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How to get Commissions Work (Hobbyist Edition)
As in, you draw for fun and you're looking to earn some pocket money with your drawing skills and this isn't your main source of income right now, let's make that clear lol.
Let's gooo /o/
As in, you draw for fun and you're looking to earn some pocket money with your drawing skills and this isn't your main source of income right now, let's make that clear lol.
Let's gooo /o/
1. Community
Some artists I've seen thrive on either pre-existing communities or literally build their own from the ground up (that's what social media accounts are for, I guess) but in some cases the ones that make their own usually branch off from a community too.
Some artists I've seen thrive on either pre-existing communities or literally build their own from the ground up (that's what social media accounts are for, I guess) but in some cases the ones that make their own usually branch off from a community too.
So e.g. if you're into D&D and play often, and you like drawing D&D characters, there's a market you could consider! But then we get into another caveat: market saturation. When you're starting comms, you're putting your foot into a field that already has lots of other artists.
2. Standing Out
So, if you're going in there with your art, think of ways you can make the commission experience unique! And no, do not lower your prices to make yourself more marketable please -w-
But you could consider options like drawing scenes, special effects, bgs, etc.
So, if you're going in there with your art, think of ways you can make the commission experience unique! And no, do not lower your prices to make yourself more marketable please -w-
But you could consider options like drawing scenes, special effects, bgs, etc.
But regardless, the most important thing is to offer things that you're comfortable with doing. You're drawing for fun/to relax most of the time, so commission work shouldn't become stressful af if you're in control of how much work you take on.
3. Ghosting
So you throw your commissions out there and get no bites - THIS IS NORMAL, and again DO NOT LOWER YOUR PRICES, SHEESH.
Honestly, the more time you have to not work on comms is more time for you to experiment and improve.
Art gets better -> increases marketability.
So you throw your commissions out there and get no bites - THIS IS NORMAL, and again DO NOT LOWER YOUR PRICES, SHEESH.
Honestly, the more time you have to not work on comms is more time for you to experiment and improve.
Art gets better -> increases marketability.
Sometimes clients aren't able to afford your prices and that's just how it is. Use that time to objectively and critically look at your work (or get an unbiased art friend to critique for you) and consider your next goal to aim towards for how you could improve.
Post all of it.
Post all of it.
In the time you don't have commissions, you could be posting whatever else and showing people that you are working on art, and your commissions are there if people are interested in em. Getting work is more than just the throw stuff get work part - show that you're a human lol
4. Presentation
Often times I see commission sheets with prices and options, and I recommend limiting those options to 1-3. Consider if a potential client is gonna have to sift through thousands of commission sheets and try to remember all that information and your prices-
Often times I see commission sheets with prices and options, and I recommend limiting those options to 1-3. Consider if a potential client is gonna have to sift through thousands of commission sheets and try to remember all that information and your prices-
-then you wanna keep it simple and easy to understand from a glance. If you have multiple drawing styles, stick to the top 3 or something and KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Organise your sheet/portfolio page to make it dead clear to your clients what you're offering.
Organise your sheet/portfolio page to make it dead clear to your clients what you're offering.
Unless you've been at it for a while, 3-5 examples of your work that best reflects what the client is going to get works best, then you could add a separate link to a gallery of completed commissions/pieces. So you'd have your showcase ones and then proof of completion.
5. Terms of Service
This is more of a side note, but make sure you put in the amount of revisions you allow (I rec 1-3 minimum) and what the client is allowed to use the work for/what you're allowed to do with the work after/refunds/etc.
This is important to add.
This is more of a side note, but make sure you put in the amount of revisions you allow (I rec 1-3 minimum) and what the client is allowed to use the work for/what you're allowed to do with the work after/refunds/etc.
This is important to add.
TOS are your binding document that prevails in case anything happens during the commission - client disappears, you're unable to deliver work on a preestablished deadline, you didn't receive payment for your work, etc. (Though you should be accepting pay upfront always)
6. Marketing
I kind of covered this earlier with communities, but you really just find a place where you'd thrive in and keep making new work and mention that you're available for hire. For twitter, keep a pinned post on your page with your comm details and UPDATE IT WHEN YOU CAN
I kind of covered this earlier with communities, but you really just find a place where you'd thrive in and keep making new work and mention that you're available for hire. For twitter, keep a pinned post on your page with your comm details and UPDATE IT WHEN YOU CAN
This kind of thing doesn't happen overnight and it's always a matter of luck if you get clients reaching out to you or not, so there is the other option of the other way round where people are looking for artists specifically, hence why updating your comm post is good for that.
7. Skill is not everything
Mostly adding onto the standing out part, there's a myriad of reasons why people want to buy art from artists and skill is only one of the reasons to pick.
You could excel in making expressive pieces, ones that tell a good story, strong thematic symbols
Mostly adding onto the standing out part, there's a myriad of reasons why people want to buy art from artists and skill is only one of the reasons to pick.
You could excel in making expressive pieces, ones that tell a good story, strong thematic symbols
Dig real deep into what you genuinely love drawing for yourself and show that shit, man
And then maybe if people feel the same excitement as you do, they'll commission you XD
And then maybe if people feel the same excitement as you do, they'll commission you XD
8. When shit hits the fan
As you shoulder the responsibility of accepting commission work, sometimes life stuff happens and it's your responsibility as the artist to update your client on your circumstances if delays are going to happen. Vice versa - deliver the work on time.
As you shoulder the responsibility of accepting commission work, sometimes life stuff happens and it's your responsibility as the artist to update your client on your circumstances if delays are going to happen. Vice versa - deliver the work on time.
If you are doing commissions as someone with disabilities, mental illness, other life priorities, etc. - please factor in that time for you to be able to recover and deliver the work.
So if on a normal timeline you can complete work in 3 days, set it to a week to give more leeway
So if on a normal timeline you can complete work in 3 days, set it to a week to give more leeway
You are not less of an artist for not being able to deliver work on time, but it won't reflect well on you if you aren't realistic about your limits and what you're capable of doing.
This is something you'll have to figure out on your own, but keep that in mind.
This is something you'll have to figure out on your own, but keep that in mind.
