honestly i highly disagree, people tend to severely underprice art when robux is being paid for it, lots of people will literally pay only 10-50 robux for an art piece or character design (and ive seen some GOOD stuff go for this) which is just absolutely crazy, thats literally multiple hours of work for a few cents because kids on roblox think 4k robux is like paying a million dollars for art
Pricing is definetly difficult but I also want to remind people to not set their prices too low. Because Artists tend to have a bad case of imposter syndrome and that might have you undervalue your art and your efforts actual worth.
pricing according to market > pricing for your self-conceived worth ! don't let the price of your commissions tell you how good your art is,, instead let it reflect the natural ebb and flow of supply and demand!
There's also the problem that some people could stick to art circles (frequently art-technique-level-based or art-experience-based circles) that have very different comm cultures and prices, and then tunnel vision thinking that's all there is to it which could misguide new artists when they don't fit in the same experience category. For example, overall in VTuber model market a model costs 2000$ on average, but I recently saw someone who never interacted with popular vtubers and experienced anime artists, so they were 100% certain that an average vtuber model costs 400$ and that an average artist charges 10$ per hour for their comms lmao. Then they proceeded to give advice of charging 10$/hr to an artist whose skills looked like they were years of hard work ahead of this "advisor" newbie artist. I was shocked tbh
WOAH THATS WILD,, thats why its good to base ur prices off external pricing standards rather than intrinsic views on how much you think you art SHOULD be worth lmao
@@kymbbmI’ve noticed artists also underprice themselves as beginners as low as 10$ and vtuber models as low as 100$. They likely assumed 400$ because thats more so the level the majority of new vtubers buy from the 100-1000$ dollar price range And 2000$ is for an average already started vtuber aka professional artists. So I can see how they’d mix it up as “market price” when its the underselling category. If you want to know if you’re underselling compare fiverr prices to more professional sites to see how much they undersell. Same for the VA industry, upwork and fiverr are super cheap but horrible for artists due to the culture for under pricing.
If you make/use a paypal account before you turn 18, I HIGHLY recommend making a new one once you turn 18. Paypal can be SUPER strict and has banned people for making accounts underaged even after they turned 18.
i once took a commission for $14 AUD while i was 14 with my own paypal set under my own name. im soon turning 18, and i wanna know if there is a way to retrieve that $14 (that money has been there rotting in that account for the past 3 years)
I’ve been posting my art online for 8 years now and commissions have always been a “i’ll do it one day” thing because of how complicated it seemed. who knew it was this video that would make it so much less scary than it needed to be
I think it should just be generally known to take your time taking commissions. It's happened way too often for me at least where I've gotten thrown into the idea of doing commissions and earning money doing what I love that I've taken them without fail, its nice to have the cash but now you have a good list of drawings to do in a time limit. This is not to say you can't take a lot, no, but KNOW YOUR LIMITS!
@@9somethingorother837 I mean what the commissioner gives you, most want it done in a good amount of time. Those who don't have a limit, I usually get the sketch out within a week, the lineart and colouring done in the next week and finished
@@9somethingorother837 From my experience, most people that commissioned me were okay with a week of wait. Of course it depends by the quantity of characters and amount of rendering, so one to three weeks should be acceptable. As long as you're clear with updates with who paid you and did tell beforehand an estimate of how long it would take (because we do other stuff than drawing) everything should be fine!
@@9somethingorother8373 days at the very least. Maybe a full week at max. Either way, making art for someone is very hard, so if you're slow at doing your own art, make sure that when you're taking a commission, make it longer than when you usually finish your art. That time limit and pressure of taking a commission will make you slower than your usual self because you know, you don't want to disappoint, that's why you're probably going to be more fixated on it.
Some advice from my end: Be responsible and accountable. -If you have different commission batches, don't draw any commissions from the newer batch before finishing the ones from the previous batch. -Don't interrupt a commission more than once. This goes for the artists whose drawings require lots of hours to complete. Telling the client you're taking a break from their commission to draw something else isn't a big deal if only done once. -If you tell a client you're starting his drawing this week, do not move it again and again to next month. -Many artists struggle with anxiety, depression, or have to deal with environments that really stress them, that's understandable and the client should be okay with you explaining to them that you need a break from their commission. Just don't use it as a repeating excuse to procrastinate their drawing because it may rub them the wrong way.
As an artist that also gets a lot of commissions, this is the only commission advice video I advocate for. The tip on pricing is so fucking true GOD THANK YOU FOR SAYING IT. Pricing yourself for minimum wage as a commission artist is NOT the way to go. No one can tell how long a piece took, all that matters is the final product. It could take one artist 1 hour to do flats while another artist does it in 30 seconds because they were smart and used the fill bucket. Remember to use shortcuts and work smarter, not harder.
