Tips for my clients - about commissions

Hello dear readers!

This is a little different commission guide. Most importantly it is kind request on my clients to follow these, since it makes me very comfortable and work in pleasant conditions on their art. These are my personal preferences, but you will see few tips mentioned here in other guides for clients even here on DA.

      

Greeting

It is basic rule of polite conduct, you are not talking to a machine but a person. Simple Hi or Hello is nice. Its like approaching someone on the street and asking for time. "Hi, what time is it?" versus just "What time is it". Say politely what you want, perhaps indicate how you found me, what made you interested to approach me
- make it personal and human and I am curious how  I was discovered or similar + plus I will remember you better most likely too.

      

References and information

When sending references, use discretion - personally I have no desire to see pornoraphic or graphic material  - especially when it has nothing to do with the commission. I do not consider myself prude and draw sometimes mature art, however I don't like to see pictures of genitalia any moment of the day without warning.

Please don't send me pictures with graphic material. Do I really need to see genitalia or oral sex of your character on animal etc when I am drawing just a headshot?

I heavily advise to warn when sending NSFW pictures/links (that includes nudity, not just porn) and check my DO NOT DO section
Personally I do not like NSFW references and prefer if they are censored - its getting out of hand and I am quite disturbed.

Do not be surprised when I reject your request when it is displaying disturbing or hardcore subjects. I am doing a respectable work, so I deserve to be treated with respect as well.

         

Conversation

Keep the conversation in one chain, reply to the latest email. It creates less work and better organizing in the work process for me. Want a new commission? Send a new email. When I work on your picture I need to find information quickly and not dig through 45 emails.

For the same reason I ask to entitle the initial email with your nickname. When I need to find some information on your request, I just type your nickname and voila! The email is found.

I don't have a secretary or assistant, so think of it as letting me spend most of the time on drawing your picture rather than emails.

Deadline or preferential treatment

If you want the picture done by a certain date, ask if deadline is ok. Are you not sure about how long the completion will take? Ask me about the estimate. Do not assume things, always ask. I rather answer a question to prevent complication.

Want to skip waiting and have the work done as soon as possible because your friend is having a birthday? Ask. I will do my best to accommodate your wishes.

Problem?

Find something not working? Price, picture itself, anything! Please say so - always. No reason to be upset, be polite. Simply saying it does not work for you is ok, no need to make it to a drama

Edits

This is a sensitive theme for both artists and clients. Mostly I meet clients who are afraid to ask for edits or point out a mistake or a detail their oc is missing. Then there are artists who are angry when the client is treating them poorly during work on the picture.

Use discretion. Think on why you commissioned me? If you care for your character looking exactly as on your reference picture, then I am probably not the right person for you. Think if you are looking for someone to copy your artstyle or draw you an original picture featuring your character. There is a difference.

If you do not know how to explain what you want fixed, just mention that - if the artist is at least a bit professional they will try to help figure it out. I handled big problems even during hard conditions like different language. Being polite is always a key!

It is perfectly OK to ask for edits or fixtures, however understand if it is something you forgot to tell me or you want to change something you already approved it will result in additional fee. Sometimes it is not possible to fix something at all - traditional work for example.

Best bet is to ask me. Usually I allow up to 3 edits for a work for no fee.

I advise everyone that it is not normal or right to be afraid during commission process - either asking for edit or making edits. Do not be surprised if artist rejects you the next time or if the client does not return to you. Service is part of the commission experience and not just the product.

          

Asking for updates

When not getting any update on the work and you did not receive reply to your last message, contact me and ask politely if I got/read the message. Sometimes emails do not arrive. Sometimes I hear back from client they forgot to push SEND and found their email in DRAFT folder. It also happened to me that a client didn't puch SEND when paying through paypal. These are just few examples.

Don't forget, I am a person and do all my work on my own. So I can forget an email, or am sick, need a day of etc.

No matter what, give benefit of doubt but ask. Always ask politely and nothing can go wrong.

        

Feedback

Let me know you got your picture and give me feedback - positive and negative. I am sadly not telepathic and it lets me know you received the picture. Its not like in store where I see you buying in person or have a postal receipt with your signature you accepted the delivery for a box.

Even if you do not talk much, just say you got it and its ok. To this day I draw for repeat customers who don't say much, but the fact of them returning is enough for me to know they like what I do for them.

                   

Read and inform yourself

Please read the commission information provided by me. You'll save time for me so I can draw your commission. I prefer to draw instead of repeating to you what is written in my chart. Missing something is human, but asking for obvious things or always for the same topic is making you look silly too. Do not get upset if artists link you simply to their TOS without talking to you. Plus - you will miss out on promotions I advertise from time to time.

Thanks for reading, here are other tutorials I made.

For guide how to start commissions and get success - beginners course, click here.

For tips how to improve your commissioning skills, check here.

For commission you can check my information: