10 answers
Sadie
Student
New Orleans, Louisiana
1
Question
Asked
749 views
what should I do as a young person that wants to start to do commissions soon?
I've always wanted to make money or have my career be in the art or animation industry and I want to know is there any tips you could leave for an beginner/intermediate artist that wants to start and do commissions soon
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10 answers
Ailynn Jones
2
Answers
Lafayette, Louisiana
Updated
Ailynn’s Answer
Hi Sadie! If you're looking to start commissions, I highly suggest building yourself a platform and community on whatever social media you prefer. Just know that different media platforms operate differently, and its algorithm may prefer certain things to others (i.e. Instagram is focusing more on reels and may not be the best platform for artists in the long run). Whenever you build your community up, start making a portfolio full of your own ideas and maybe even fan art as those posts usually do well. Whenever you're ready to start commissions, have a post ready to announce your opening. Remember to create a TOS, accept full or partial payment upfront, and just look at different platforms that allow you to host your commissions (Ko-Fi is an example).
Of course, doing commissions professionally may take a different approach. This is just a small start if you want to do commissions as a side hustle.
Of course, doing commissions professionally may take a different approach. This is just a small start if you want to do commissions as a side hustle.
Macy Carlson
UX/UI Design
1
Answer
Savannah, Georgia
Updated
Macy’s Answer
Hi Sadie!
Congratulations on starting your art career! You can do anything you set your mind to!
My suggestion would be to network as much as possible, set up your art on social media platforms (reels are huge for this), and build a portfolio/website to showcase your work. The biggest of these would be networking. Not only is building a community around your art amazing for inspiration, but it also helps as the majority of commissions starting out are from word of mouth. Good luck!
Congratulations on starting your art career! You can do anything you set your mind to!
My suggestion would be to network as much as possible, set up your art on social media platforms (reels are huge for this), and build a portfolio/website to showcase your work. The biggest of these would be networking. Not only is building a community around your art amazing for inspiration, but it also helps as the majority of commissions starting out are from word of mouth. Good luck!
Edward Cogswell
Freelance Artist
15
Answers
Portland, Maine
Updated
Edward’s Answer
Hi Sadie, Real good question! I am a freelance artist who deals with both commissions, and hourly/ flat rate. I specialize in realism, and portrait art. I am skilled in a variety of styles & art media, tools. My expertise is w/ pencil(black & white), charcoal, pen, colored pencil….a wide spectrum of subject matter . Try to become as well rounded as possible. I am enrolled, and starting college this fall @ MECA&D for my Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Art and Graphic Design. You never stop learning. So w/ all that I trying to express the knowledge, commitment, experience you have to have, or gain. After that the rest’s easy. There are plenty of platforms, and online communities that you can showcase your work. As well as find contacts/customer, or employer’s, etc. that will pay you for what you love doing! Just build a solid portfolio & resume and apply yourself. That’s the definition of success and a career. Good luck, best, Edward
Jennifer Alvarado
Crew Member
1
Answer
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Jennifer’s Answer
Hello Sadie!
An important thing to do when starting commissions is to have a portfolio catered to what you want to focus on, this doesn't mean you can't do it all, you have complete control over what you want to take on. For example, I am a concept artist/ illustrator so my portfolio has things such as character designs, illustrations, portraits, and streaming assets. People can get a good idea of what you do from looking but you can also create things such as commission prices or websites that you can update and populate with all the portfolio examples you have and you can go into detail on what services you can provide.
There are many sites made for artists to advertise their services the ones I know off the top of my head are Vgen, and Fiverr but there are many others. One thing you must be careful about is being paid, you have the choice to pick the form you are paid in things like paypal or venmo.
It's important with these services and your website to make a TOS (Terms of Service) so people know what to expect. You can tell them how refunds work, payment amount (half or full amount) how long the commission may take and how clients can use your art.
There are many artists you can use as references to build your terms of service, I can even provide mine if you would like.
Another form of taking commission is Google form, you can ask for things such as name// contact info, email address, include types of commissions you are taking (animations, animatics, rough animation and so on), ask them for references and any other info you need to get a good idea of what the client is looking for and the contact info provided will allow you to talk to them throughout the whole commission duration.
Having a social media presence is important. This allows you to get your name out there through your work. I would suggest social media but anything that allows you to post art just create an account and post all you want. You can do art trends and fanart to get more foot traffic to your page. You can even post progress images or reels so people can get the idea of how you work and some even trust working with you more through this.