@@pinkalora If you haven't gotten a single commission yet then it's likely you aren't marketing yourself correctly or your art style isn't the popular type 😔
@@pinkalora Well, for starers, I think you should make your commissions easier to find 😅 I looked at your instagram and your commissions link isn't working :')
another tip I'd say is really important is, when calculating a price for a big commission (background, lots of characters, etc, complex design or composition, etc.) for someone that has already shown interest in your work, don't be afraid of telling them the real price!! don't try to make it lower!! if they really want the drawing, they're gonna be willing to pay full price for it. if not, maybe you can negotiate a *somewhat* lower price or a less complex commission. experienced commissioners don't have as much of a problem with pricing as you may think!! the amounts of times I've felt guilty for telling them the price but when I did they were more than happy to pay it is actually crazy omg. 😭
scenarios that are honestly really rad is when clients end up paying you with no issue AND even give a tip. The amount of times I have had clients give like 20%-30% more of the calculate price really surprises me each time because the total was already quite high imo. But then again I do commissions in a space that values a lot of its artists as well as taking commissions in USD while not being from the states (I'm a furry)
This is so relatable. I always feel bad and will try to offset or justify the price in some way (I think due to my expectations from family/mass produced goods existing), when I think in reality the person is totally already sold on it when they contacted me 😅
So as someone who is thinking about opening commissions, the only problem is like if I can’t draw something they request I’ll feel REALLY bad if I tell them to give me something else 😭😭
main focus of my point was that sometimes offering too many options leads to decision fatigue in customers! if your artstyle allows for sketches to be a viable option then by all means go for them sketch commissions :D
I put a gig for coloring lineart and I got a client that asked for stuff regularly. That was $15 × 4 and $20 × 2. I also had 2 people that would ask for fullbodies. Turns out befriending your commissioners is a golden tip. I was too insecure asking them for work even though they had undeniable liking of my work.
I always felt bad for pricing my full body artworks for $100 but given it took me 3 whole weeks to complete it, and I am a student too, people will pay anything for you to draw their OC bro (+tips). Don't worry about pricing your commissions "high", art is a luxury and people will buy it.
Pricing according to market is just a good move regardless of the business. I had a friend that would consult small businesses as a side-hustle since he started 3 of his own, and pricing too low at first can sink a business. You’ll barely be able to keep the lights on at first and anger/scare away returning customers when you inevitably have to raise prices. Be confident that you’ll put in the extra effort to make your work worth it at first, and gain the skill to stay at that level with less effort later on.
Love this, The advice is really good! The only thing I would disagree with is the 'no one wants your sketch' part. I've sold/traded/gifted a decent amount of sketch commissions rather than fully colored/lined/shaded ones!
these are all good tips!! however, I do find that some people prefer my coloured sketch commissions to my regular lineart commissions. it’s about a 50/50 split in terms of peoples preferences, at least in my personal experience! if you think your sketches are nice and people might like them, don’t be afraid to put them as an option. Ive had people willing to pay the same amount a regular comm would be for a coloured sketch. offer what kind of art feels right to you!
this is very insightful. Ive been drawing as long as i know but ive only gotten my first commission at the age of 20. Whats really difficult is pricing myself at international rates.
I’ve been thinking of opening commissions but first I’m trying to get better at anatomy, I’VE BEEN WORRYING SINCE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO BUT TY SM ‼️
The complex design thing is so true and I'm so glad you mentioned it. The amount of times i wanted to commission someone but ended up not doing it because my design might have been to detailed .. 😭😭
Good tips! (Also that yokai watch music, nice touch!) One tip I would recommend, I would even say in the commission sheet WHAT it is (digital or traditional) since like you mentioned in the one tip of be good in one skill, even mentioning what type it is would actually help the market and even pricing too! Keep up the awesome work!
For any future artists who plan to open commission, PLEASE pace yourself. As someone who had to learn this the hard way, don't bite off more than you can chew by taking on too many comms at once.
i personally dont think im fully ready for commissions (multiple reasons) but i def do one day and this video ha s alot of info and advice that i was actually wondering about so thanks mate!!!!! (also im ADORINGG the art in the video🤩)
Even if I'm broke and not a great situation I don't think commission will do anything for me bc anxiety etc but later I might take some time once im more comfortable
One good way to also get more examples is doing art trades and raffles/giveaways. Help make people notice your art and maybe even start following your content.
This is pretty much what I had been considering doing for commissions recently; I’m just glad to hear that focusing on one kind of creation is a wise tactic.
omg THANK YOU for being real with the pricing advice, I'm so sick of people telling other artists to price based on their "worth" when in reality people are more likely to buy based on the market
as someone who did commissions for 3 yers before taking a long break to focus on getting into college and now wants to start again-- this is excellent advice! ty!
An extra tip: Be nice and respectful to your clients (unless they did something to deserve otherwise). I regularly interact with my clients, try to show interest in what they have to say or for their OC, or just try to accommodate for them without being unnecessarily rude. If you provide a good service, they are VERY likely to return, tip and even recommend you to their friends. You can even end up meeting some cool people and genuinely befriending them in the process.
I've been doing commissions since 2021 and I watched lots of videos related to the topic throughout these years. And this one actually the most useful out of all?? Thanks a lot my eyes actually got opened on a few things
You can also get a Stripe standard account if you are 13+ :) you will need to add a legal guardian to the acc so you're able to transfer money to your bank until ur 18. You can connect it to your kofi etc and conversion fees are (I believe) lower than PayPals for international transactions.
