I have been taking commissions since I was out of college nearly eight years ago and it is one of the more interesting experiences you can navigate. It has it’s ups and downs and the allure of how you can make more money can cause you do to things that may not be the best thing in the world for yourself. So I wanted to compile a small guide to the artist on some of the things I have learned while doing this and hopefully spare you all some potential pitfalls.So here we go!
What To Seek Commissions On
So you’re all excited to get out there with your sweet artist skills and make some money doing what you love. Then you get that first client, and they want you to draw some sea horse wearing a dress and dancing Gangnam Style… You’re left wondering is this what you signed up for? Well the answer is actually very simply, maybe it is! That’s for you to decide what kind of work you will and won’t take on. Maybe nautical creatures dressed like people and rocking a sweet dance are what you want to do! You like eccentric stuff, but the point would be that you WANT to do that kind of work. If you don’t like that sort of project my advice to you is to avoid it. Plainly stated: Try to only take on work that you are truly excited about. There’s nothing wrong with telling a potential client you’re not right for the job.
This should seem simple but it’s not. Often we’re so excited someone wants to pay us to make art that we take whatever crazy comes your way, whether you like the project or not. This can really ruin the enjoyment and, honestly, the relationship you have with your client. They’ve come to you for help, if you can’t give it your all and have as much passion about it as the person paying you, it will show up in your work and will very likely hurt you in the long term. So don’t be afraid to turn down work if you aren’t interested. It’s fine, more work is out there. Take on commissions that you love! The great thing is over time, more work in the field you are interested in will come your way as you build a portfolio, because of your brand.
It’s All About The Money
One of the hardest things for people to gage is how much should they charge for their work. I wish it were simple, but it just isn’t and I won’t pretend it to be. The best thing is to consider two things:
What is your time worth? The safest place I have found in my determination of my pricing is to ask what is the hourly wage I feel comfortable with earning and then I estimate the time I suspect it will take me to finish it. That is what I qoute to a client. And you’ll have to figure out what price point is actually generating work for you. If you are higly priced, you may not get much work and in the early days of your freelance career, quanitity with quality makes a huge difference in building your brand and network of patrons. So ask yourself this question about how much you feel your time is worth, use common sense and go from there.
Who is your client? One of the things with price is try to make things uniform, but that doesn’t always make sense. If your client is a person wanting something for their living room as opposed to a major company wanting your work, there should be a price difference. A large company stands to profit from your work much more than an individual and its OK to change your commission expectations based on the client. Be fair and considerate… Not greedy. And if in the end you can’t get a price you are happy with, best not to take the project.
Pricing your work is a tough one, so research as much as you can online and arrive at something you are happy with.
Treat Every Commission Like It’s The Most Important One You Have Ever Received. EVERY ONE OF THEM!
This principle has become my most prized commission tip and I try to live it out every single time. Your client deserves your best work, period. If you feel like they didn’t pay you much and you skimp on your product then that’s not very professional. If you agree to a project it deserves all of your effort. Put everything you have into every job. You know why? Because that level of professionalism permeates through your projects and when your clients get MORE than they paid for, bigger projects and clients will come your way. Gauranteed.
Think about it: Someone has paid you to make a piece of art for them. You accept it but you are kind of unhappy about the project (it’s not a project you love) and you feel like they didn’t pay you as much as you would have liked (you didn’t gage your price level well). Your client shows up to pick up their art and its subpar, uninspired work. That won’t get legs and work for you in getting your next client. Give it your all. Everytime.
Never Let Your Client Leave With A Bad Taste In Their Mouth
Sometimes, things don’t go as smoothly as you would like in the completion process of a painting and when they see it for the first time. You can tell they are unhappy with something. Maybe they say it, maybe they don’t. Nothing is worse to me than completing a project, handing it off to my client and just knowing they are not 100% happy with what they received.
Now you can’t make everyone happy and sometimes that is what it is. But often there’s something you can do about it. And you should. Sometimes it means doing additional adjustments, and if you can, you should do them without charging extra (you should be building adjustments into your process and pricing anyways).
Smile. Be professional. Work Your Butt Off.
A Word On Problematic Clients
These are rare thankfully. Sometimes you have someone who is just rude. Nothing you do makes them happy. They try and skimp you on price, whatever. If these things happen, it’s OK to let that person go. Do your best to help them leave you on good terms and move on to the next client. If they return you can politely decline.
I hope this is helpful to everyone. I know this is a big topic, but I would love to answer questions or hear advice from you all about freelance stuff. I’m still learning, but this is the best of what I got ! 🙂
And remember I am currently open for commissions.
Here is a fantastic interview with artist Jason Seiler where he talks about freelance work and philosophy with it.