What We Do

Wilmar Schütz is best known for their restrained yet honest architectural watercolour portraits where colours are sourced from nature. We combine our architectural experience with specialist watercolour skills to produce stunning portraits for period and historic buildings. Each portrait is beautifully set-up and divinely unique and goes through three easy stages; Detail, Design and Delivery

All portraits are hand-drawn 30 x 23 (inches) and come beautifully packaged and delivered un-framed. Your portrait will encapsulate the ground floor plan and front elevation with correct architectural detailing and unique calligraphy with your building name. Each portrait carries the Wilmar Schütz hallmark of exceptional attention to detail and artistry. Our portrait process has three easy stages See below. 

Detail - 1

The Detail stage starts with a quotation. This requires a plan of your building, brief history of the property and a digital image that shows external detail.

From the information we receive, we are then able to prepare a written quotation that also estimates packaging, shipping and insurance and expected delivery date. However, before we can start your portrait, our quotation needs to be approved and a 50% starting deposit received. Our portrait process has three easy stages; Detail Design and Delivery

At all times, information remains strictly confidential.

Design - 2

The Design stage is important because this establishes your existing conditions. Your plan and elevation are hand-drawn and developed on loose A3 sheets at 1:100 scale. These form shadow analysis and tonal studies that are presented to you. At the end of this stage, the balance of fee must be paid.

Once the studies are presented, the plan and elevation are re-drawn onto final watercolour board for finished artwork. Unique calligraphy with your building name is inscribed and our Wilmar Schütz registration of colours and details are recorded on the back of the artwork.

Delivery - 3

The Delivery stage signifies that your portrait artwork is complete and paid for including packaging, shipping and insurance. However, just to be sure, we re-confirm your delivery details. If you require your artwork professionally photographed and digital files exchanged, please let us know. Additional fees apply. 

Your artwork is then professionally packaged and sealed and sent to your delivery address with digital tracking details exchanged. A customer feedback form and Wilmar Schütz letter of authentication is included.

How We Do It

Portrait Pricing & Timing

Each portrait attracts its own fee based on the size of the building, its complexity and the information supplied to us. We accommodate buildings of all sizes and complexity and provide custom portraits as well. The later, refers to portraits at a larger scale of an entrance portico or landscape plan with its feature elevation. All our quotations include postage, packaging and insurance into a lump-sum fee.

How long will the entire process take? This will depend on the size and complexity of the project, what information is supplied to us and our current workload. At the time of your quotation, we will be able to give you a reasonable timeframe and delivery date.

Watercolour Technique

Wilmar Schütz is best known for their restrained yet honest architectural watercolour portraits where our colours are sourced from nature and the built environment. We pride ourselves on creating architectural watercolours as paintings and not drawings painted in. Our watercolour technique is always evolving and we exercise artistic license not to slavishly replicate texture tone and detail for detail sake. To stay fresh, we regularly undertake international master classes by renowned artists. Above all, our watercolours represent precision documents using international draughting conventions.

Watercolour Papers & Stock Sizes

Watercolour papers will vary in their ability to withstand exposure to light. Good quality paper made of linen or cotton‐rag is highly durable. Wilmar Schütz is committed to best practice and source only the highest quality 640gsm/300lb 100% acid‐free Saunders Waterford or Arches 640gsm/300lb cotton‐rag watercolour papers. These are extremely stable and available in a variety of format sizes. We use traditional imperial 30 x 22 inch sheets in either portrait or landscape format; for large projects 40 x 26 inch sheets are used.

Paint and Conservation Practice

Watercolours consist of pigments applied to their paper substrate and bound in a water soluble Arabic gum. This traditional practice is century’s old and is still upheld today. Generally, both pigment and supporting paper may alter with time due to light conditions, temperature, humidity and acidity. Wilmar Schütz use the highest quality Schmincke or Winsor & Newton AA‐rated (extremely permanent) watercolour paints. Fugitive colours are simply not used. On completion of each project, a registration of watercolours that were used is inscribed on the reverse side of the watercolour board. On the same side, the portrait is stamped, dated and signed.

Sciography

The science of cast and projected shadow forms is a fascinating and challenging subject that Wilmar Schutz fully embrace; refer https://wilmarschutz.com/blog/sciography/