Hello fellow RPR people, Winter here.
So. I have a friend on Discord who's basically a friend and online brother to me. He's been out of the loop for rp lately, though he's thinking to get back into it.
The reason I'm posting this for him, is that he's told me he wants to commission people to do art of his characters. The problem is, he doesn't know how to ask for commissions. He's never ordered a commission before.
So what are some things my friend needs to know, that I can pass the information to him?
And if you guys have any questions for me to ask him, concerning ordering commissions and such, feel free to ask me and I'll get his response asap.
Thank you all!
So. I have a friend on Discord who's basically a friend and online brother to me. He's been out of the loop for rp lately, though he's thinking to get back into it.
The reason I'm posting this for him, is that he's told me he wants to commission people to do art of his characters. The problem is, he doesn't know how to ask for commissions. He's never ordered a commission before.
So what are some things my friend needs to know, that I can pass the information to him?
And if you guys have any questions for me to ask him, concerning ordering commissions and such, feel free to ask me and I'll get his response asap.
Thank you all!
Experienced commissioner here!
So I'll give a list of the things your friend needs.
1. A budget: how much is he willing to spend on said commission?
2. References: Preferably visual, though well detailed written ones can still work, just realize that not all artists will accept those. Stuff like clothes, pose, body size, body shape, eye color/shape, hair style etc. The more references and information your friend can provide, the better the chances that the commission will turn out to his liking. Details are key!
3. Patience: Some artists are really quick workers, but for others, you'll likely have to wait a bit, especially if there are people in front of him.
4. Find the right artist: You need to of course find the right artist, one that fits his budget, he likes the art style of and one that does draw what he is looking for. Depending on his manner of payment and how picky he is, this can be easier said then done.
5. Follow the artist's rules/order form: Generally artists have an order form to fill out which he should complete to the best of his ability.
So I'll give a list of the things your friend needs.
1. A budget: how much is he willing to spend on said commission?
2. References: Preferably visual, though well detailed written ones can still work, just realize that not all artists will accept those. Stuff like clothes, pose, body size, body shape, eye color/shape, hair style etc. The more references and information your friend can provide, the better the chances that the commission will turn out to his liking. Details are key!
3. Patience: Some artists are really quick workers, but for others, you'll likely have to wait a bit, especially if there are people in front of him.
4. Find the right artist: You need to of course find the right artist, one that fits his budget, he likes the art style of and one that does draw what he is looking for. Depending on his manner of payment and how picky he is, this can be easier said then done.
5. Follow the artist's rules/order form: Generally artists have an order form to fill out which he should complete to the best of his ability.
Katia wrote:
Experienced commissioner here!
So I'll give a list of the things your friend needs.
1. A budget: how much is he willing to spend on said commission?
2. References: Preferably visual, though well detailed written ones can still work, just realize that not all artists will accept those. Stuff like clothes, pose, body size, body shape, eye color/shape, hair style etc. The more references and information your friend can provide, the better the chances that the commission will turn out to his liking. Details are key!
3. Patience: Some artists are really quick workers, but for others, you'll likely have to wait a bit, especially if there are people in front of him.
4. Find the right artist: You need to of course find the right artist, one that fits his budget, he likes the art style of and one that does draw what he is looking for. Depending on his manner of payment and how picky he is, this can be easier said then done.
5. Follow the artist's rules/order form: Generally artists have an order form to fill out which he should complete to the best of his ability.
So I'll give a list of the things your friend needs.
1. A budget: how much is he willing to spend on said commission?
2. References: Preferably visual, though well detailed written ones can still work, just realize that not all artists will accept those. Stuff like clothes, pose, body size, body shape, eye color/shape, hair style etc. The more references and information your friend can provide, the better the chances that the commission will turn out to his liking. Details are key!
3. Patience: Some artists are really quick workers, but for others, you'll likely have to wait a bit, especially if there are people in front of him.
4. Find the right artist: You need to of course find the right artist, one that fits his budget, he likes the art style of and one that does draw what he is looking for. Depending on his manner of payment and how picky he is, this can be easier said then done.
5. Follow the artist's rules/order form: Generally artists have an order form to fill out which he should complete to the best of his ability.
Awesome! Thank you very much, for the great information about what my friend needs to do and such. ^-^ I've just sent word to him about it.
If you like, I can post the order form I used for a recently completed commission that he can use as an example.
Katia wrote:
If you like, I can post the order form I used for a recently completed commission that he can use as an example.
