THE COMMISSION PROCESS
What Actually Goes Into a Commission
People ask me how long a piece takes. The honest answer: it depends on what the piece demands. The Antetokounmpo championship jersey took over 20 hours. Some pieces take less. Some take more. But the timeline is never the part that matters most.
Here's how the process actually works for a custom hand-painted jersey or athlete portrait, from first inquiry to the moment the piece is in your hands.
STEP 1: THE INQUIRY
If we haven't worked together before, everything starts at the Commissions page. A short form helps me understand what you're looking for — the subject, the moment, the format — before we ever talk directly. From there, we connect face to face. That conversation is where the real commission begins.
I want to know the subject, the moment, and what the piece is supposed to mean to the person receiving it. Those details shape everything that comes after. A jersey for a personal collection hits differently than one being gifted to the athlete themselves. The intent changes how I approach it.
[Start Your Commission Inquiry]
STEP 2: REFERENCE AND COMPOSITION
Once I understand the assignment, I study the reference. The likeness in this kind of work has to be exact. That's not a stylistic choice — it's a requirement. If someone who knows the subject looks at the piece and the recognition isn't immediate, the piece didn't do its job. Real time is spent here before the jersey ever gets touched.
STEP 3: THE BUILD
Then comes the build. I work in layers.
Acrylics first to establish structure and block in values. Oils next for depth and skin tones. Markers for fine line detail. Spray paint selectively for atmosphere and backgrounds. The fabric of the jersey is always a factor — it has texture, stretch points, and it responds differently than canvas. You account for that in every layer.
The impasto work, building up the paint so it has actual physical dimension, is where the piece starts to breathe. That's the part photographs don't fully capture. You have to stand in front of it to feel why it's different from a print.
STEP 4: THE TURN
There's a point in every commission where the piece turns. Where the likeness locks in and everything after is refinement. I've learned to recognize that moment and not rush past it. More hours don't always mean a better result. Sometimes the right call is to stop.
The final review is straightforward: I don't ship anything I wouldn't put my name on publicly. If I wouldn't photograph it and post it, it doesn't go out.
STEP 5: DOCUMENTATION AND DELIVERY
When the piece ships, it goes with a Certificate of Authenticity. These are one-of-one originals. That needs to be reflected in how they arrive.
If you're thinking about a commission, that's what you're investing in: not just the finished piece, but the hours of decision-making that made it.
[Inquire About Your Commission]
Follow the process in real time on Instagram: @alexistankowski — https://www.instagram.com/alexistankowski/
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Alexi Stankowski is a Wisconsin-based sports artist specializing in hand-painted jerseys and athlete portraits. He spent a decade as a professional tattoo artist at SevenOneFive Tattoo Collective before bringing that precision-first discipline to fine art and custom sports commissions. His work has been recognized with first place at Villain Arts Milwaukee (2023) and trained under master artists including David Hummer and Victor Wang at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art.
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Expressive Realism is the style Alexi Stankowski uses for his custom sports paintings and hand-painted jerseys. It combines the technical precision of fine portraiture — developed through a decade of professional tattooing — with raw, emotionally driven composition. The result is athletic subjects that capture not just likeness but the psychological weight behind the moment.
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Alexi Stankowski transitioned from professional tattooing to sports art in 2018 after training at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art. He began applying the precision and layering techniques from permanent body art to jerseys and canvas, finding that the discipline translated directly. Custom jersey commissions became his signature work, with pieces going to collectors and athletes including NBA champion Thanasis Antetokounmpo.