What to Consider When Creating Commissioned Artwork

Morning artrepreneurs! Welcome to another edition of the Stay Sketchy newsletter.

🔀 We’re switching things up! 🤯

So far, we’ve gotten so many great insights from the artists we’ve interviewed. Now, for the next few weeks, we’re going to shift gears and focus on performing deep dives on art business topics that can use a little more coverage.

If there’s a specific topic you’d like to see covered, let us know (anonymously) here!

This week we’ve got:

Commissioned Artwork

Creating and selling custom commissioned artwork involves several important steps, each with its own set of considerations to ensure both you and the client walk away happy. Here's what you should know:

🔹 Initial Consultation

• Understand the Client’s Vision: Have a detailed discussion to clarify the client's expectations, including the style, color palette, size, and subject matter. Use reference images or sketches to ensure you're on the same page.

• Set Clear Boundaries: Define what is and isn't possible based on your skills and artistic style. Be honest about what you can deliver.

🔹 Pricing and Payment

• Set a Fair Price: Factor in the time, materials, and the complexity of the project as well as your personal skill level and how in demand your work is. Time spent and material cost is relatively straight forward, but the more experienced and in demand you are, the more you can charge too. Whether you determine your pricing by hourly rate or charging a flat fee, make sure you follow a consistent logic so you know how to quote from project to project.

• Payment Structure: Require a non-refundable deposit before starting, usually 30-50% of the total cost. Clearly state when the final payment is due—often upon completion or before delivery.

• Discuss Revisions: Set limits on the number of revisions included in the price. Additional changes should come with extra costs, which should be made clear upfront.

🔹 Contract and Documentation

• Create a Written Agreement: Document all the agreed terms in a contract, including the scope of work, timeline, pricing, and payment schedule. This protects both parties if disputes arise.

• Copyright and Reproduction Rights: Clarify who owns the rights to the artwork. Typically, the artist retains copyright, but the client may receive limited rights to use the image. If prints or reproductions are part of the deal, specify this in the contract. For example, you may wish to sell prints of a commissioned piece of work after you sell your client the original, or your client may wish to use your artwork for commercial purposes. Make sure the contract outlines what’s allowable for both parties.

🔹 Work in Progress

• Regular Updates: Keep the client informed with progress reports and images. This helps manage expectations and reduces the likelihood of major revisions later.

• Handle Feedback Carefully: Be open to feedback but firm in maintaining your artistic integrity. Ensure any requested changes align with the original agreement.

🔹 Final Approval and Delivery

• Approval Process: Before delivering the final piece, send high-quality photos for client approval. This is the time for any last minor adjustments. You may wish to include watermarks to prevent the client from using the images as finished work received free of charge.

• Delivery Logistics: Discuss and agree on the delivery method—whether it’s shipping, in-person delivery, or digital handover for digital works. Ensure packaging is adequate to prevent damage during transit.

🔹 Post-Sale Considerations

• Follow-Up: After delivery, follow up with the client to ensure satisfaction. This builds a positive relationship and increases the likelihood of repeat business or referrals. Consider asking for a testimonial that you can use to promote the quality of your work on your website or social media pages.

• Portfolio Use: With permission, include the commissioned work in your portfolio and on social media, which can help attract future commissions.

🛑 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Scope Creep: Avoid letting the project grow beyond the original agreement without adjusting the price and timeline.

• Underpricing: Don’t undersell your work. Custom pieces are unique and should be priced accordingly.

• Lack of Clear Communication: Misunderstandings can be costly. Ensure both parties are clear on all details before starting.

By keeping these considerations in mind at each stage, you can create a successful and rewarding experience for both you and your client.

Have You Heard of Krita?

For artists that prefer to paint digitally, there’s no better choice than to use Procreate on the iPad… But what if you don’t have an iPad? Or what if you don’t want to pay for Procreate?

Enter Krita.

Krita is a free, open-source painting & illustration software designed for digital artists, and there’s actually a lot of reasons you may prefer it over Procreate.

• Cost: Krita is free and open-source, while Procreate is a paid app for iPad.

• Platforms: Krita is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it more accessible across devices. Procreate is exclusive to iPads.

• Customization: Krita offers advanced brush engines, more customizable features, and a wide range of tools for professional workflows, like animation and texturing.

• Open Format: Being open-source, Krita has a large community contributing to its features and updates.

When a software is open-source, like Krita, it means that its source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute.

They even have their own dedicated subreddit where users and artists can share artwork, and troubleshoot issues. Artists can find tips, tutorials, and updates about the software, as well as collaborate and exchange creative ideas. Additionally, since it’s open source, Reddit users often share custom modifications and plug-ins developed by the Krita community.

There’s also an official YouTube channel with tons of tutorials if that better suits your style of learning.

The deals aren’t gone yet…

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Art Business News (that isn’t a snooze)

• Titanic artwork rediscovered 🚢 - There’s nothing like a good shipwreck and some buried treasure to quicken the pulse and pique one’s interest. Last month, a bronze statue from the Titanic, not seen since an expedition in the 1980’s, was rediscovered after it was thought to be lost forever. Researchers haven’t been back to the famous wreck since 2010, a trip which failed to locate the “Diana of Versaille” statue, but this time was different. Besides snapping a few pics of the well-preserved Roman goddess, the team took over 2 million high-resolution photos of the entire site, ensuring nothing else get lost to time without first being properly documented.

• Do you have $1M in your attic? 🤔 - I bet you’ve forgotten half the stuff that’s collecting dust up in your attic, but if you had an original Rembrandt, you’d know. That’s exactly what was found in the attic of a home in Camden, Maine during a routine house call for an auction house. The painting, in near perfect condition, ended up selling for nearly $1.2 million - possibly becoming the most expensive artwork ever sold publicly in the state.

Thanks for checking out another edition of Stay Sketchy. Catch you next week! ✌️

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