That would be great!
Katia wrote:
Awesome! Again, thank you so much for the help you've provided. Very much appreciated!
The main thing to keep in mind is that each artist is different. So what one order or reference or request form for one artist could be wildly different from another.
He should reach out to artists whose style he likes and ask if they're open for commissions. Some are clear if they are or aren't. Some might have a wait list, so it's better to reach out and ask if they're open. Even if they're open, that doesn't mean they'll accept the commission due to various reasons. Ask what type of references they need (again, some require more and specific things than others) and do the best to fulfill that with as many details as possible. Someone has an image of their character in their head, but the artist doesn't...so someone will ultimately get the artist's interpretation of a character based on the information they're given.
Whenever I approach an artist about a commission, I always take the extra polite route of asking if they're interested in taking on the commission all the way up until payment is made. I would rather the artist want to do it than feel obligated to do it.
Good luck to your friend!
He should reach out to artists whose style he likes and ask if they're open for commissions. Some are clear if they are or aren't. Some might have a wait list, so it's better to reach out and ask if they're open. Even if they're open, that doesn't mean they'll accept the commission due to various reasons. Ask what type of references they need (again, some require more and specific things than others) and do the best to fulfill that with as many details as possible. Someone has an image of their character in their head, but the artist doesn't...so someone will ultimately get the artist's interpretation of a character based on the information they're given.
Whenever I approach an artist about a commission, I always take the extra polite route of asking if they're interested in taking on the commission all the way up until payment is made. I would rather the artist want to do it than feel obligated to do it.
Good luck to your friend!
MissPixie wrote:
The main thing to keep in mind is that each artist is different. So what one order or reference or request form for one artist could be wildly different from another.
He should reach out to artists whose style he likes and ask if they're open for commissions. Some are clear if they are or aren't. Some might have a wait list, so it's better to reach out and ask if they're open. Even if they're open, that doesn't mean they'll accept the commission due to various reasons. Ask what type of references they need (again, some require more and specific things than others) and do the best to fulfill that with as many details as possible. Someone has an image of their character in their head, but the artist doesn't...so someone will ultimately get the artist's interpretation of a character based on the information they're given.
Whenever I approach an artist about a commission, I always take the extra polite route of asking if they're interested in taking on the commission all the way up until payment is made. I would rather the artist want to do it than feel obligated to do it.
Good luck to your friend!
He should reach out to artists whose style he likes and ask if they're open for commissions. Some are clear if they are or aren't. Some might have a wait list, so it's better to reach out and ask if they're open. Even if they're open, that doesn't mean they'll accept the commission due to various reasons. Ask what type of references they need (again, some require more and specific things than others) and do the best to fulfill that with as many details as possible. Someone has an image of their character in their head, but the artist doesn't...so someone will ultimately get the artist's interpretation of a character based on the information they're given.
Whenever I approach an artist about a commission, I always take the extra polite route of asking if they're interested in taking on the commission all the way up until payment is made. I would rather the artist want to do it than feel obligated to do it.
Good luck to your friend!
Thank you, Miss Pixie! I've passed the word to him. Appreciate it! ^-^
So as someone who both commissions art and does commissions for other people:
As stated above, have plenty of references; Even if the character doesn't have any established art pieces yet, pinterest is your friend! Finding haircuts and colors, making boards for outfit inspiration, face shape, etc. etc. is super helpful! Having detailed writing is great, but visuals help a lot of people take a piece to the next level!
I cannot stress enough, that if he has a specific color in mind (Ex: "Forest Green"), please send a swatch of the color he's imagining with the commission message he sends; There are plenty of color pickers out there, so grabbing a swatch and saying "Something around this color" or "This color exactly for the shirt" or what have you is extremely helpful; People have different ideas of what "Forest Green" might mean!
Pose references aren't required, some artists do just fine coming up with their own poses with just a short blurb about a character's personality (Ex: "This character is really closed off and grumpy" can be taken and made into a likely appropriate pose by the artist!); However, speaking personally, having a picked out pose or a bunch of "This is the vibe I'm going for with this character" poses for inspiration to pick and choose pieces and parts from is also extremely helpful! He doesn't have to choose one pose if he's just going for a specific mood / vibe!