As an artist new to the world of commissions, I heavily appreciate this advice. I’ve had commissions up for a lil over a month or so, but I’m really trying to dig into the rabbit hole to get more out of it now. :>
For the tip 4 part, i actually never thought about it that way. I guess it does make sense that adding extra money because something is too detailed can detract customers. I feel like the amount of “a lot” can be subjective, and artists should just openly express their concerns and not charge extra just like you implied. 🙂
I've been trying to make my first commission for years now and this video is heaps and bounds above all the videos that made me super confused! You explained it in such a way that made me excited to start posting commissions - something I usually am afraid of doing 'incorrectly'. U just earned a new sub bro, p.s. ur art rocks!
This video actually helps, I'm too anxious and scared to price anything and legit barely anyone is helpful because it's like people are trying to baby beginners instead of being honest that we suck😭
I have to disagree with a couple of things. 1. Sketches. You can actually make very beautiful sketches as long as you practice, and as long as you are growing your Fanbase, yes, people do want sketches. Just a matter of quality at that point. So it’s a great time to make sure to brush up your skills behind the scenes if you are not confident with sketches. 2. Complexity. Even if you are just a beginner, if you are going out of your way to practice, you shouldn’t shy away from it so randomly ‘just so clients can afford.’ You don’t know their income and it can actually insult them if they found out that’s why you do it. Never take away your chances for extra money- as you should because it takes more time, and added bonus, it’s just nice to give a client and your portfolio more flare more often than not. Should only turn down things you can’t do, or are really genuinely uncomfortable with if you’re open to commissions. Like say if you might be on a tight schedule.
As a small artist, I've always wanted to do commissions but I'm too afraid of scammers and my social skills are weak, not just that but I'm often hiatus due to school 😭
you are so incredibly real for the Nintendo sounds and yokai watch ost, instantly brought me back to childhood great tips too! I’ll keep these in mind when i start in a while
Most important of all, do not, DO NOT contact your clients yourself... I cannot stress this enough. I seen people dm/pm people and try to have them commission them, even try to talk them into it. THIS IS A HUGE NO! This is a huge turn and scaring away customers, also keep in mind NOT EVERYONE can AFFORD Commissions or be interested! You let your customers/clients come to you by posting your commissions on social media. If they want to commission you, they will message you themselves! Do not dm/pm them about it... it so annoying and awful way to do that. And it makes you look like desperate/scammer or something else that isn't good so it likes put them off about you reaching out, and it really easy for people to 100% turn away from your commissions and it be more harder for you to get commissioned this way. My friend and I been experience from people doing this, and it's really bad approach.
I think it's more reasonable to charge extra for a complex character; than to try to ask the client to make their character less complex. A lot of clients are very particular about what's included with their character. Also, another useful tool is drawing out a thumbnail sketch during the negotiation phase of the commission- This way, if there are any technical issues or complexities with what a client is asking for, you have a visual explanation as to why something in a particular scene may not work. A typical example is a client wanting a full page close up of a character, but also showing the entirety of a room at the same time. The mind's eye doesn't necessarily view things from a static and unchanging frustum; so a client may be able to see more in their imagination than can be rendered out into a single, 2d panel.
such a tasty based video! i'm a fan of being able to sell my craft and still enjoy it, this video REALLY helped me reflect on making it easier on myself. thank you for sharing these tips, i'm excited to put these to practice!
I've actually been considering doing commissions, and this is all super helpful advice!! Keep up the great work 💖🌌 Edit: 3 ppl have commissioned me after following your advice :DDD
the sound effects are literally killing meHFGDFHDJSFH I'm trying to listen to this in the background while making my commission artwork, and the "im tyrone" sound effect out of NOWHERE jumpscared me....
Idk man for all my artists out there- I want your sketch 👀 There's just something about it but that's just me! Also set boundaries for commissions with stuff you will and won't draw
I have done a bit of commissions and started my pricing very low with people I already knew, added onto it over time and it was a smooth and comfortable transition! Some other tips: - Be able to say no to projects. Mutliple times I have found myself bite off more than I can chew because I didn’t know how to decline. - Communicate a lot with customers, being open about my process and how things are coming along makes other people more comfortable and feel safer. - Lastly, I have found myself burning out by drawing what other people enjoy and not myself, so remember to find a balance that suits you. Good luck to everyone starting out🦀
Oooooh this is so helpful :D I agree with the starting small thingy! It's good (as a beginner) to start simple and build from there. Pricing is an iffy topic but I like your points👍 Especially if the point is to get that money🤌 I think the only thing I disagree with is the sketch commissions thing. I used to think that I'd never offer sketch commissions because no wants them, right? But what if someone does? Why would you waste that opportunity to get a commission even it's not a lot? There's bound to be someone who wants your sketch or lineart. Maybe they just want a character in your style and don't care if it's unfinished. That's why don't think there's anything wrong with offering those sorts of commissions. The only reason I'd choose not to is because I'm not comfortable selling unfinished work or it leaves me unsatisfied 💀
I’ve had my fair share of commissions and I have to say, my sketches are super mega popular, I think mainly because they are pretty cheap and look good, but it is true they’ve fallen more since I get more clients
this is... some of these, from a proffessional artist, are very bad tips. price your work off of effort and level absolutely, and do not be afraid to charge extra for simplicity.
