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*I feel like this needs to be shared more around the forums lately *sigh**

Let’s talk about ordering a commission with money on deviantART.

Ordering a commission on deviantART on the job forums? Some of this can also apply for personal commissions.
Here are the basics.

1) Know what you want.
Have an idea of what you’d like your outcome of your project to look like. Find examples, but know that the artist you are hiring will most likely be drawing in their own style so don’t expect something to look just like your example. We are artists. We promote creativity, not copying others’ styles.

2) Fill out a basic form like this below:

Title of the project:
Name:
Email address (this can be given later during private discussions):
Paying with: (Here you would write the currency and service you will use)
What I am looking for:
(Try to limit this to only 1-2 paragraphs. The more you write, the more likely you will get “copy and paste” invitation to galleries) This is also where you will insert examples.
What I am NOT looking for:
Give examples, art styles, or even actual drawings/images you find of the web of what you’re looking for.
Turn around time: (after discussing with the artist, how much time you’re willing to wait until you receive the finished project. If you don't want to rush the artist or don't have a specific time, please state this. Sometimes artists will reward you for your patience with doodle sketches, etc. depending on who you choose.)
Credits and usage: (is this a commercial project? Will the artist receive credits for their work? Is this for personal use?)
Legalities: (Will you require a non-disclosure agreement to be signed? Will the artist be working for a studio; in other words, will they be signing forms to be considered actual employees?)
Special notes: (I won’t start this project for X amount of time. We are looking for artists meeting the following criteria (location, etc.). Basically any side notes would go here.)

3) Wait for responses, patiently (don’t make more than one thread, that’s rather annoying). Responses will come in a variety of forms. Some will be copy and paste responses while others will be specific to what you request.

4) Respond back to your top choices for artists to work with. Negotiate or take the offer, but make it very clear you are still in the process of deciding who you want to choose for your final project.

5) Choose your final artist and make sure you are on the same terms for the project.

Tips: 1) Do not make multiple threads asking to buy art – even if you receive lots of responses. Didn’t you want to receive responses in the first place which is why you created a thread? Be organized if you receive too many. Simply jot down the usernames of the artists you may want to work.

2) Do not criticize art being shown to you and “compare”. Do not say, “Oh, wow, I really like Artist A much better than Artist B.” This is being rude. Simply thank people for responding to your post and respond privately to the ones you choose to work with.

3) Do not ask for discounts or expect them. This is a major pet peeve of many artists. You could try to do so while you negotiate, however, you’re risking irritating the artist and perhaps losing the artist you envisioned working on your project.

4) Give artists you’re interested in, at least a 24 hour response window. Simply because you may be awake, does not mean the artist is awake or isn’t busy. If you really want to work with someone, do not message them saying that you’re interested in, then shortly after, hunt for someone else because you could not be patient.

5) Do not say, “I want you to give me a sample to see if I like your work.” An artist has a gallery and samples provided to you for a reason. They are showing how well they know their tools and displaying what they are capable of. Asking for a sample for project, especially without payment, in my eyes, is not professional.
Example:
Post: You’re looking for an anime artist to draw a character of yours as a chibi.
You mentioned: “I want to make sure I like your style before I buy it so I want you to draw a sketch to make sure I am satisfied.”
This is not what you should do.

6) Do not treat the artist like your work slave. Be respectful and they shall be as well. If you treat the artist like they’re your “worker” you aren’t being kind and respectful. You need the artist, otherwise, why are you posting in the Job Forums in the first place?

7) Be mindful of what you write. This is the world wide web. Things can easily be taken the wrong way. Make sure to be certain that the message you’re trying to convey does not accidentally offend someone.

8) If your payment is pending on the success of your project (kickstarter, etc.) you’re better off posting in the Projects forum. The Job Forums is for people who are ready to pay.

9) You pay for quality, not time. An artist may be quick to produce your order. Simply because they are quick does not mean they are worth less than what they quoted you. They know their tools well and they learned how to use them quickly throughout the years. Keep that in mind.

10) Do not provide examples in your original post that aren't exactly what you're looking for. Adding a small description saying you want something with more details in the outfit, more detailed coloring, is NOT telling the artist what you're looking for. They can interpret this how they would like and this can cause issues during the order process.

11) Understand that some artists may require payment up front. Some may work out a 50/50 plan with you. Some work by the hour while others work by a “flat rate”. Some will simply give you a quote. Artists that work for money are treating their work like a business. Some will be willing to negotiate and some will not. Every artist is different. You need to speak privately about payment and try to figure out a plan that works best for both of you to achieve the results you want.

Keep in mind, these are the basics of ordering a commission. Good luck. Feel free to share the journal. Have a wonderful day.

*Please note I am basically permanently closed for commission orders. Once in a while I take commission offers just for fun on the forums, but I work for certain publishers already. Sorry ahead of time!

Linkage:
Subscribe to my personal website for updates on artist, tutorials, advice, etc.:
JadeOntheGo.com (under construction)
My gallery on dA
Support me on Patreon
Youtube
Tumblr
Instagram

Other tutorials and how-tos from me:

SHARE THIS ON TUMBRL: Reblog!

