Turning a creative passion into a source of income through commissions is an achievable step for many artists. It represents a transition from creating art for oneself to collaborating with clients to bring their visions to life. This process requires preparation and a professional mindset, opening up a new way to connect with an audience and build a sustainable artistic career.
Prepare Your Portfolio and Define Your Niche
Before offering your services, you need a portfolio. This is a curated showcase of your best pieces, presenting a consistent body of work that demonstrates your unique artistic style. Your portfolio should feature high-quality images that accurately represent your art and include detailed descriptions of your techniques. This proves to potential clients that you can reliably produce work at the level they expect.
Your portfolio is also your primary tool for defining your niche. Specializing in an area like pet portraits or fantasy illustrations can make you more memorable to a specific audience. A defined niche helps attract clients looking for the art you create, which simplifies marketing and helps you command higher prices over time.
This focused approach helps build a recognizable brand. Your artistic identity is what sets you apart and attracts clients who resonate with your vision. By showcasing a cohesive style and subject matter, your portfolio communicates your expertise and makes a compelling case for why a client should choose you.
Establish Your Pricing and Policies
Setting your prices requires considering your time, skill, and costs. A common method is pricing by the hour, where you multiply the time spent by a set rate. Another approach is pricing based on size and complexity, with set fees for standard dimensions and added costs for intricate details or multiple subjects. Some artists use value-based pricing, which considers the perceived value to the client for commercial projects. Price commissions slightly higher than your original art to account for the customization involved.
Once you have a pricing structure, create a clear price sheet. This document should be easy for clients to find and understand, outlining your offerings and their base prices. For example, a character artist might list separate prices for a headshot, half-body, and full-body illustration, with added costs for backgrounds. This transparency manages client expectations and streamlines the inquiry process.
Your policies, often formalized in a Terms of Service (TOS) document, protect both you and your client. It should specify your payment schedule, requiring a non-refundable deposit of 30-50% upfront before work begins. This deposit secures the client’s commitment and covers your initial investment. Your TOS should also detail your revision process, stating how many rounds of changes are included and the cost for additional revisions.
Your policies must also address usage rights and copyright. The artist retains the copyright, granting the client a license for personal use only. Commercial use requires a separate license and a higher fee. Include a cancellation policy that explains what happens if the project is terminated, such as whether the deposit is forfeited or if a “kill fee” is charged.
Market Your Commission Services
With your portfolio and pricing ready, you can market your services. Social media is a powerful tool, with platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok offering visual formats ideal for showcasing artwork. Consistently posting your best pieces, works-in-progress, and finished commissions helps build a following and demonstrates your reliability. Use relevant hashtags and engage with your audience to build a community around your work.
Announce that you are open for commissions with a specific post. State that you are accepting new projects and link directly to your price sheet and Terms of Service. Post this information multiple times across your platforms, as not everyone will see it the first time. You can also add “Commissions Open” to your social media bios so the information is always visible.
Online art communities are also valuable places to connect with clients. Websites like DeviantArt and ArtStation have dedicated sections for artists to advertise commission services. Participating in these communities can expand your reach. Consider creating a professional website or landing page to act as a central hub for your portfolio, pricing, policies, and a contact form, making it easy for someone to hire you.
Manage the Commission Process
The Initial Consultation
The commission process begins when a potential client contacts you. This initial consultation is to understand their vision and determine if the project is a good fit. Ask the client for detailed requests and specific reference materials, such as photos, color palettes, or examples of other art they admire. Based on this information, provide a formal quote and walk them through your process from sketch to final artwork.
Securing the Agreement and Deposit
Once the client agrees to the quote, formalize the agreement. For many commissions, a clear email exchange summarizing the project details, timeline, and cost is sufficient. In this confirmation, reiterate your policies regarding revisions and usage rights, and have the client explicitly confirm their acceptance to prevent future misunderstandings.
Before beginning, you must collect the deposit as outlined in your policies, which is a non-refundable payment of 30-50% of the total price. The deposit covers your initial costs and confirms the client is serious about the project. Only after the deposit has been received should you begin creative work.
The Creation and Revision Phase
With the agreement and deposit secured, the creative work begins. Start with preliminary sketches and send them to the client for approval. This early feedback allows you to make major adjustments to the composition before investing significant time in rendering, as it is much easier to change a sketch than a finished piece.
After the sketch is approved, proceed to the next stages, such as line art and color blocking, sending updates at each major point for feedback. Manage the revision process according to your established terms. If your policy includes two rounds of revisions, track them clearly. If the client requests changes beyond what is included, refer to your policy and discuss the additional cost before proceeding.
Final Approval and Payment
When you believe the artwork is complete, prepare a final version for the client’s approval. To protect your work, this preview should be a low-resolution or watermarked image. Send this version to the client and ask for their final approval, which is their last chance for minor tweaks within your policy.
Upon receiving their final approval, issue the final invoice for the remaining balance. The client must pay this amount in full before you deliver the finished, high-resolution artwork. This two-part payment structure—deposit upfront and final payment upon completion—is a standard practice that ensures you are compensated for your work.
Deliver the Final Artwork and Build Your Reputation
After receiving the final payment, deliver the completed artwork. For digital pieces, provide the client with the high-resolution, non-watermarked file in the agreed-upon format, such as a JPEG or PNG, via a file-sharing service. If the commission was a physical piece, prepare it for shipping with careful packaging and insured delivery.
The end of a commission is an opportunity to strengthen your professional reputation. A few days after delivery, send a follow-up message to ensure the client is happy with the final piece. This is also an ideal time to ask for a testimonial or review. Positive feedback from satisfied clients is valuable for attracting future work, as you can feature it on your website or social media. A collection of positive reviews provides social proof that helps new clients trust you.