This video has some amazing tips thank you!! I’ve been thinking of opening felting commissions since it’s really fun and also quite niche. Sadly most people who felt have a different audience (realistic pet portraits usually) than what I am going for so I don’t really have a market to get price references from
REAL I worked up from 5 points on DA (I was a kid, I just worked with whatever everyone else on my level did) and now I take on a fairly niche and specific type of comm. Of course I do other stuff cause I like to, but that's my main source of income. There's something really powerful about finding a niche type of art you're good at and can do efficiently Being completely honest it's a furry niche which is the majority of the reason I'm even lucky enough _to_ get enough commissions to _almost_ support myself.
Extra tip: Every other artist is a competitor and you should remove them to win. This video just taught me that 115k people are now my competitors. Be careful around doors, guys.
I’m thinking about starting commissions but I dunno, I want to make good sample art pieces before I actually do that tho. This video was quite helpful!❤😊
Great video! But I feel the need to mention TO THE COMMENTS that these are TIPS, NOT rules. If these do not apply to you, then you do you. No need to set yourself on solely these tips as circumstances may differ from person to person.
if there is any advice i can also give from my own experience in doing commissions, you need to make it as clear and blunt as possible where you draw the line in the sand. the things that cause me to go on hiatus from art and music is just being too afraid to say 'no' to someone, until it's too late because i didn't consider what the client requested even was a thing that people could ask for. its really a 'Measure thrice, cut once" deal when creating a commission sheet. get into absolute detail on what you absolutely cannot do, to avoid the bitter feeling of turning down a client. it's really surprising too. you could be extremely thorough in what you will and wont do, but the very next commission you receive will be someone that found an over sight! also, (i say this more to myself, than to you, potential reader!) it's ok to say NO! just be sure to say it as soon as you can!
I recently had to add a new note on my commission price list that people must send me a reference sheet of the character they want me to draw because I was getting tired of receiving only a brief description of a character or a low quality photo of a piece of paper with a character drawn on it ://
Accepting robux is such a power move and I’m all here for it
REAL
@Bana_e huh-
honestly i highly disagree, people tend to severely underprice art when robux is being paid for it, lots of people will literally pay only 10-50 robux for an art piece or character design (and ive seen some GOOD stuff go for this) which is just absolutely crazy, thats literally multiple hours of work for a few cents because kids on roblox think 4k robux is like paying a million dollars for art
@@xadok nuh uh, i price my robux correctly
@@xadokthat’s on them. Up to you not get scamazed
Pricing is definetly difficult but I also want to remind people to not set their prices too low. Because Artists tend to have a bad case of imposter syndrome and that might have you undervalue your art and your efforts actual worth.
pricing according to market > pricing for your self-conceived worth ! don't let the price of your commissions tell you how good your art is,, instead let it reflect the natural ebb and flow of supply and demand!
There's also the problem that some people could stick to art circles (frequently art-technique-level-based or art-experience-based circles) that have very different comm cultures and prices, and then tunnel vision thinking that's all there is to it which could misguide new artists when they don't fit in the same experience category. For example, overall in VTuber model market a model costs 2000$ on average, but I recently saw someone who never interacted with popular vtubers and experienced anime artists, so they were 100% certain that an average vtuber model costs 400$ and that an average artist charges 10$ per hour for their comms lmao. Then they proceeded to give advice of charging 10$/hr to an artist whose skills looked like they were years of hard work ahead of this "advisor" newbie artist. I was shocked tbh
WOAH THATS WILD,, thats why its good to base ur prices off external pricing standards rather than intrinsic views on how much you think you art SHOULD be worth lmao
My imposter syndrome is so bad, i don't even think my art is good enough to sell💀
@@kymbbmI’ve noticed artists also underprice themselves as beginners as low as 10$ and vtuber models as low as 100$.
They likely assumed 400$ because thats more so the level the majority of new vtubers buy from the 100-1000$ dollar price range
And 2000$ is for an average already started vtuber aka professional artists. So I can see how they’d mix it up as “market price” when its the underselling category.
If you want to know if you’re underselling compare fiverr prices to more professional sites to see how much they undersell.
Same for the VA industry, upwork and fiverr are super cheap but horrible for artists due to the culture for under pricing.
If you make/use a paypal account before you turn 18, I HIGHLY recommend making a new one once you turn 18. Paypal can be SUPER strict and has banned people for making accounts underaged even after they turned 18.
Ooh, I was thinking of doing this anyways, but I wasn't sure if it was worth the hassle. Thanks for the tip!!
I am turning 18 in a few months so this will be great!
i once took a commission for $14 AUD while i was 14 with my own paypal set under my own name. im soon turning 18, and i wanna know if there is a way to retrieve that $14 (that money has been there rotting in that account for the past 3 years)
I’ve been posting my art online for 8 years now and commissions have always been a “i’ll do it one day” thing because of how complicated it seemed. who knew it was this video that would make it so much less scary than it needed to be
:)
I think it should just be generally known to take your time taking commissions. It's happened way too often for me at least where I've gotten thrown into the idea of doing commissions and earning money doing what I love that I've taken them without fail, its nice to have the cash but now you have a good list of drawings to do in a time limit. This is not to say you can't take a lot, no, but KNOW YOUR LIMITS!