Networking! Networking is always important in anything when I started mine my network of friends commissioned me for things such as twitch (emotes and panels) and illustrations. Grow it as much as you can you can even ask artists for tips on how they price or even what you should price them so you don't go too low or high with them. You can also go to things such as lightbox to meet artists and network as well.
An important thing to do when starting commissions is to have a portfolio catered to what you want to focus on, this doesn't mean you can't do it all, you have complete control over what you want to take on. For example, I am a concept artist/ illustrator so my portfolio has things such as character designs, illustrations, portraits, and streaming assets. People can get a good idea of what you do from looking but you can also create things such as commission prices or websites that you can update and populate with all the portfolio examples you have and you can go into detail on what services you can provide.
There are many sites made for artists to advertise their services the ones I know off the top of my head are Vgen, and Fiverr but there are many others. One thing you must be careful about is being paid, you have the choice to pick the form you are paid in things like paypal or venmo.
It's important with these services and your website to make a TOS (Terms of Service) so people know what to expect. You can tell them how refunds work, payment amount (half or full amount) how long the commission may take and how clients can use your art.
There are many artists you can use as references to build your terms of service, I can even provide mine if you would like.
Another form of taking commission is Google form, you can ask for things such as name// contact info, email address, include types of commissions you are taking (animations, animatics, rough animation and so on), ask them for references and any other info you need to get a good idea of what the client is looking for and the contact info provided will allow you to talk to them throughout the whole commission duration.
Having a social media presence is important. This allows you to get your name out there through your work. I would suggest social media but anything that allows you to post art just create an account and post all you want. You can do art trends and fanart to get more foot traffic to your page. You can even post progress images or reels so people can get the idea of how you work and some even trust working with you more through this.
Networking! Networking is always important in anything when I started mine my network of friends commissioned me for things such as twitch (emotes and panels) and illustrations. Grow it as much as you can you can even ask artists for tips on how they price or even what you should price them so you don't go too low or high with them. You can also go to things such as lightbox to meet artists and network as well.
Ladan Alipour
Designer - Teacher
7
Answers
Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Updated
Ladan’s Answer
Dear Sadie!
You can upload a set of your works in different platforms that are a place for business. You should choose the platform according to your profession. But the only thing that is important is to have continuity in uploading more works and activities. One of the platforms is Adobe Stock. You can also find other platforms.
You can upload a set of your works in different platforms that are a place for business. You should choose the platform according to your profession. But the only thing that is important is to have continuity in uploading more works and activities. One of the platforms is Adobe Stock. You can also find other platforms.
Victoria Monz
Digital Artist
3
Answers
Milford, Pennsylvania
Updated
Victoria’s Answer
Hi Sadie,
Art commissions are always great for some early income. You have to decide what kind of commissions you want to pursue. Some people do realism portraits, or pet portraits. Others will bring characters to life or create cartoons/caricatures. Make sure you set your prices, and do not lowball your art. Start by setting an hourly rate. This will not only keep you motivated but will help you ensure that your time is paid for. My advice is to take half payment up front. I do commissions all the time and from my personal experience, never give the full work before it gets paid for. Protect your art, and start building your brand. I recommend starting an online platform like Instagram to showcase your work. Best of luck!
Art commissions are always great for some early income. You have to decide what kind of commissions you want to pursue. Some people do realism portraits, or pet portraits. Others will bring characters to life or create cartoons/caricatures. Make sure you set your prices, and do not lowball your art. Start by setting an hourly rate. This will not only keep you motivated but will help you ensure that your time is paid for. My advice is to take half payment up front. I do commissions all the time and from my personal experience, never give the full work before it gets paid for. Protect your art, and start building your brand. I recommend starting an online platform like Instagram to showcase your work. Best of luck!
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6338
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hi Sadie!
You might find it interesting to explore a site that combines music and art with computer programming. It's all presented through YouTube Studio at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/@JAMES_CONSTANTINE_FRANGOS
You'll find more than 1,000 videos there.
For music, check out "10 A Class Above All" and "Ranges" at the following links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r41L_yji1M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15lKA1Mgam8
For art, dive into these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE5VMaJQqAI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqUfbEciOwc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRZEQG4VK-Y
May God bless you!
JC.
You might find it interesting to explore a site that combines music and art with computer programming. It's all presented through YouTube Studio at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/@JAMES_CONSTANTINE_FRANGOS
You'll find more than 1,000 videos there.
For music, check out "10 A Class Above All" and "Ranges" at the following links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r41L_yji1M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15lKA1Mgam8
For art, dive into these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE5VMaJQqAI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqUfbEciOwc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRZEQG4VK-Y
May God bless you!