Thumbs Up — Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

*I feel like this needs to be shared more around the forums lately *sigh**

Let’s talk about ordering a commission with money on deviantART.

Ordering a commission on deviantART on the job forums? Some of this can also apply for personal commissions.
Here are the basics.

1) Know what you want.
Have an idea of what you’d like your outcome of your project to look like. Find examples, but know that the artist you are hiring will most likely be drawing in their own style so don’t expect something to look just like your example. We are artists. We promote creativity, not copying others’ styles.

2) Fill out a basic form like this below:

Title of the project:
Name:
Email address (this can be given later during private discussions):
Paying with: (Here you would write the currency and service you will use)
What I am looking for:
(Try to limit this to only 1-2 paragraphs. The more you write, the more likely you will get “copy and paste” invitation to galleries) This is also where you will insert examples.
What I am NOT looking for:
Give examples, art styles, or even actual drawings/images you find of the web of what you’re looking for.
Turn around time: (after discussing with the artist, how much time you’re willing to wait until you receive the finished project. If you don't want to rush the artist or don't have a specific time, please state this. Sometimes artists will reward you for your patience with doodle sketches, etc. depending on who you choose.)
Credits and usage: (is this a commercial project? Will the artist receive credits for their work? Is this for personal use?)
Legalities: (Will you require a non-disclosure agreement to be signed? Will the artist be working for a studio; in other words, will they be signing forms to be considered actual employees?)
Special notes: (I won’t start this project for X amount of time. We are looking for artists meeting the following criteria (location, etc.). Basically any side notes would go here.)

3) Wait for responses, patiently (don’t make more than one thread, that’s rather annoying). Responses will come in a variety of forms. Some will be copy and paste responses while others will be specific to what you request.

4) Respond back to your top choices for artists to work with. Negotiate or take the offer, but make it very clear you are still in the process of deciding who you want to choose for your final project.

5) Choose your final artist and make sure you are on the same terms for the project.

Tips: 1) Do not make multiple threads asking to buy art – even if you receive lots of responses. Didn’t you want to receive responses in the first place which is why you created a thread? Be organized if you receive too many. Simply jot down the usernames of the artists you may want to work.

2) Do not criticize art being shown to you and “compare”. Do not say, “Oh, wow, I really like Artist A much better than Artist B.” This is being rude. Simply thank people for responding to your post and respond privately to the ones you choose to work with.

3) Do not ask for discounts or expect them. This is a major pet peeve of many artists. You could try to do so while you negotiate, however, you’re risking irritating the artist and perhaps losing the artist you envisioned working on your project.

4) Give artists you’re interested in, at least a 24 hour response window. Simply because you may be awake, does not mean the artist is awake or isn’t busy. If you really want to work with someone, do not message them saying that you’re interested in, then shortly after, hunt for someone else because you could not be patient.

5) Do not say, “I want you to give me a sample to see if I like your work.” An artist has a gallery and samples provided to you for a reason. They are showing how well they know their tools and displaying what they are capable of. Asking for a sample for project, especially without payment, in my eyes, is not professional.
Example:
Post: You’re looking for an anime artist to draw a character of yours as a chibi.
You mentioned: “I want to make sure I like your style before I buy it so I want you to draw a sketch to make sure I am satisfied.”
This is not what you should do.

6) Do not treat the artist like your work slave. Be respectful and they shall be as well. If you treat the artist like they’re your “worker” you aren’t being kind and respectful. You need the artist, otherwise, why are you posting in the Job Forums in the first place?

7) Be mindful of what you write. This is the world wide web. Things can easily be taken the wrong way. Make sure to be certain that the message you’re trying to convey does not accidentally offend someone.

8) If your payment is pending on the success of your project (kickstarter, etc.) you’re better off posting in the Projects forum. The Job Forums is for people who are ready to pay.

9) You pay for quality, not time. An artist may be quick to produce your order. Simply because they are quick does not mean they are worth less than what they quoted you. They know their tools well and they learned how to use them quickly throughout the years. Keep that in mind.

10) Do not provide examples in your original post that aren't exactly what you're looking for. Adding a small description saying you want something with more details in the outfit, more detailed coloring, is NOT telling the artist what you're looking for. They can interpret this how they would like and this can cause issues during the order process.

11) Understand that some artists may require payment up front. Some may work out a 50/50 plan with you. Some work by the hour while others work by a “flat rate”. Some will simply give you a quote. Artists that work for money are treating their work like a business. Some will be willing to negotiate and some will not. Every artist is different. You need to speak privately about payment and try to figure out a plan that works best for both of you to achieve the results you want.

Keep in mind, these are the basics of ordering a commission. Good luck. Feel free to share the journal. Have a wonderful day.

*Please note I am basically permanently closed for commission orders. Once in a while I take commission offers just for fun on the forums, but I work for certain publishers already. Sorry ahead of time!

Linkage:
Subscribe to my personal website for updates on artist, tutorials, advice, etc.:
JadeOntheGo.com (under construction)
My gallery on dA
Support me on Patreon
Youtube
Tumblr
Instagram

Other tutorials and how-tos from me:

SHARE THIS ON TUMBRL: Reblog!