What's an acceptable time limit? As in within a certain amount of days, cuz I take my time
@@9somethingorother837 I mean what the commissioner gives you, most want it done in a good amount of time. Those who don't have a limit, I usually get the sketch out within a week, the lineart and colouring done in the next week and finished
@@9somethingorother837 From my experience, most people that commissioned me were okay with a week of wait. Of course it depends by the quantity of characters and amount of rendering, so one to three weeks should be acceptable.
As long as you're clear with updates with who paid you and did tell beforehand an estimate of how long it would take (because we do other stuff than drawing) everything should be fine!
@@9somethingorother8373 days at the very least. Maybe a full week at max. Either way, making art for someone is very hard, so if you're slow at doing your own art, make sure that when you're taking a commission, make it longer than when you usually finish your art. That time limit and pressure of taking a commission will make you slower than your usual self because you know, you don't want to disappoint, that's why you're probably going to be more fixated on it.
@@9somethingorother837honestly as long as you’re honest with your client and you both communicate as to what you both want, it will depend
Some advice from my end: Be responsible and accountable.
-If you have different commission batches, don't draw any commissions from the newer batch before finishing the ones from the previous batch.
-Don't interrupt a commission more than once. This goes for the artists whose drawings require lots of hours to complete. Telling the client you're taking a break from their commission to draw something else isn't a big deal if only done once.
-If you tell a client you're starting his drawing this week, do not move it again and again to next month.
-Many artists struggle with anxiety, depression, or have to deal with environments that really stress them, that's understandable and the client should be okay with you explaining to them that you need a break from their commission. Just don't use it as a repeating excuse to procrastinate their drawing because it may rub them the wrong way.
As an artist that also gets a lot of commissions, this is the only commission advice video I advocate for. The tip on pricing is so fucking true GOD THANK YOU FOR SAYING IT. Pricing yourself for minimum wage as a commission artist is NOT the way to go. No one can tell how long a piece took, all that matters is the final product. It could take one artist 1 hour to do flats while another artist does it in 30 seconds because they were smart and used the fill bucket. Remember to use shortcuts and work smarter, not harder.
As someone who's not gotten a single commission till I've opened can u tell a way to attract customers
@@pinkalora If you haven't gotten a single commission yet then it's likely you aren't marketing yourself correctly or your art style isn't the popular type 😔
@@turdnugget can u tell how to market myself well😭i think my art style is ok as I draw semi realistic and so are my art skills haha
@@pinkalora Well, for starers, I think you should make your commissions easier to find 😅 I looked at your instagram and your commissions link isn't working :')
Search it up @@pinkalora
another tip I'd say is really important is, when calculating a price for a big commission (background, lots of characters, etc, complex design or composition, etc.) for someone that has already shown interest in your work, don't be afraid of telling them the real price!! don't try to make it lower!! if they really want the drawing, they're gonna be willing to pay full price for it. if not, maybe you can negotiate a *somewhat* lower price or a less complex commission. experienced commissioners don't have as much of a problem with pricing as you may think!! the amounts of times I've felt guilty for telling them the price but when I did they were more than happy to pay it is actually crazy omg. 😭
scenarios that are honestly really rad is when clients end up paying you with no issue AND even give a tip. The amount of times I have had clients give like 20%-30% more of the calculate price really surprises me each time because the total was already quite high imo. But then again I do commissions in a space that values a lot of its artists as well as taking commissions in USD while not being from the states (I'm a furry)
This is so relatable. I always feel bad and will try to offset or justify the price in some way (I think due to my expectations from family/mass produced goods existing), when I think in reality the person is totally already sold on it when they contacted me 😅
i once felt so bad i basically made it free, fortunataly though it was not that good of a drawing
So as someone who is thinking about opening commissions, the only problem is like if I can’t draw something they request I’ll feel REALLY bad if I tell them to give me something else 😭😭
ive had people order sketch commissions from me, and i have a semi realistic artstyle, i think it depends on the artstyle
main focus of my point was that sometimes offering too many options leads to decision fatigue in customers! if your artstyle allows for sketches to be a viable option then by all means go for them sketch commissions :D
ikr ?? ordering sketch comms is a real thing, idk what that was supposed to mean.
i've had someone order a sketch commission along with a full commission because they had spare money leftover
I put a gig for coloring lineart and I got a client that asked for stuff regularly. That was $15 × 4 and $20 × 2. I also had 2 people that would ask for fullbodies. Turns out befriending your commissioners is a golden tip. I was too insecure asking them for work even though they had undeniable liking of my work.
that's so wholesome!!
i make friends of 2 customers who pay for my YCHs and the experience is going well and funny! So yes its important
I always felt bad for pricing my full body artworks for $100 but given it took me 3 whole weeks to complete it, and I am a student too, people will pay anything for you to draw their OC bro (+tips). Don't worry about pricing your commissions "high", art is a luxury and people will buy it.
