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Commission tutorial
by-nc-nd
Published: 2009-03-19 17:19:52 +0000 UTC; Views: 297311; Favourites: 10025; Downloads: 4492
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Description
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Over the past three years I've done loads of successful commissions, and have commissioned others successfully as well. I have never had an issue with my transactions because I did my research before I started, and asked others who were doing commissions themselves how they were managing. However, not everyone has the time to go and note everyone (or, if you're getting noted, you may not have time to answer inquiries constantly)! So for your perusal and reference, here are some helpful tips to help you get started with taking commissions on DA.
This tutorial is more for people who offer commissions, but I have a few words for those who take them as well:
- Do your research. Make sure you're getting art from a reliable artist!
- Art costs money. Don't haggle down, its insulting. Don't forget, you're also getting free advertising when they post it to their gallery (for example, who here doesn't know Audley 's Castor ;3 )
- Don't be afraid to pimp the artists who did good work for you! Here is my list!
Raraarrar you know the drill, feel free to comment w/ questions if you got em, thanks for reading etc
The pics in the icons are mostly from the LJ random image generator, they're (c) to the internet, I suppose XD Except for Kash, he's (c) Geico.
My other tutorials:
Pose tutorial
Expression tutorial
Hand tutorial
Foot tutorial
Ladies tutorial
Fellas tutorial
Face tutorial
Coloring Walkthrough
Related content
Comments: 1342
hey, can you look at some of my art and tell me how much you think it worth? I want to do commissions, but I'm not to confident in my art. (I actually have zero confidence for anything) It would be awesome if you could. It's alright if not. Please and thank you.
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I'd like to do commissions but I'm not a fantastic artist and I'm not great at drawing anything other than humans and backgrounds. But I think I'll do them anyway sometime soon. Probably will only ask for points though.
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I think I can learn from this. Even though I like to draw for fun and not for profit.
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I would just like to know how you create them (as a post). I'm still trying to work this out
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Thanks! I'm going to put this to test once i finish my poster and get some commissions! Β
Β
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This may be a weird question but would it be too weird to only have one or two commission slots open at once? I get overwhelmed extremely easily and having more than that will likely make it so that I won't finish.
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Not at all, I usually only open as many as I know I have time/ energy to do a good job on. If you can't deliver then don't even bother opening them, you'll just give yourself a bad reputation.
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Thank you! This helps clear up some thoughts of mine
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woaaaa!! I need thisss QwQ I m new to Deviantart and this does help me a lottt!!! Thank you <3
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Thanks for this great info and many Congrats on the DD.β€
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Thank you so much for this, it was really informative! I have a question; based on your experience, when would you say that you felt you were 'ready' as an artist to start offering commissions? I'm always trying to improve my art and so I'm never quite sure if I'm there yet, but I also think that commissions could be an opportunity to help challenge my skills. How would you start?
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Thank you for posting this tutorial! It's really helpful and helped me to understand more about commissions, since I'm considering opening them.
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Thanks this is helpful for just starting out.
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Thank you so much! This was infinitely helpful! Β
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Someone commissioned me and i finished the art but i dont have to points , How can this be ?
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Hi, just curious. What if I don't have a PayPal (not allowed to use it) . And I collect points instead. If so, What can I do with the points?
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Lots of people do point commissions.
You can buy a subscription to dA/core membership if you earn enough points, buy things in the deviantart store(prints of your favorite art, hoodies, plushies, other merch), and buy commissions from other artists offering art for points.Β
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Sure :3Β
Good luck!
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This is finally what I needed. I've never really started commissions since I haven't the faintest idea how to start but this should really help me in the long run! Thanks for posting this!~
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This tutorial was very helpful! Thank you!
But I have a question:
I donΒ΄t feel my art is worth more than one dollar/100 points. Would low prizes get me more clients or would they think if I offer for such low prizes IΒ΄m not even worth the money?
(BTW, sorry for my horrible english, it isnΒ΄t my first language)
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Often it sets off costumers when a person doesn't even themselves think their art is worth anything. Costumers might like your art, but be put off by the low low prices.Β
What you choose to do is up to you, but just have some few questions in the back of your head when you're doing this "If I was the costumer and saw prices that low, would I buy?" "Is it worth buying from a person that doesn't even like their work themselves?"Β
Customers/clients want quality over quantity (some few want quantity and uses artists that's still unsure, and milk them for art when they're still cheap, and try to keep them low on prices, and leave once they raise the prices, be careful of those), so in most cases high prices = Quality.
