How to Commission an Artist

If you decided to commission an artist, there are several steps you will need to follow to make this process as clear and effective as possible, both for you and for the artist. The whole preparation process may be arbitrarily split into three phases: finding the right artist, forming the request, and providing a clear brief.

Finding an Artist

When looking for the right artist to work with, it’s important to consider several aspects that will impact both the working process and the end result. What style would you prefer for the commission? Do you have a specific deadline? What is your budget? Does your idea have complicated elements in it? The answers to those questions will guide you in terms of choosing the artist.

Not all artists are the same. Each artist has their own visual style, their own specialty, and their own working pace. This means that picking the best artist for the job is a matter of aligning their skills with your ideas! Say, if you want a realistic portrait of your DnD character, it’s more sufficient to commission an artist who works in realism, and not the artists that specializes in anime-like style.

To make things quicker, you may use the Tag System and search for artists that tag their work accordingly. You can also scroll the Explore page and see what artists are on the platform! Maybe you will stumble upon someone who creates art just as you imagine it!

Remember: if anything is unclear or you’re having doubts, you can always contact the artist via Chat and ask them whether they think they can fulfill your request.

Forming the Request

After you’ve chosen an artist and their Service, it’s time to fill out their Request Form. Each Request Form is made individually by the artist, so the questions might vary slightly. Don’t be afraid of the forms; they exist to provide the artist with basic information about your order and give them a general understanding of the work that needs to be done. Upon receiving the form, the artist may accept the request or deny it, and you will be notified either way.

Most likely, you will encounter some or even all of the following questions:

• What is the general idea you’re looking for? (Describe the framing, the subject, lighting etc. — the more detail the better)
• Provide references (References are usually a key part of an artist’s creative process, they serve as visual cues for them to follow in terms of posing, lighting, colours, overall mood etc.; try to provide references that are as close to your idea as possible)
• Addons (Usually, artists have additional small services they can include in the main order, sometimes for an extra fee; addons can include a complex background, an additional character, difficult perspective etc.)
• Personal or Commercial Use? (Is the artwork solely for you, or do you plan to profit from its use? (for a detailed explanation of the difference between Personal and Commercial Use read this article))
• How many artworks are you ordering? (In case you’re commissioning several artworks of the same type)
• Deadline (If you have a deadline for the artwork, let the artist know — it may impact the working process and/or the price)
• Terms of Service (At the end of each Request Form, there will be a ToS policy displayed for you; read it carefully and only proceed with the request if you agree with it — by going through with the commission you automatically agree to the artist’s service policy)

If you encounter a question that is not on this list, don’t panic! You can check in with the artist in Chat and ask them for a clarification of some sort.

Providing a Clear Brief

After the artist accepts your request, it’s time for you to go all-in with your vision for the artwork. If the Request Form stage is for basics, now is the time to explain everything in the greatest detail you can. You can provide even more references and describe any seemingly minor thing you have in mind. If you feel unsure about anything, the artist may give you their own perspective or help you brainstorm for ideas! You may even compose a moodboard together. Don’t be shy to communicate!

Still have questions left? Contact us via email! socials@ivyart.co