Pricing according to market is just a good move regardless of the business. I had a friend that would consult small businesses as a side-hustle since he started 3 of his own, and pricing too low at first can sink a business. You’ll barely be able to keep the lights on at first and anger/scare away returning customers when you inevitably have to raise prices. Be confident that you’ll put in the extra effort to make your work worth it at first, and gain the skill to stay at that level with less effort later on.
Love this, The advice is really good! The only thing I would disagree with is the 'no one wants your sketch' part. I've sold/traded/gifted a decent amount of sketch commissions rather than fully colored/lined/shaded ones!
these are all good tips!! however, I do find that some people prefer my coloured sketch commissions to my regular lineart commissions. it’s about a 50/50 split in terms of peoples preferences, at least in my personal experience! if you think your sketches are nice and people might like them, don’t be afraid to put them as an option. Ive had people willing to pay the same amount a regular comm would be for a coloured sketch. offer what kind of art feels right to you!
Thanks this is actually really helpful because I'm planning on opening commissions :^)
I have been doing commissions for over 10 years, and it's the first guide for commissions I have ever seen that is actually honest and accurate.
this is very insightful. Ive been drawing as long as i know but ive only gotten my first commission at the age of 20. Whats really difficult is pricing myself at international rates.
YEAHHH, I've been thinking about doing commissions and was looking for something like this. I'm 18 next year and I'm ready for those COMMISSIONSSS
Good luck on your art journey!
@@AltKaxREAL ❤️❤️
I'm turning 18 next year too!!
I already started commissioning since I was 15 though.
@@WinniePooh33i wishh, my family doesn't want to open a bank account of me until I'm 18
really solid tips, thank you! I'm definitely making some changes to my commissions once I reopen them!
omw to get a gazillion commissions thanks to these advices 😼
ur commissions actually slap ur probably halfway there
I’ve been thinking of opening commissions but first I’m trying to get better at anatomy, I’VE BEEN WORRYING SINCE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO BUT TY SM ‼️
The complex design thing is so true and I'm so glad you mentioned it. The amount of times i wanted to commission someone but ended up not doing it because my design might have been to detailed .. 😭😭
Good tips! (Also that yokai watch music, nice touch!)
One tip I would recommend, I would even say in the commission sheet WHAT it is (digital or traditional) since like you mentioned in the one tip of be good in one skill, even mentioning what type it is would actually help the market and even pricing too!
Keep up the awesome work!
For any future artists who plan to open commission,
PLEASE pace yourself. As someone who had to learn this the hard way, don't bite off more than you can chew by taking on too many comms at once.
i personally dont think im fully ready for commissions (multiple reasons) but i def do one day and this video ha s alot of info and advice that i was actually wondering about so thanks mate!!!!! (also im ADORINGG the art in the video🤩)
Even if I'm broke and not a great situation I don't think commission will do anything for me bc anxiety etc but later I might take some time once im more comfortable
One good way to also get more examples is doing art trades and raffles/giveaways. Help make people notice your art and maybe even start following your content.
This is pretty much what I had been considering doing for commissions recently; I’m just glad to hear that focusing on one kind of creation is a wise tactic.
omg THANK YOU for being real with the pricing advice, I'm so sick of people telling other artists to price based on their "worth" when in reality people are more likely to buy based on the market
as someone who did commissions for 3 yers before taking a long break to focus on getting into college and now wants to start again-- this is excellent advice! ty!
Been waiting for ppl to commission me for months but now I'll use these tips, tysm
An extra tip:
Be nice and respectful to your clients (unless they did something to deserve otherwise).
I regularly interact with my clients, try to show interest in what they have to say or for their OC, or just try to accommodate for them without being unnecessarily rude.
If you provide a good service, they are VERY likely to return, tip and even recommend you to their friends. You can even end up meeting some cool people and genuinely befriending them in the process.
I've been doing commissions since 2021 and I watched lots of videos related to the topic throughout these years. And this one actually the most useful out of all?? Thanks a lot my eyes actually got opened on a few things
Thank you so much for the tips!!! My style is sooo inconsistent so imma have to get that down first haha! I hope you do a YKW stream again soon 😭😭😭
You can also get a Stripe standard account if you are 13+ :) you will need to add a legal guardian to the acc so you're able to transfer money to your bank until ur 18. You can connect it to your kofi etc and conversion fees are (I believe) lower than PayPals for international transactions.
defs gonna take your advice, unlike most tutorials this ACTUALLY makes sense, tysm for sharing :D
As an artist new to the world of commissions, I heavily appreciate this advice. I’ve had commissions up for a lil over a month or so, but I’m really trying to dig into the rabbit hole to get more out of it now. :>
I love the use of yokai watch ost!
I'm glad that itachi finally found peace and pursued art
the yokai watch music in the background was a good touch
I used to commission people solely in robux because I didn’t have a PayPal account and lots of people took it! It was really great
I wanna do that too! I have roblox debt💀 I wanna pretend to be an old Russian man paying off his debt to feed his russian babies
This is actually way more helpful than all the longer stuff
For the tip 4 part, i actually never thought about it that way. I guess it does make sense that adding extra money because something is too detailed can detract customers. I feel like the amount of “a lot” can be subjective, and artists should just openly express their concerns and not charge extra just like you implied. 🙂
omg if i knew abt that paypal trick when i was 13 i could've been a few bucks richer but its okay bc im turning 18 in like 3 months
I've been trying to make my first commission for years now and this video is heaps and bounds above all the videos that made me super confused! You explained it in such a way that made me excited to start posting commissions - something I usually am afraid of doing 'incorrectly'. U just earned a new sub bro, p.s. ur art rocks!