JC.
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
Minister, USMC Vet, John C. Maxwell Cert. Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher, Straight Shooter
125
Answers
Kyle, Texas
Updated
Steward "Tony"’s Answer
Shirt Designs Online as a start. Many companies will sell it, ship it and give you a commission for designing the art on it. Easy Peasy if your talent is up to what people are looking for.
Danielle Mcmillian
Art Director
2
Answers
City of Orange, New Jersey
Updated
Danielle’s Answer
Hello Sadie!
It's fantastic to hear that you're contemplating embarking on commission work. Besides establishing a digital footprint on social media and creating a portfolio, one immediate step you can take to enhance your experience and visibility is to network within your local community.
Local towns, educational institutions, and small businesses are constantly on the lookout for collaborations with local artists. This presents an excellent opportunity for you to expand your portfolio and begin earning from your work, and potentially gain more recommendations.
Once you've established your unique style and work rhythm, and feel ready to elevate your career, it would be beneficial to consider hiring a representative. It's important to explore your options to find the right fit, but the advantage of having a representative is their established connections with publishers, brands, and agencies. This can open doors to larger projects and increased visibility.
It's fantastic to hear that you're contemplating embarking on commission work. Besides establishing a digital footprint on social media and creating a portfolio, one immediate step you can take to enhance your experience and visibility is to network within your local community.
Local towns, educational institutions, and small businesses are constantly on the lookout for collaborations with local artists. This presents an excellent opportunity for you to expand your portfolio and begin earning from your work, and potentially gain more recommendations.
Once you've established your unique style and work rhythm, and feel ready to elevate your career, it would be beneficial to consider hiring a representative. It's important to explore your options to find the right fit, but the advantage of having a representative is their established connections with publishers, brands, and agencies. This can open doors to larger projects and increased visibility.
Laura Mills
Graphic Designer
41
Answers
Lenhartsville, PA
Updated
Laura’s Answer
Hello Sadie!
That's awesome you want to jump right into your career by getting experience doing commissions. The best option I think for anyone wanting to get started doing commissions/freelance work is first and foremost having an online presence. It can mean having social media pages such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Tumblr, Dribbble, etc. There are so many out there to pick from, my suggestion is to pick no more than 2 because you are going to be able to manage posts on these platforms and interact with people as much as possible. Along with that, put in the bio of your profile page that you are open to commissions, so people who view your page will know right away.
That brings me to my next point, on the social media platforms that you choose, post your work either projects you've completed or projects that you are currently working on. By doing that, you are showing people and potential clients your creative process giving them some familiarity on how you complete a project and your thought process behind it.
My last piece of advice which sounds easier said than done, but I think is the most important is not being afraid to reach out to small businesses around you or people either in person, by sending an email, or a DM saying that you like their work or their impact they are making on the community and would be interested in working with them to create artwork for their business or animations for their website if they would like. Another option is reaching out to other artists, illustrations, or animators saying that you would like to collaborate with them too. The whole point of this is trying to get your name and work out to the public so that people will know where to go when they do need those creative skills to enhance their business space or somewhere else.
I hope this helps answer your questions and gets you started; I wish you the best of luck!
-Laura Mills
That's awesome you want to jump right into your career by getting experience doing commissions. The best option I think for anyone wanting to get started doing commissions/freelance work is first and foremost having an online presence. It can mean having social media pages such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Tumblr, Dribbble, etc. There are so many out there to pick from, my suggestion is to pick no more than 2 because you are going to be able to manage posts on these platforms and interact with people as much as possible. Along with that, put in the bio of your profile page that you are open to commissions, so people who view your page will know right away.
That brings me to my next point, on the social media platforms that you choose, post your work either projects you've completed or projects that you are currently working on. By doing that, you are showing people and potential clients your creative process giving them some familiarity on how you complete a project and your thought process behind it.
My last piece of advice which sounds easier said than done, but I think is the most important is not being afraid to reach out to small businesses around you or people either in person, by sending an email, or a DM saying that you like their work or their impact they are making on the community and would be interested in working with them to create artwork for their business or animations for their website if they would like. Another option is reaching out to other artists, illustrations, or animators saying that you would like to collaborate with them too. The whole point of this is trying to get your name and work out to the public so that people will know where to go when they do need those creative skills to enhance their business space or somewhere else.
I hope this helps answer your questions and gets you started; I wish you the best of luck!
-Laura Mills