Painting FAQs

Collecting from The Urban Narrative means welcoming a living artwork into your space. Each piece is hand-painted in oil and acrylic on gallery-grade canvas, then shipped worldwide to collectors, designers, and property owners who care as much about feeling as they do about form. The questions below bring together the practical details: how each painting is created, sized, framed, and shipped, so you can choose the right work for your home or project with clarity and confidence.

Q. Are your paintings completely hand-painted originals?

A: Yes. Every painting at The Urban Narrative is a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted original. Our artists work directly on gallery-grade canvas using professional oil and acrylic paints - no prints, and no digital reproductions. Each piece is built up layer by layer, so the artwork you receive carries the nuance, texture, quality and presence that only an original canvas painting can offer.

Q. What is your painting and commissioning process?

A: When you purchase from The Urban Narrative, you’re not choosing from a warehouse shelf, you’re commissioning a painting from an artist’s studio and becoming a part of the creative experience. Once your order is confirmed, the artist begins work, developing the composition over several sessions to allow for depth, drying time, and refinement. For made-to-order or commissioned pieces, we may share select in-progress images so you can see your artwork evolve before it is carefully dried, signed, and prepared for shipping.

Q. Do your paintings arrive framed?

A: Our paintings are shipped as rolled canvases, unframed, in reinforced protective tubes. This protects the surface of the artwork during international transit and gives you the freedom to choose a frame that feels true to your interior, whether that’s a slim black or white float frame, a warm timber profile, or something more architectural.

Once your painting arrives, your local framer will stretch the canvas onto a wooden support and frame it to your preferences. If you’d like a starting point, our Painting & Framing Care Guide shares general recommendations on framing choices and how to look after your original wall art over time.

Q. I’m not sure what painting, color, or size to choose. Do you offer curation advisory?

A: Yes. One of the distinctions of The Urban Narrative is that we don’t leave you to guess alone. Our unique curator customer service offers tailored, gallery-level advisory for your specific space.

You’re invited to share a straight-on photo of your wall, key measurements (such as wall width, ceiling height, and major furniture dimensions), and a brief sense of the mood or palette you’re drawn to. Our curator team then reviews your room and recommends a considered selection of paintings from The Urban Narrative, along with guidance on scale, orientation, and framing approaches once the piece arrives.

The goal is not to overwhelm you with options, but to act as a quiet partner in the process, helping you choose a work that feels architecturally resolved and emotionally aligned with your home or project. You can submit your images and details at any time through our Curator Art Preview.

Q. Can I order a custom size or orientation for my wall?

A: In many cases, yes. Selected works can be created in custom dimensions or orientations to suit a specific wall, niche, or project. If you’re styling above a sofa, bed, dining setting, or entryway, our curator team can help you determine the right proportions and then coordinate a bespoke size with the artist.

Because custom-sized paintings are created specifically for your space, they are final sale, but we take great care to review your measurements, photos, and any design notes in advance. For personalised curation, you’re welcome to submit any queries, images, and dimensions of your room via our Curator Art & Custom Sizing Preview Page so our curators can recommend scale and artwork options with confidence.

Q. Do you offer international shipping, and how long does it take to receive my painting?

A: Yes. We offer complimentary worldwide shipping on all paintings. Most works require a creation and drying period, often up to three weeks, particularly for textured oil pieces, before they are ready to leave the studio. Once dispatched, your painting travels via insured express courier, with typical delivery times of around 5 business days depending on your location and season.

For more practical information on timing, carriers, and customs, you can visit our Shipping & Delivery page.

Q. Will my painting look exactly like the images on the website?

A: We photograph each artwork carefully to reflect color, texture, and composition as faithfully as possible. Even so, part of the beauty of owning original, hand-painted wall art is that no two pieces are ever absolutely identical. You may notice subtle variations in brushwork, layering, or surface texture - these are traces of the artist’s hand, not flaws.

Color may also appear slightly different in person depending on your screen settings and the lighting in your home (soft daylight versus warmer or cooler artificial light). Any variations remain within the artist’s intent and do not affect the overall impact or quality of the work; they simply reflect the reality of living with an original painting rather than a print.

Q. Do you work with interior designers, property developers, architects, and other trade professionals?

A: Yes. In addition to serving private collectors, The Urban Narrative works closely with interior designers, property developers, architects, and other industry professionals through our dedicated Trade Program.

Our trade partners gain access to curated recommendations for projects, preferred contract trade pricing across our collections, and support with selecting original, hand-painted works for display homes, multi-residential developments, boutique hotels, offices, and staged properties. We can assist with palette direction, scale and placement, and cohesive art narratives across entire projects, rather than one-off pieces.

If you’re seeking original modern abstract art for design or property projects, you’re invited to contact us via our Trade Program Page, and our team will be in touch to discuss how we can support your upcoming work.