This video actually helps, I'm too anxious and scared to price anything and legit barely anyone is helpful because it's like people are trying to baby beginners instead of being honest that we suck😭
this is gonna help me a lot! thank you for the tips! 🫶 time to update my commissions sheet a whole hell of a lot 🥹
I have to disagree with a couple of things.
1. Sketches. You can actually make very beautiful sketches as long as you practice, and as long as you are growing your Fanbase, yes, people do want sketches. Just a matter of quality at that point. So it’s a great time to make sure to brush up your skills behind the scenes if you are not confident with sketches.
2. Complexity. Even if you are just a beginner, if you are going out of your way to practice, you shouldn’t shy away from it so randomly ‘just so clients can afford.’ You don’t know their income and it can actually insult them if they found out that’s why you do it. Never take away your chances for extra money- as you should because it takes more time, and added bonus, it’s just nice to give a client and your portfolio more flare more often than not.
Should only turn down things you can’t do, or are really genuinely uncomfortable with if you’re open to commissions. Like say if you might be on a tight schedule.
As a small artist, I've always wanted to do commissions but I'm too afraid of scammers and my social skills are weak, not just that but I'm often hiatus due to school 😭
you are so incredibly real for the Nintendo sounds and yokai watch ost, instantly brought me back to childhood
great tips too! I’ll keep these in mind when i start in a while
No no no, they *definitely* want a sketch. Affordable, pretty.
Most important of all, do not, DO NOT contact your clients yourself... I cannot stress this enough. I seen people dm/pm people and try to have them commission them, even try to talk them into it. THIS IS A HUGE NO!
This is a huge turn and scaring away customers, also keep in mind NOT EVERYONE can AFFORD Commissions or be interested! You let your customers/clients come to you by posting your commissions on social media. If they want to commission you, they will message you themselves!
Do not dm/pm them about it... it so annoying and awful way to do that. And it makes you look like desperate/scammer or something else that isn't good so it likes put them off about you reaching out, and it really easy for people to 100% turn away from your commissions and it be more harder for you to get commissioned this way. My friend and I been experience from people doing this, and it's really bad approach.
My knowledge has now expanded for the future
I think it's more reasonable to charge extra for a complex character; than to try to ask the client to make their character less complex. A lot of clients are very particular about what's included with their character. Also, another useful tool is drawing out a thumbnail sketch during the negotiation phase of the commission- This way, if there are any technical issues or complexities with what a client is asking for, you have a visual explanation as to why something in a particular scene may not work. A typical example is a client wanting a full page close up of a character, but also showing the entirety of a room at the same time. The mind's eye doesn't necessarily view things from a static and unchanging frustum; so a client may be able to see more in their imagination than can be rendered out into a single, 2d panel.
such a tasty based video! i'm a fan of being able to sell my craft and still enjoy it, this video REALLY helped me reflect on making it easier on myself. thank you for sharing these tips, i'm excited to put these to practice!
While this is a great video, I have to say what got my attention was the YOKAI WATCH MUSIC!! So glad someone else on the internet remembers that game!
I've actually been considering doing commissions, and this is all super helpful advice!! Keep up the great work 💖🌌
Edit: 3 ppl have commissioned me after following your advice :DDD
TYSMM FOR THE TIPS 😭
Ive been thinkinf about opening comissions but i wasnt sure whrre to start or how to get people to take notice of it
the sound effects are literally killing meHFGDFHDJSFH I'm trying to listen to this in the background while making my commission artwork, and the "im tyrone" sound effect out of NOWHERE jumpscared me....
I've actually had dozens of people ask me if I did commissions and I've had to turn down every single one because I'm not good enough lol
if people ask you that much, you probably *are* good enough!!
I love the use of the yo Kai Watch music in the background😊
i know this is about commissions, but the yokai watch music is so good
Idk man for all my artists out there- I want your sketch 👀
There's just something about it but that's just me! Also set boundaries for commissions with stuff you will and won't draw
WISE ADVICE FROM THE GREAT ZEPN!!!
Nah but fr this advice is so good- I gotta start using these more often lolololol
Sorry wait hold on I’m like 20 seconds in but the way you draw hydra splatlings is so damn nice omg they drive me insane to draw
thank you!!! the weapons are so hard to wrap my brain around haha
I have done a bit of commissions and started my pricing very low with people I already knew, added onto it over time and it was a smooth and comfortable transition!
Some other tips:
- Be able to say no to projects. Mutliple times I have found myself bite off more than I can chew because I didn’t know how to decline.
- Communicate a lot with customers, being open about my process and how things are coming along makes other people more comfortable and feel safer.
- Lastly, I have found myself burning out by drawing what other people enjoy and not myself, so remember to find a balance that suits you.
