10 tips for artists to make commissions easier

Disclaimer: I am not a certified professional anything. My word is not to be taken as canon. I created this because I've had to adapt and create structures to handle an excessive commission load (at one point my queue had over 150 pieces in it at once), and in doing so I've learned quite a few things and discovered methods to streamline this process. I'd like to share some of these with artists who are looking for ways to do the same. I understand that so much preparation and infrastructure can feel antithetical to the creative process, but I would argue that in the long run, they might free you up to achieve more. Please consider these tips as a starting point, and build your own methods from there.

1. Create a clearly delineated Terms of Service document and a specific list of what you will and won't draw.

Yes, it's tedious, but seriously, do this. Make sure your Terms of Service covers payment methods and procedures, your policy regarding refunds, specifications regarding scheduling and time frames for commissions (including overall duration and when works-in-progress will be issued), a specific list of what you will and won't draw, the number of changes and revisions at each stage of the commission, your rules regarding intellectual property and reposting of your art, the best way(s) to get ahold of you, what couriers you use for shipping (if you do real-media work), and any other key points you want a potential commissioner to be aware of BEFORE they commission you. This is good for all parties involved, so it's worth the extra effort. Link your Terms of Service and will/won't list from your profile, your journals, your social media, basically everywhere you can, and make sure everyone reads and respects it.

2. Maintain an invoicing system for large commissions.

Again, it may seem like another tedious step, but this is important. It provides you and the client with a record of all transactions, as well as information regarding what the commission was for and how long it took. Templates exist in programs like Word and OpenOffice for generic invoices, which you can customize to suit your needs and send out as PDFs. If you use PayPal, they have a built-in invoicing system which handles all of this electronically. Regardless of what invoice method you use, make sure to communicate with the client to verify receipt of the invoice and payment.

3. Keep your progress visible, both to you and to your commissioners.

If you handle high volumes of commissions, get a whiteboard and dry-erase markers and put it up close to your workspace. List all jobs by type/priority and erase them as they're completed. Optionally, leave room next to each commission for brief status info (e.g. 'PAID,' 'REVISIONS NEEDED,' et cetera). Make sure the list is mirrored online. If it's short, you can put it in your gallery profile. If it's long, look into project-management websites such as Trello (www.trello.com) or spreadsheet-capable sites like Google Docs. Create an ordered online list of your commissions, grouped by type, and get in the habit of scanning that list at the start of every work day, and updating the list at the end of every work day. Remove commissions as they're completed. (And make sure not to consider each one completed until the commissioner has signed off on it as such.) Consider adding supporting information, such as payment status, date of receipt, estimated date of completion, etc. This not only helps you track a lot of information more easily, it puts the commissioners at ease.

4. Make use of cloud-storage sites and screen-capture applications.

Cloud-storage sites such as Dropbox provide a quick and convenient way of putting up drafts and master files without the need for your own website. Screen-capture applications (like Gyazo for instance) allow you to quickly grab and upload works in progress for the benefit of your commissioners without the need to generate or manually upload files. Both of these work as time-savers in the long run. Cloud-storage sites can also be used as device-independent backup for large projects, which can be critical if your hardware or software is prone to issues. You don't want to lose a work in progress at any phase.

5. Have fixed, organized locations for projects and reference.

Create a top-level Projects folder someplace easy to find, like the Desktop or your Documents folder. Within it, create subfolders for different projects. Ways of organizing might include by year/month, or by type of project (e.g. badges, icons, etc), or by a specific commission campaign. BACK UP your Projects folder, regularly, either to an external hard drive, the cloud, or both. Create a separate References folder for downloading commission reference images to, and clean it out regularly. If you use Trello, create a PRIVATE board for pasting/uploading commission reference images and text. If you have frequent, recurrent commissioners, consider creating subfolders and/or cards for their characters. When you're starting your workday, make sure all the text and images relevant to the day's slate of commissions is in one easy-to-find source, wherever that is. Having this means you won't have to waste time and energy hunting for it, and that means just a little more efficiency.

6. Time yourself for each art-related task and price/schedule accordingly.

Make certain you have a clear picture of how long a given task (pencils, inking, flat colors, shading) actually takes you, on average. While you can keep a log during your actual work sessions, a better way to do this might be to take a day and create test images, clocking your progress on each phase of the image and then averaging your times out. Structure your prices around your average times multiplied by your per-hour wage, so your pricing is realistic and doesn't screw you over in the long run. However, you should also allow for some flexibility and dialogue with regard to pricing of specific jobs, as each one is unique. Finally, schedule your work day around the tasks, keeping in mind how long each one can take you and how many total hours in the day. Do NOT give yourself more work than you know you can possibly do.

7. Figure out optimal work/break cycles based on your own rhythms, attention span and metabolism.

You don't have to have it down to an exact science, but you DO need to take breaks. Your brain, your eyes, your drawing hand, and your lower back will thank you. Different people have different levels of endurance with this kind of work, and you should try to observe yourself as you work and figure out what's optimal for you. Some people go 40 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Some go 50 minutes on, 10 minutes off. When you take your break, make sure to get up, stretch, and hydrate & eat if necessary. You may find it worthwhile to download an interval timer app for your phone or computer, one that can set multiple timers for both your work and rest cycles. Regular breaks will improve your overall performance.

8. Group tasks by complexity and type, and do the most complex stuff first.

Your brain only has finite daily resources to draw on. To do what it does, it makes use of neurotransmitters, glucose, electrolytes, water, and oxygen. Air may be abundant, and you can replenish some of your cerebral resources by eating and drinking, but as the day wears on, you will inevitably become fatigued, and the most complex tasks will become more and more difficult. Therefore, you'll ideally want to schedule the hardest stuff in the morning (or whenever the beginning of your work cycle is). Think about each stage of a commission. What takes the most focus for you? Pencils? Revisions? Inking? Coloring? Conversely, what can you do on autopilot? Schedule the simplest stuff for the end of your day. It'll make use of available resources more efficiently, and you'll be less prone to 'hitting the wall.'

9. Create an online form for commissioners to provide commission info.

This one is strictly optional and can be a bit of a chore to set up, but it does help keep things organized. Use Google Docs to create a commission form (or if you're web-savvy and have a host, code one up) that commissioners can use to send you all their commission info at once. Include fields for the commissioner's contact info, reference URLs for characters, objects and backgrounds, text descriptions for the characters AND the image, and any miscellaneous instructions (such as shipping info) that are relevant to the commission. Also, when the form is sent, make sure to contact the commissioner and let them know the info was received.

10. SCHEDULE DESIGNATED BREAK DAYS. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

You are not a machine. You are a human being and you WILL burn out sometimes. It's inevitable. Anyone can follow all the rules above and STILL burn out, whether they're a novice or a master. You MUST learn to recognize when burnout is occurring, and make sure you give yourself at least one day out of every week to decompress. This is the whole point of weekends, but when you are your own boss, YOU have to designate when that happens. It's not always easy to tell when you're burnt out -- sometimes it feels like simple art block or fatigue, sometimes it actually feels like depression -- but you have to train yourself to know when you need this, or just schedule regular weekly breaks and stick to them. On your breaks, do not think about commissions. Do something fun and indulgent. Go out and shop, or walk around the park, or doodle something purely for yourself. Whatever you do, make sure it's a clearly delineated time set apart ONLY FOR YOU. This is the most important step, because if you don't do it, it'll wreck your entire game. Trust me on this one.