good quality piece of artwork that 'can' be shown but that is not the basis for me creating it nor is it my sole focus. My pieces have NAN qualified in the past in stiff open competition against top artists. But I have never claimed any pieces I've created will do so again, and I get rather annoyed to see my work being picked apart as not being something that I have never claimed it was. If you order a piece and decide to live show it and it does well for you I would be glad to hear about it, but if it doesn't please don't gripe about it because that's not what it was intended for to begin with. :)
All my models are HAND-PAINTED in acrylics. While I've had 17 years experience with keeping brushstrokes invisible and people have said my models look airbrushed I will not guarantee that there won't be a single brushstroke. Hand painted models normally look different than airbrushed, if airbrushed is what you want I suggest finding an airbrush artist. All models will be sealed in several coats of sealer to protect their finish. They will all have eyes and nostrils glossed for realism. I do 'tri-color' realistic eyes, consisting of shaded brown (or blue) with a realisticly shaped pupil and a 'dot' of white for realistic 'shine' reflecting off the eye. I can also add pinking or eyewhites to the edge of the eyes.
Important things I will not do or cannot do:
I do not remake, reposition, rehair, repair. I do not fix broken legs. I do not fill divots in resins. I do not sculpt new parts. I do not carve new parts. I do not strip. All I do is paint, period. I will not paint sunburnt or faded black. I will never copy another artist's work or pattern. Please use real horses for references, not the work of other artists. I am not responsible for people 'copying' any of my work, especially if you use only one reference of a popular real horse. I recommend mixing aspects of several patterns to make your horse truly unique.
Things I can and will do:
I can send you digital show pictures of any model I do.
Portraits of real horses on model form - I love these. These are the ones I prefer to create, a lasting tribute to a special real horse. I will also help you create your 'dream' horse in model form. I can also paint special models as gifts for others.
Trade Policy:
I collect OF Breyers. I have an extensive want list of them. I will take them in 'any' condition as long as they're intact. If they are PSQ they will be considered worth a bit more than bodies would. LSQ will have the highest trade value, but is not a strict requirement for trades as I do not live show. I do like a nice mint model though. :)
For ALL trades you MUST send your entire end first. If you are unsatisfied with your model I will return the trade items, however I reserve the right to pay you for the body and keep the custom I did, or to strip it before I send it back to you. I will not send you a horse I have custom painted for nothing just because you say you don't care for it, I have had too many people in the past abuse this and resell the models for high prices. I do have multiple references that can be provided if necessary.
Order Time:
I am normally fast, I usually have your model done within 1-3 months. My books are not open to the public so this gives me the freedom to start on your horse as soon as I get it.
Limited Satisfaction Guarantee:
Note: This is only available on either paid or traded for jobs. Free jobs are what they are. You get them however they are finished, and I will not do anything more to them. Sorry.
On paid or traded for paint jobs/custom orders, I want you to be happy. I will send you detailed photos of the model once it is finished, BEFORE I seal it, and ask for your approval. Small changes will then be available to be made (I will however not redo the whole model, I'm sorry I can't afford to do that). Once the model is approved it will be sealed and mailed to you. IF you are unsatisfied with it you must email me within one week.
I want you to be satisfied with your purchase. If you are unhappy I will do what I can to make it right for you. If it is on an extraordinary body that I can't replace I will issue a partial refund. Full refunds are not available unless I can replace the body and ship a body in the same condition to you in trade for the return of the painted horse I sent you in the same condition I sent it to you in. I'm sorry but due to too much 'abuse' and people saying they were unhappy just for a refund then turning around to sell the horse for big bucks claiming it was perfect after they had their refund full refunds and you keeping the horse is no longer an option unless the horse is in my possession and can be completely stripped before I mail it back to you. I can't afford to paint your horse for nothing, so please don't waste my time.
Repairs:
I do not do repairs on my work. If your model is damaged in transit please take it in for the insurance, I will no longer ship any model without full insurance coverage. If you have a model that sustains damage and it is a simple repair then please email me and see if I can do something, but repair work will not be done free due to how low my prices are to begin with. My prices do not include shipping costs. You are expected to pay shipping both to me and back to you, period.
Shipping:
My prices do not include shipping costs. You are expected to pay shipping both to me and back to you, period.
Live show donations:
I'm sorry, live show donations are no longer available from me. Due to some confusion by people ordering from free certificates and expecting things from me it's no longer worth the time or negative publicity I get from people who mistake my work as 'top NAN LSQ' if it's given away at a NAN show. The only way to avoid this it seems is to not give out certificates to NAN shows. I also will never donate finished pieces to any show or raffle due to similar problems regarding the show holder and negative publicity for my work. I'd rather no publicity than bad publicity. Thank you for understanding.
Prices:
Prices have been lowered as of Febrary 2008. However please read all the details of what is available.
The prices that follow are only a general guide. Specific orders may vary. I reserve the right to change these prices at any time without notice, however I will never raise a price after I've agreed to your order and quoted you a price.
Please note: These prices reflect painting on bodies that are ready for a paint job. Any prep work required on my part will now cost extra, and I will only do very basic sanding of seams/logo.
As of 2008 I am no longer painting light greys, extremely white pintos or apps, or dilute colors for the general public. I am not painting any roans, period. If you are dying to have me paint one of these colors you can always 'try', but as of right now I am no longer 'offering' them as an option as these are the ones I am never satisfied with and I don't particularly care to paint. I reserve the right to tell anyone at any time that I will not paint the horse they want me to paint if it makes me uncomfortable or I think it will be a poor representation of my work.
These prices are for solid horses with none of the options listed below, anything listed under options will cost extra on top of the base color price.
Traditional sized bodies:
Basic Base color, plain (Bay, Black, Chestnut): $50.00
Medium to Dark Grey: $65
Classic sized bodies:
Basic Base color, plain (Bay, Black, Chestnut): $40
Medium to Dark Grey: $55
Little Bit sized bodies:
Basic Base color, plain (Bay, Black, Chestnut): $30
Medium to Dark Grey: $45
Stablemate sized bodies:
Basic Base color, plain (Bay, Black, Chestnut): $20
Medium to Dark Grey: $35
Additional prices:
Options available:
The following options WILL cost extra, but now they will be determined on a case by case basis. Please write with extreme detail or photos of the pattern or otherwise describe what you would like and I will give you a quote.
Markings
Dapples
Silver dilute or Flaxen Mane/Tail
Pinto Patterns, all forms available, but prefer 50 percent or less white in the pattern
Appaloosa Patterns: all forms available, but prefer 50 percent or less white in the pattern, and all Appaloosas with 'characteristics' will be higher than others because of the work involved to get them correct. I am no longer offering halo spots or roaning as an option. I WILL still paint leopard appaloosas however.
Unusual patterns such as brindle, zebra stripes, etc.: write for quote
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This website was created and is maintained by Samantha Kroese. All content is copyright 2008 Samantha Kroese, and can not be reproduced in any form for any reason without express written consent. Click my name to email me with any comments or questions about this website or its contents. Last updated February 17, 2008