Good luck to everyone starting out🦀
Thanks a lot! Lots of great tips here that I and I'm sure many aspiring commissioners can make use of :)
Oooooh this is so helpful :D
I agree with the starting small thingy! It's good (as a beginner) to start simple and build from there.
Pricing is an iffy topic but I like your points👍 Especially if the point is to get that money🤌
I think the only thing I disagree with is the sketch commissions thing.
I used to think that I'd never offer sketch commissions because no wants them, right?
But what if someone does? Why would you waste that opportunity to get a commission even it's not a lot? There's bound to be someone who wants your sketch or lineart. Maybe they just want a character in your style and don't care if it's unfinished.
That's why don't think there's anything wrong with offering those sorts of commissions.
The only reason I'd choose not to is because I'm not comfortable selling unfinished work or it leaves me unsatisfied 💀
I really want to open my commissions rn, but first I wanna get a big following bc if I open them now I’m gonna flop so badly🥰‼️
if u wanna do them the only time to start is now! comissions can help u create content to grow ur acc w/ :D
I’ve had my fair share of commissions and I have to say, my sketches are super mega popular, I think mainly because they are pretty cheap and look good, but it is true they’ve fallen more since I get more clients
I watched this yesterday and got a commission today! Thank you!
THE YO KAI WATCH OST IN THE BACKGROUND- I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IM SUBSCRIBING
The Yokai watch music in the beginning is such a mood ❤❤❤
this is... some of these, from a proffessional artist, are very bad tips. price your work off of effort and level absolutely, and do not be afraid to charge extra for simplicity.
I was gonna say the whole use a family members PayPal is a horrible idea unless they’re cool with paying the taxes on your money
The BGM reminds me of my childhood… btw thank you for the instructions!
I love this video it was helpful! BTW I LOVE YOUR VOICE- its just so calming
What I learned form this video: Draw splatoon. I’ll add it to my list of “Draw Furries, Fandom self-inserts, and Sans”
This video has some amazing tips thank you!! I’ve been thinking of opening felting commissions since it’s really fun and also quite niche. Sadly most people who felt have a different audience (realistic pet portraits usually) than what I am going for so I don’t really have a market to get price references from
I got whiplash hearing my very own thick Aussie accent thrown at me. I’m always expecting American at this point.
Great video btw ✌️
REAL
I worked up from 5 points on DA (I was a kid, I just worked with whatever everyone else on my level did) and now I take on a fairly niche and specific type of comm. Of course I do other stuff cause I like to, but that's my main source of income.
There's something really powerful about finding a niche type of art you're good at and can do efficiently
Being completely honest it's a furry niche which is the majority of the reason I'm even lucky enough _to_ get enough commissions to _almost_ support myself.
great video!! was hoping to start opening comms one day and this gave me a good idea on how to start!!
You can also have people pay half upfront so that even if they scam you still get profit 🙌
i'd recommend full upfront payment
Full upfront seems like wishful thinking for me, lotta scammers
I love you’re use of the yokai watch Music
I’m opening up commissions today or tomorrow, thank you so much for the tips!
hearing the yokai watch songs unlocked a core childhood memory
Thank you! I’ll put this into play with my Nitro comms.
Based Yo-Kai Watch ost usage
Extra tip: Every other artist is a competitor and you should remove them to win.
This video just taught me that 115k people are now my competitors.
Be careful around doors, guys.
I’m thinking about starting commissions but I dunno, I want to make good sample art pieces before I actually do that tho. This video was quite helpful!❤😊
Great video! But I feel the need to mention TO THE COMMENTS that these are TIPS, NOT rules. If these do not apply to you, then you do you. No need to set yourself on solely these tips as circumstances may differ from person to person.
if there is any advice i can also give from my own experience in doing commissions, you need to make it as clear and blunt as possible where you draw the line in the sand. the things that cause me to go on hiatus from art and music is just being too afraid to say 'no' to someone, until it's too late because i didn't consider what the client requested even was a thing that people could ask for.
its really a 'Measure thrice, cut once" deal when creating a commission sheet. get into absolute detail on what you absolutely cannot do, to avoid the bitter feeling of turning down a client.
it's really surprising too. you could be extremely thorough in what you will and wont do, but the very next commission you receive will be someone that found an over sight!
also, (i say this more to myself, than to you, potential reader!) it's ok to say NO! just be sure to say it as soon as you can!
The Yo-Kai watch music is so nostalgic 😭💗💗 but this was really helpful :D
I recently had to add a new note on my commission price list that people must send me a reference sheet of the character they want me to draw because I was getting tired of receiving only a brief description of a character or a low quality photo of a piece of paper with a character drawn on it ://
Great information presented in a concise manner, great job and thank you! 👍
thank you this helps im trying to do commissions right now (also exited for the yo-kai watch vid I love yo-kai watch)
Personally, I love buying sketch or lineart with game currency! But if I want a full piece, I’ll purchase with proper money
Did a couple commissions for robux. It was insanely fun. And my Roblox character is also insanely drippy now.
Cant wait till I'm old enough and skilled enough to do art comms 😊
Oh if only I could send this video to tween me, it would have made their life so much easier
Yo-kai-watch music at the beginning! Love it!
the 3ds sounds made me happy