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Ramblings: Becoming a Commission Artist
10 years ago
Here’s another one of my rambles. None of it is to be taken as scripture, but I write it in the hopes of finding like-minded people who need that little oomph in their inner support system. I hope to provide a way of thinking that makes it easier to deal with life as an artist for most, if not all people.
So, you’re thinking about becoming a freelance commission artist.
Are you ready to take on such a job?
Let’s see... Ramble commencing in 3... 2... 1...
First off, commissions should never be regarded as “work” in the art field. It may not seem too negative now, but in the grand scheme of things, eventually that word will become a hindrance to you should you get into that inevitable artist rut (it’s a part of life!). A lot of people have negative stigma in regards to “work”. I refuse to see art as “work”, and the only time it becomes “work” is when you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing. Art is play, it’s fun, it’s an outlet, and it’s freeing. Never limit yourself to regarding your “play” as “work”. You can be as responsible for your play time as your work time. Art is the baby you must nourish and love unconditionally if you are prepared to set out on this venture. You MUST have an open heart and mind in order to maintain balance mentally as an artist; otherwise you will be shoved into the box of stagnation, impressing absolutely no one – especially not yourself. You are about to be paid for looking after your lover. ;)
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
When I first started taking on commission work, I was aware of the people who half-assed their commissions, and had a few disappointments where what I asked of the artist wasn’t their frame of mind or forte, and I spent money on something that looked forced. No one wants that of art, especially not art people are paying for. I did NOT want to be like this, but I knew if I kept trying and pushing myself and absolutely LOVING my work, it would show in the art I produce for others. I try my best not to repeat a pose or color schemes, and think about that character and their place in the owner’s world. Then the fun part; who they are in MY world. This is the biggest thing to remember; who is this character in your world? Invite them to your canvas, and see how they are. Trace them onto the page as you would your own creations, because this person has trusted you with their baby for such a task.
Remember, also, that art is a luxury, and nobody needs to buy it in order to survive. This creates a struggle in our inner world as we try to express ourselves while still catering and advertising our skill to the public, and we may feel that people “owe” us money because we actually DO need it to survive. A lot of people will seemingly “half-ass” commission work, and this is simply because in the artist’s mind, being paid for one’s play becomes work, and they’re only drawing to get by in life. NEVER LET THIS BE YOUR WAY OF THINKING. Adapt to thinking with high empathy for your customers; do not half-ass your work because you have more pride in what you can do for yourself. Take pride in making your customers happy with their art, and put life into their characters through your vision. That is what every commissioner wants to see of every artist they hire for work.
This way, I believe, you can still have respect for yourself – you can still draw for yourself, because you never put up that wall between drawing for money and drawing for fun. ALWAYS DRAW FOR FUN! The money you receive for your services will just be a free benefit. There are also plenty of resources and ways you can sell personal work, if you feel you need to keep that emotional/mental relationship with sharing your own inner world with the outer world while still keeping your financial security. Even if you don’t have customers, you still have fans. So make everyone happy! It will help bring peace to your mind.
I’ll have more to ramble about later. Hope this helps someone. :)
Love and light!
So, you’re thinking about becoming a freelance commission artist.
Are you ready to take on such a job?
Let’s see... Ramble commencing in 3... 2... 1...