Some clients can also see that maybe your art is worth more than what you put on, so if you say your art is only worth 1$, they won't buy because they want to be able to give you what it's worth.Β
I hope this make sense, English isn't my first either (:
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Well, I would buy low prizes.
ItΒ΄s just, I want people with not many points to be able to buy it ._.
As I said IΒ΄ll wait until November and unless some miracle happens IΒ΄ll start with requests again until I feel comfortable with setting higher prizes~
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If you don't think your art is worth a dollar, then it's a better idea not to sell it at all. Instead, spend your time practicing at art, or if you want to make art for other people, then just make gifts. If you were knitting a sweater that nobody would pay even a dollar for, or cooking food that nobody would want to eat, then maybe no point in selling it at all, if that makes sense. Once you are able to make products that people are interested in giving you money for, then you can sell, but not before that.
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I donΒ΄t know ._.
I opened commisions and art trades and if I donΒ΄t get any until November IΒ΄m closing them again and practizing more~
But thank you for the advice!
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Ok, one question: How do you actually set them up? I might have to borrow a laptop to do it, tbh, but I want to know, just in case. The rest if helpful! ^-^
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i have a question.. umm if i'm done with the art piece do i just upload it on DAΒ
or should i semd them the file i was drawing on through their email etc ??Β
and also you use paypal right ? how does it work i mean how do they pay on it , someone told me i just give them myΒ
paypal email and they will do the rest... i just want to make sureΒ
(sorry if this doesn't make scene or if these are stupid questions
you see i want to start doing commissions but i never done it before. I did do Point commissions
but i kinda need money)
Great! tutorial btw! really helped!
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You should work out how you want to do the file stuff with them ahead of time. Maybe they want a physical print (like, something you signed) or maybe they just want to print it on their end, which means you can give them the high resolution files. I would not send it to them through dA unless it was just a sketch, since for a finished piece they may want it as large and cool as they can get it (and that maybe shouldn't be shared with the general public who didn't pay for it).
I personally do use Paypal, but there are some alternatives nowadays like Square or whatever. I'd recommend you go to their website and read through the payment system, since it's pretty easy to figure out (but the actual site has illustrations and clear directions there).
Good luck!
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oh i see , so i should like email them the original file
through their email... but i see so many artist post they're finish art commissions on DA
for everyone to see.. anyways i'll talk to my watchers about this and see what they would want.Β
and okay i'll check it out!
Thank you! Β
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Oh yeah, I'd put the final one up (as long as you both agreed on it), but make sure it is either a small resolution for web or has a watermark on it or something
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okay! thank you for your help! U u UΒ
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Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us!!! Doing business sure is scary, but I feel more relieved knowing that everybody eventually goes through the same struggles. I don't do comissions, but if the time ever comes, this will surely make the path easier. 
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Thanks for all the great advice! I'll probably try it sooner or later once i get the hang of drawing more often. i think ill take a few requests from my close friends first to get used to the feel...Β Β
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Great advice on how to get started, many thanks. ^ ^
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I have a few questions on how the contact goes. Say I'm doing this on DA, then would they just send me a note asking for said commision. Everything looks a-ok and I'm ready to recieve payment and start. Do I give them my paypal? Or are they suppost to give me their paypal and I do one of those invoice things? And do I give them my email to send refs or is there a different, more discreet service that I need to obtain for this? Or would it be wise to make an alternate email just for commisions?
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Up to you! You can try different things with different commissioners and see what you like best. Either way, make the decision yourself and clearly give instructions to the person commissioning you, so they don't get confused. Personally I do have a separate email for commissions and general business, but that's just because I like to partition my stuff that way..
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Well, thanks! Hopefully all goes well for me in the world of the commission.
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i just dont know how to upload pictuers, i asked a few friends and they said find the grey boxes, i cant find them
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Great tutorials!! So I'm starting to do commissions and have a few questions.
Aside from setting up the basic commission journal, slots, and paypal, is there anything else I should legally do when doing a commission?
And how do I make a spread sheet?
And finally how do you think I would advertise myself in Deviantart and outside?
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