As stated by a previous comment, some artists take a good long time on their art! I'd say feel free to ask "Hey, can I get an update" every so often; Depending on how the artist works, they're likely to send updates and WIPs anyway, but some artists don't unless previously asked - it's better safe than sorry to check on which artist does what for their work flow c:
This is what I can think of off the top of my head
As stated above, have plenty of references; Even if the character doesn't have any established art pieces yet, pinterest is your friend! Finding haircuts and colors, making boards for outfit inspiration, face shape, etc. etc. is super helpful! Having detailed writing is great, but visuals help a lot of people take a piece to the next level!
I cannot stress enough, that if he has a specific color in mind (Ex: "Forest Green"), please send a swatch of the color he's imagining with the commission message he sends; There are plenty of color pickers out there, so grabbing a swatch and saying "Something around this color" or "This color exactly for the shirt" or what have you is extremely helpful; People have different ideas of what "Forest Green" might mean!
Pose references aren't required, some artists do just fine coming up with their own poses with just a short blurb about a character's personality (Ex: "This character is really closed off and grumpy" can be taken and made into a likely appropriate pose by the artist!); However, speaking personally, having a picked out pose or a bunch of "This is the vibe I'm going for with this character" poses for inspiration to pick and choose pieces and parts from is also extremely helpful! He doesn't have to choose one pose if he's just going for a specific mood / vibe!
As stated by a previous comment, some artists take a good long time on their art! I'd say feel free to ask "Hey, can I get an update" every so often; Depending on how the artist works, they're likely to send updates and WIPs anyway, but some artists don't unless previously asked - it's better safe than sorry to check on which artist does what for their work flow c:
This is what I can think of off the top of my head
DarkCrow wrote:
So as someone who both commissions art and does commissions for other people:
As stated above, have plenty of references; Even if the character doesn't have any established art pieces yet, pinterest is your friend! Finding haircuts and colors, making boards for outfit inspiration, face shape, etc. etc. is super helpful! Having detailed writing is great, but visuals help a lot of people take a piece to the next level!
I cannot stress enough, that if he has a specific color in mind (Ex: "Forest Green"), please send a swatch of the color he's imagining with the commission message he sends; There are plenty of color pickers out there, so grabbing a swatch and saying "Something around this color" or "This color exactly for the shirt" or what have you is extremely helpful; People have different ideas of what "Forest Green" might mean!
Pose references aren't required, some artists do just fine coming up with their own poses with just a short blurb about a character's personality (Ex: "This character is really closed off and grumpy" can be taken and made into a likely appropriate pose by the artist!); However, speaking personally, having a picked out pose or a bunch of "This is the vibe I'm going for with this character" poses for inspiration to pick and choose pieces and parts from is also extremely helpful! He doesn't have to choose one pose if he's just going for a specific mood / vibe!
As stated by a previous comment, some artists take a good long time on their art! I'd say feel free to ask "Hey, can I get an update" every so often; Depending on how the artist works, they're likely to send updates and WIPs anyway, but some artists don't unless previously asked - it's better safe than sorry to check on which artist does what for their work flow c:
This is what I can think of off the top of my head
As stated above, have plenty of references; Even if the character doesn't have any established art pieces yet, pinterest is your friend! Finding haircuts and colors, making boards for outfit inspiration, face shape, etc. etc. is super helpful! Having detailed writing is great, but visuals help a lot of people take a piece to the next level!
I cannot stress enough, that if he has a specific color in mind (Ex: "Forest Green"), please send a swatch of the color he's imagining with the commission message he sends; There are plenty of color pickers out there, so grabbing a swatch and saying "Something around this color" or "This color exactly for the shirt" or what have you is extremely helpful; People have different ideas of what "Forest Green" might mean!
Pose references aren't required, some artists do just fine coming up with their own poses with just a short blurb about a character's personality (Ex: "This character is really closed off and grumpy" can be taken and made into a likely appropriate pose by the artist!); However, speaking personally, having a picked out pose or a bunch of "This is the vibe I'm going for with this character" poses for inspiration to pick and choose pieces and parts from is also extremely helpful! He doesn't have to choose one pose if he's just going for a specific mood / vibe!
As stated by a previous comment, some artists take a good long time on their art! I'd say feel free to ask "Hey, can I get an update" every so often; Depending on how the artist works, they're likely to send updates and WIPs anyway, but some artists don't unless previously asked - it's better safe than sorry to check on which artist does what for their work flow c:
This is what I can think of off the top of my head
Thank you very much, Crow, for the input! ^-^ I've passed it on to my friend.
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