First off, commissions should never be regarded as “work” in the art field. It may not seem too negative now, but in the grand scheme of things, eventually that word will become a hindrance to you should you get into that inevitable artist rut (it’s a part of life!). A lot of people have negative stigma in regards to “work”. I refuse to see art as “work”, and the only time it becomes “work” is when you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing. Art is play, it’s fun, it’s an outlet, and it’s freeing. Never limit yourself to regarding your “play” as “work”. You can be as responsible for your play time as your work time. Art is the baby you must nourish and love unconditionally if you are prepared to set out on this venture. You MUST have an open heart and mind in order to maintain balance mentally as an artist; otherwise you will be shoved into the box of stagnation, impressing absolutely no one – especially not yourself. You are about to be paid for looking after your lover. ;)
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
When I first started taking on commission work, I was aware of the people who half-assed their commissions, and had a few disappointments where what I asked of the artist wasn’t their frame of mind or forte, and I spent money on something that looked forced. No one wants that of art, especially not art people are paying for. I did NOT want to be like this, but I knew if I kept trying and pushing myself and absolutely LOVING my work, it would show in the art I produce for others. I try my best not to repeat a pose or color schemes, and think about that character and their place in the owner’s world. Then the fun part; who they are in MY world. This is the biggest thing to remember; who is this character in your world? Invite them to your canvas, and see how they are. Trace them onto the page as you would your own creations, because this person has trusted you with their baby for such a task.
Remember, also, that art is a luxury, and nobody needs to buy it in order to survive. This creates a struggle in our inner world as we try to express ourselves while still catering and advertising our skill to the public, and we may feel that people “owe” us money because we actually DO need it to survive. A lot of people will seemingly “half-ass” commission work, and this is simply because in the artist’s mind, being paid for one’s play becomes work, and they’re only drawing to get by in life. NEVER LET THIS BE YOUR WAY OF THINKING. Adapt to thinking with high empathy for your customers; do not half-ass your work because you have more pride in what you can do for yourself. Take pride in making your customers happy with their art, and put life into their characters through your vision. That is what every commissioner wants to see of every artist they hire for work.
This way, I believe, you can still have respect for yourself – you can still draw for yourself, because you never put up that wall between drawing for money and drawing for fun. ALWAYS DRAW FOR FUN! The money you receive for your services will just be a free benefit. There are also plenty of resources and ways you can sell personal work, if you feel you need to keep that emotional/mental relationship with sharing your own inner world with the outer world while still keeping your financial security. Even if you don’t have customers, you still have fans. So make everyone happy! It will help bring peace to your mind.
I’ll have more to ramble about later. Hope this helps someone. :)
Love and light!
And I never had time or any inspiration left over to draw anything fun for myself. Maybe that just makes me greedy though.
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I hope to be confident enough to offer bigger stuff in future of course, and this seems it will be good to refer to should I ever start having doubts...
So thanks for sharing~
I've probably said this before but it might be your commission-centered view that's scaring people away. You make so many journals about wanting commissions and opening a patreon and it's not very welcoming when all the artist is talking about is wanting money.
Constantly comparing yourself to popular furs and sometimes saying bad things about them isn't very nice either. It's pretty agressive behavior and can turn people off.
You also keep victimizing yourself in the journals and complaining about things, such negativity can also turn people away.
And lastly you constantly ignore the people who do care for you and your art. There are always people who view, favorite and leave nice comments on your pics, but you don't seem to appreciate them because they're not commissioning you.
I know and understand that you need money, just like everybody else does. The problem is this isn't the best place to look for it, it's an extremely competitive branch and not very reliable. Literally anyone can be an artist these days so there are quite many people who want to make money with it. To make it work as a job you gotta stand out from the others in some way, and usually you gotta be easily approachable. Most of those popular furry artists are very nice people and interact with their watchers via journals. They for example talk about new movies, games. Sure they also talk about bad times sometimes, that's natural, but they usually aren't agressive about it. So yeah, showing people that you're a nice and easily approachable people helps a lot. Successful artists also constantly produce new personal art, stuff you naturally like to do, that way people also learn more about the artist and what he's into. From seeing personal art people might find something they want for themselves, and that way they could get interested in commissioning the person.
In a nutshell: I believe the most successful artists start off without high expectations or money as their goal but rather as people who draw what they love to draw. In the journals they share their interests and the things going on in their lives openly, and interact with their watchers. There will naturally be more and more people who like both the art AND the artist. When a close connection has been established the people will naturally want art from the person. Then commissions are possible.
