owl logo
Here are a few things I found out about creating art on commission. Many times it seems to be more trouble than it is worth. There is always that nail biting moment when you must present your art to the client. You don’t know if they are going to swoon with love or gag (or laugh) when they see it.
I found this to be true whether the client is paying or not. I use the word “commission” to mean any time someone asks you to create art for them. You could be on the publicity committee of your local club and be asked to create a logo or design a newsletter. You are there as a contributing member, not as a paid outside professional. So you consent to do the work to further the cause you believe in.
I have created free art for people for a number of reasons. In several cases people have requested changes. Fine. No problem. That’s to be expected. Then I find that each change sparks the client’s imagination and they want more changes. “Can you use some other colors?” “Can you draw a ferret instead of a bird?” “Can you put a pirate outfit on him?” “Can you make him a her?” “Can you make two ferrets?” “Can you make a ferret, a bird and a spider playing cards?” Okay, now there’s a problem. This will happen with your paying and non paying clients. There should be a limit in any case.
The non paying ones have nothing to lose. Remember that you also have nothing to lose if you walk away from this potential headache. You need to put limits on this project. Time is money and the time you spend trying to please a high maintenance non-paying client is the time taken away from an actual paying job.
Here are some tips to get you out of this frustrating situation. Tell your fussy clients that you have a time limit on this project: that you can make a few more changes but you have other deadlines you must meet. Do several sketches and give them a choice from what you present. This focuses their energy so they do not start pulling endless ideas out of the universe. Remind them of the limits of the project. A logo may not lend itself to a crowd scene from Times Square.
As for paying clients, if a client pays you even $15 for a work they may think they own your soul. Can you say contract, boys and girls? Run to your bookstore, if you haven’t already, and buy Pricing and Ethical Guidelines from the Graphic Artist’s Guild, Professional Practices in Graphic Design by AIGA, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist and Business and Legal Forms, both by Tad Crawford. There are many others.
So, here is a lesson. Pay your dues, use your talents to better society, but learn when enough is enough. Your time is valuable. You could be in your studio making art for real clients with real money.
Respect your time. No one else will
owl logo
Here are a few things I found out about creating art on commission. Many times it seems to be more trouble than it is worth. There is always that nail biting moment when you must present your art to the client. You don’t know if they are going to swoon with love or gag (or laugh) when they see it.
I found this to be true whether the client is paying or not. I use the word “commission” to mean any time someone asks you to create art for them. You could be on the publicity committee of your local club and be asked to create a logo or design a newsletter. You are there as a contributing member, not as a paid outside professional. So you consent to do the work to further the cause you believe in.
I have created free art for people for a number of reasons. In several cases people have requested changes. Fine. No problem. That’s to be expected. Then I find that each change sparks the client’s imagination and they want more changes. “Can you use some other colors?” “Can you draw a ferret instead of a bird?” “Can you put a pirate outfit on him?” “Can you make him a her?” “Can you make two ferrets?” “Can you make a ferret, a bird and a spider playing cards?” Okay, now there’s a problem. This will happen with your paying and non paying clients. There should be a limit in any case.
The non paying ones have nothing to lose. Remember that you also have nothing to lose if you walk away from this potential headache. You need to put limits on this project. Time is money and the time you spend trying to please a high maintenance non-paying client is the time taken away from an actual paying job.
Here are some tips to get you out of this frustrating situation. Tell your fussy clients that you have a time limit on this project: that you can make a few more changes but you have other deadlines you must meet. Do several sketches and give them a choice from what you present. This focuses their energy so they do not start pulling endless ideas out of the universe. Remind them of the limits of the project. A logo may not lend itself to a crowd scene from Times Square.
As for paying clients, if a client pays you even $15 for a work they may think they own your soul. Can you say contract, boys and girls? Run to your bookstore, if you haven’t already, and buy Pricing and Ethical Guidelines from the Graphic Artist’s Guild, Professional Practices in Graphic Design by AIGA, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist and Business and Legal Forms, both by Tad Crawford. There are many others.
So, here is a lesson. Pay your dues, use your talents to better society, but learn when enough is enough. Your time is valuable. You could be in your studio making art for real clients with real money.