Y ou've but been approached by someone who loves your work and is excitedly presenting yous with an thought for a custom piece.

It's easy to become swept away in the flattery, but there is a lot to keep in listen earlier accepting a commission.

While nearly commissions get off without a hitch, there are besides plenty of horror stories where a seemingly promising commission turned into a miserable, never-ending nightmare.

Knowing what questions to ask before you accept a commission can assistance you lot avert any potentially stressful or less-than-desirable situations. The more you communicate, and the more both you and your client understand about the upcoming project, the smoother the whole process will be.

We put together a list of 10 questions to answer before you commit to a commission.

Am I capable of completing this project?

Especially at the first of your career, it can exist tempting to say "yes" to every opportunity. Nonetheless, be honest with yourself nearly your capabilities and your limitations. Does the proposed project include whatsoever techniques or materials with which you are unfamiliar? If the project is outside of your skillset, it's better to say "no", than to promise something you tin't evangelize. This will only stress you out, and disappoint your customer.

You lot can't be a master at everything. Often, clients aren't enlightened of the differences or restrictions of certain materials—merely because they aren't as familiar with the process equally y'all. It's your job to educate them almost what is possible and what you are capable of completing—and steering them in a direction of something that is.

How long will this projection take me?

Keep in listen that creating a custom piece is a different procedure than creating a piece of work on your own. Unless information technology is a replica of one of your current pieces, information technology will likely accept more time to complete. At that place is more dorsum-and-forth, more communication, and more trial and fault than with your regular line of piece of work.

Calculate how long yous think a projection like this would accept if it was something you were familiar with and and so multiply that fourth dimension by a third. Y'all don't want to find yourself in a position where you over-committed on a fourth dimension-frame and are rushing to stop a piece, or find yourself extending the deadline. It's meliorate to set upwards a realistic timeline (even if information technology's a footling long) and surprise them when the project is done early than working in high-stress conditions.

Do I piece of work well with other people?

Existence an artist is inherently a solo endeavor. With long hours alone in the studio, it tin exist quite jarring to all suddenly take someone else involved in your decision making and creative procedure. Is information technology appealing to y'all to piece of work closely with someone else? How volition y'all experience when you are pushed in a management y'all don't necessarily want to be pushed? Are you gear up to communicate, even when you don't feel similar it?

Being social can exist the cardinal to fine art business success, simply knowing what y'all are upwards for is merely every bit important.

Does this project fit with my artistic goals and how much does that matter to me correct now?

Not every project has to be an extension of your current aesthetic. Information technology might be easier, but ask yourself how important that is to you lot at the current place in your career. It's not selling out to take on a project exterior of what yous would normally be making. Anybody needs to brand money, and everyone deserves a steady career. Taking on a project that is outside of your condolement zone could open up new doors, give you new ideas, and introduce you to new people and clients.

Then again, perhaps you are after in your career, and information technology's just not viable, or worth the time and stress of working on a committee that is not aligned with your electric current goals. It's really up to you.

Can they put downward a deposit?

The concluding thing yous want is to put in the try, time, and overhead, and not go paid. Inquire your client to put down a percentage of the final slice before you lot kickoff working on it. That way, you are both invested in the result.

Make up one's mind what feels off-white to y'all. If your final product is worth $1500, perchance $600 feels like enough to both go yous through the time it takes to brand the piece of work, and as a security protection for y'all. We've seen artists take anywhere from 25-40% non-refundable down payments on their piece of work. Set a pct that works for you, and stick to it.

Would they like to encounter samples of my other work?

A good way to know that yous and your customer are on the same page is by going over multiple samples of your past piece of work. Make certain they see the range of what you are capable of doing and they go a practiced idea of the overview of your piece of work. Set them up with the expectation that they aren't going to receive an exact replica of a previous piece.

See if at that place are certain pieces that they similar more than others. Ask them what they adopt about those pieces. Ask if there is annihilation they specifically don't like. What large themes, techniques or generalizations do they similar? If there is something that they don't like that yous tin can't alter (sail texture, certain colors, etc.) let them know ahead of time. Being clear about what is possible, or non possible, helps atmosphere false expectations.

A skillful way to show them your previous piece of work is through customizable inventory reports with Artwork Annal.

How involved will they be in the process?

How oftentimes volition they check in along the way? Establish some benchmarks that you will bear witness them your progress with, so they aren't left in the dark, but also aren't hovering. Allow's say you set up a four-week window for a painting: ask them if sending them pictures of the sketches, and so one photo a calendar week until completion is sufficient. This mode, you contrivance any potential disasters before it's too late and they can get a feel for where the painting is heading.

What is the best way to contact them throughout the creation time?

Ask your customer how they prefer to communicate throughout the process. Is east-postal service all-time for them? Volition shooting them a text with a few progress shots work? Practice they adopt to run into the pictures and take a follow-up phone conversation? Or, do they want to physically come up by the studio and run across the work in person? Depending on the size and scope of the projection, as well as the person, this volition vary. Communication is crucial to this process going smoothly, and establishing how that communication is going to happen is half the battle.

Have they commissioned any pieces before?

Typically, if the person yous are working with has commissioned a number of pieces earlier, they volition know how to piece of work with you also. If y'all are on the argue near it still or accept reservations, don't feel scared to inquire for a reference from one of their previously commissioned artists.

Practise they accept any other questions?

Ongoing communication is the essential chemical element to accepting commission work. The more than y'all communicate, enquire questions, and have questions, the more rewarding the procedure will be for both parties.

Make your client experience more professional person with Artwork Archive. Follow up with contacts, easily generate price lists and invoices, and get paid faster with a 30-day free trial of Artwork Artwork Archive.