IRONSKIN

Sure! :)

1. Get a quote:

Contact them with a brief description of your request

Mention whether it has a background or not, full body/portrait, colour, etc.

How big? If you want a file you can print to A3, specify that in the quote.

Reference their own work to show the style you want it done in (personally this gives me a strong indication of the time I’ll spend producing the work), and/or find an image with a style you want if you haven’t seen it on their portfolio, but think they can do it.

Provide a few visual references of what you want drawing (a deer in a hat makes for a faster drawing than an 8 winged, 12 legged dragon with crystals for scales. This is all I need to know at this stage)

If you have a deadline, mention it when getting the quote; it may not affect the price, but if you want the 12 legged dragon in full colour by tomorrow, it might not be feasible.

2. Payment & terms of agreement:The artist should be able to reply with a price that accurately reflects the work required, or whether they’re currently closed for commission.The fee stated will vary between artists, and it’s here that people seem to do something wrong:

If you’re not happy to pay the fee, don’t make insults or start complaining about how hard it is for you to accrue the money; accept it or politely decline. The artist doesn’t need to be made to feel bad about your financial decisions; they’re probably not charging enough for their time as it stands and they don’t need encouraging to charge less.

(Consider that some artists are self employed; they do not get a pension, sick pay, holiday pay, and they must deduct their own taxes from their income. Their prices reflect this just like any self-employed person in any industry.)

Agree on payment terms with the artist. This again varies. Personally I require payment upfront as it’s safer. Some will agree on half upfrontor after a sketch has been approved, half when complete, etc. Some also expect you to sign a contract or you to accept an invoice; the artist will let you know what their terms are.

3. The Brief:

If you’ve accepted their terms and fee, it’s time to get into the details:

Send as much visual reference material as possible! If you like a particular distressed leather look, send them a picture of it!

Try to avoid irrelevant information; I don’t need to know why there’s a cut on the characters ear, only that there is one. Too much irrelevant information and you risk important facts being lost.

4. Finished!:

It’s done!

If you’re happy with it, let them know! Don’t be shy! The reaction I get from clients is a big part of why I do this in the first place.

If you’re not happy with it, let them know! Politely. Maybe there was something missed out which you clearly briefed them on; it’s the artists responsibility to give you what you paid for, but be nice about it; find out where there was miscommunication and make practical steps towards resolving the issue.

Changes to commissions are always a bit of a grey area. There comes a point when it isn’t economical for the artist to continue amending the visual, and a point when it’s unreasonable to expect the artist to have guessed what’s in your head. If it concerns you, find out in the payment stage what you can expect regarding alterations.

When requesting an alteration, be very clear about what it is. In some cases where the change is substantial, you will need to pay for amendment time.

500 Followers!! Crocodile study & sketches

The Last Shift

The Grim Reaper

He’s back! Did a pose sheet for the Character Design Challenge on facebook.

“A charismatic Grim Reaper, passionate about love, life and health. Within his cloak he can bring things back to life, turn back time, tap into the realms of the deceased, or form whatever best illustrates the story he wants to tell. “

Inktober | Week 1

First time I’ve ever done inktober :O I don’t use ink so it was difficult to know what to do with it. I’ve decided to use this month to practice character design for Buckethead. There’s a lot of “sexy” ladies around and I think it’s a shame they don’t get the same characterisation as men...so I thought I’d try my hand at doing that. I’ve got a few keepers here that I’ll probably refine later.

Vouivre | Buckethead I’m trying to hold onto the fantasy and mythology of my story. These days it’s difficult to find room for it with all the social conflicts taking precedent. Anyway, this is a vouivre! French for wyvern. These guys are French (really?) Unlike GoT dragons, they make terrible battle mounts; they prefer a conflict free life and cannot be persuaded to breathe fire or follow commands. They could kill people simply due to their bulk, but fire is an expensive resource that’s created in the digestion process and is used only to roast food. They prefer to whack the horn on their nose into their opponents in the same way a giraffe would, and rarely enter fights outside defending a nest from other vouivres. They aren’t especially territorial either as flight offers easy access to new sources of food and shelter. Meaning that should a knight attempt to kill one, it’d just fly off.