I going to make my next comment to it
Anyway moving forward. If art is a luxury why can't we art trade that another thing that I want to talk about? If people don't have the money for it there are ways to get art from them. It really nice to get art from others and give it to. the problem is distrust, artist or people try to take advantage of this by means of getting free art, because of this it create distrust to other artist as well. It also become harder to do art trade these day as it not easy. Some people will say no to artist and it leave us with so many question. WHY? Even if so people say it not right to ask them why? Not a lot of people will understand why they decline.
If that don't want to work then it tough lucks on us.It for the best to let us to draw things for our self. Learn more about art and creativity.
I just hope someday people will show more for our art soon.
Thank you for the lovey tips and advice.
But it's a different feeling than "ugh, I have to work"
It's "YES OMFG I CAN DRAW"
And that's where problems start. Discipline without heart brings up just lifeless picture bodies, cause art is diverse and creative. I wouldn't recomment taking commissions anyway if someone is mentally instable to the point of being fast disappointed and depressive.
There are different levels to this, because people make art and take commissions for different reasons.
I used to work three jobs, and couldn't sanely support my kids with it, I was mentally and physically dying.
Now I only do commissions, and make about the same amount, but am able to spend more of it for ourselves and what we need then previously.
However, other companies, government, friends, and family will not take 'fun commissions' seriously. It has to be classified as a job, as work, to be taken that way.
My brain also doesn't always like to have fun all the time, kind of in a reverse psychology. If I feel like I'm having fun and playing a game all the time, I myself won't take myself seriously, and allow myself to make mistakes and not care, and get lazy about doing it. So I set myself goals and work studies and such. I can enjoy it yes, but there is a balance between treating it as work and fun that I have to watch carefully to make sure I'm doing it right. I hardly ever feel the "ugh I have to work" thing however, unless I'm sick, or something like that. I do love doing this much more then anything I ever have before.
Recently, I ran into an animu artist like that on dA who basically told everyone who helped constructively critique him "to get run over by a car" or something to that tune. He was 25 at the time, so that's kind of pitiful ><
No matter what the craft, one is always learning, it never stops, and most of the artists who do well and make it far are the ones who critique their work the most and try to better themselves.
and not tell people to get run over by cars
In every piece I make, I put my best into it. Unless I mark it as a sketch, every last detail will be worked on. What I hate most is people going through my gallery and thinking "mh, this one doesn't look as good as the others".
Because I ask so much of me, I tend to get frustrated a lot, and not finish my projects; but commissions keep me going because someone paid for it and I have to deliver.
I recently left my old job in an office for my new job (in another office that I chose, I am one of those who cant work at home), where aside from using one or two days for what I am asked designing manga covers, I get to work on commissions all day long. It helps a lot working next to other people, talking and eating together, really lifts you. And I have been in the situation when I cant get something right and someone from edition or somehting that has nothing to do with my job and less with my commissions, will come up to me and help me solve it.
I think art as my job. Commissioning can be a hard road so it might be a good idea to have some extra backup. But I don't suffer my job, I love it, I haven't been so happy in such a long time. And even if I enjoy drawing also as play, it is different, because then I draw for myself. This is algo a good thing because, since I am so tired of making everything perfect for customers, I get to relax on my own work and have double fun.
Sorry for the long answer, here, have a cookie.
Until the crisis happened and I was at the decisive point. I entered optometry and followed in my mother's footsteps and little by little I fell in love with parts of it. NOONE will ever love ALL parts of their job. It's impossible. You break it in pieces and think to yourself what's good and what's bad. Not everyone have the luxury to follow the dreams they had when they were way younger and didn't know how the world works. A person can have as much "fun" as anyone else in any job, because every profession around us have its sweet little things. In my case, I love how I can talk with people and that fashion is a key factor to what I do, while it still stays medical and people have a need if their eyewear breaks or so. At the same time, I hate all the stress a store forces in someone. I have to take care of everything and that wears me down. Same thing goes with any job, it has its cons and pros.
