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Random advice for new + up and coming artists
2 weeks ago
General
Just some random thoughts as I chip away at some commissions of my own here...
If you're a new artist and your ambition is to take commissions, my advice would be to treat every commission like it's a tryout for a larger piece. A lot of the time, my clients like to order a less expensive commission, and if they're happy with what I gave them, THEN they return for the larger ticket items. It's rare that a client goes straight for the big ticket stuff right off the cuff. They'll start with maybe a sketch, a YCH, or a 1-character finished piece first.
The hard work is not over if you land a big ticket commission, of course. You still want to do an excellent job so that A) you have a happy client that will return for more in the future, and B) you'll have a strong piece in your portfolio to show to more potential clients.
If you're a new artist and your ambition is to take commissions, my advice would be to treat every commission like it's a tryout for a larger piece. A lot of the time, my clients like to order a less expensive commission, and if they're happy with what I gave them, THEN they return for the larger ticket items. It's rare that a client goes straight for the big ticket stuff right off the cuff. They'll start with maybe a sketch, a YCH, or a 1-character finished piece first.
The hard work is not over if you land a big ticket commission, of course. You still want to do an excellent job so that A) you have a happy client that will return for more in the future, and B) you'll have a strong piece in your portfolio to show to more potential clients.
Loilei
~loilei
As someone who has ordered commissions in the past, I can confirm. It may not be true for everyone, but I'm definitely more comfortable order a "big" comm from someone I've worked with before and had a positive experience with.
Nibor
~nibor
This IS good advice. Don't try and convince the commissioner to change their request to something big right off the bat, that's just gonna scare 'em off. Instead, do your best on the small piece, and let THAT (possibly) convince them to ask for something big next time.