I think that what's amazing about art is that if an artist tries hard enough, they reach a point that their payments are amazing. Most people in greece will never even reach a salary of 6.5 euros per hour (1k a month) until the age of 50 and even if they are lucky while I see alot of artists around that are paid 10+ hourly and are still 25. Art might be a luxury, but in this fandom it's a necessity. No art, no fandom, so the only hardship is wether one is willing to devote themselves and treat their profession as a professional. Artists should always have a marketing book in their shelves among the anatomy studies, color explanations, history of art and their comic books. It's their job, even if it feels like routine at a point, they must learn how to make it interesting, like "Oh, I never drawn a rhino before, let's make it rhino only this week" or "Oh, i want to draw princesses, "Princess commissions open, only males allowed with pink dresses please".
I might have drifted way too far from the original subject but I am so sleepy i hardly make sense ;P will check it after I wake up to edit xD!
My opinion is this, artists must see every commission as an opportunity for self improvement, if they squander that then they don't have much hope of getting very far.
I see that quite a bit, although sometimes leaving the sketch later in a piece makes it look nicer in some strange, less refined kind of way (numerous times I've gone to erase it, and then instead toned it down to like 20% opacity). Maybe it adds scribbly texture, or makes it look nicer if the shading is lacking somehow, I'm not really sure... On the other hand, sometimes it looks like total shit and they just cbf removing it; if it's the result of working with a single layer, or having self-imposed time constraints, then it's more understandable. XD I've seen falv do this quite a bit, whatever her reasons may be. x3
That's true. Every opportunity is one for self-improvement; not just in art, but all experiences in life. ^^
In the context of commissions, half-assery in any form is a really good way to lose followers and future commissioners. It's dangerous!
In any case, I don't think there's an apex to creativity and expression, and who in their right mind would actually desire to reach such a point regardless? They'd plateau, and their creative outlet would become sooo fucking boring, like omg! XD (Contentment breeds what, now?) :3
And thank you all the others for your comments, these all go a long way toward reminding me what to do and not do.
Invaluable advice, all around!
I am a firm believer in that anyone taking commissions needs to do so seriously...there's a difference between doing it for fun and doing it for money. When money is exchanged it becomes a job, that person is entrusting you with their hard earned money to receive something they can't even see yet, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy what we do! I love creating pieces for my clients, and even the ones I don't feel incredibly psyched about (which honestly happens very rarely, because I just love a challenge) I find a reason to love it. If I feel the piece is too far out of my interest/comfort zone then I simply don't take the commission because I don't want the quality to suffer. It's important for each artist to hold themselves to a high quality standard - it makes for happier customers, and a happier experience all around.
So many times I look at an artist and think "I want my character represented in their style" and I've never been disappointed.
I guess from a commission maker's point of view, its a good reminder that a person chose your style and likes how you do things.
That should give the commission maker a bit of freedom in drawing their work, hopefully taking some of the pressure off and making it more fun.
And all the journal was Inspiring!
Love and Light for you too!
*u*
I gave a speech at Denver Comic Con to aspiring teens, at the request of the con staff, and I pretty much said exactly what you've outlined here--how I chose a field other than art in college because I didn't want to force myself to do the thing I loved for a living, thus turning my passion into work.
My boyfriend said he could hear dreams shattering as I spoke, but he understood my point.
Glad to know there are like-minded artists out there!
Why can't I favorite this?omg. i feel the same way you do! but your words were so beautiful and poetic, they touched my soul. I love you, you beautiful hearted person!
*grabs you and licks you*
When I didn't get commissions, it just made me want to try harder, and see what I could do that other artists were doing in order to make it, such as learning color theory and the things that attract the eye - you have to remember that your art is your advertisement. :) If you aren't getting any commissions, it's because you aren't well known enough yet, and the best way to do that is draw, draw, draw, and never quit getting better. It worked for me. :P Draw fanart too, fanart seems to be favorited more so more people will see your art,