A small guide on commission etiquette
Seeing all the current drama on twitter, I thought I could do a small guide on commissioning art (and receiving commissions).
For people drawing commissions:
A terms of service goes a long way. State important details there: Do you charge extra for changes? Mention it! Do you reserve the right to post the picture, finished or unfinished? It's always good to clarify! Unless otherwise stated (through a contract, NDA, etc), you technically have the right to post it, but it's always good to have something to back you up
Terms of Service are basically (however basic or obvious it may seem) a text you can rely on in case of conflict. You can include stuff such as "I reserve the right to continue a commission if I don't get an answer within a week", or "I won't refund a fully finished piece", or "I can cancel the commission anytime and do a full refund in said case".
Mention when do you usually take payment (beginning? after the sketch? in the end?)
If people don't read the ToS and they fail to comply them, that's on them. Make them check a "I read the ToS" chexbox. If they didn't read, it's not your issue.
Of course, use ToS for stuff such as "this art can't be used for commercial purposes unless previously stated", or "the art cannot be used for AI training/NFTs"
For people buying commissions:
If they have a Terms of Service, READ IT. If you don't agree with it- don't commission.
If you have any specific constraint (time limits, for example), make it clear early on.
If the piece cannot be shared publicly, make it clear in the beginning. Specify if you'd rather have no sketches shown, or the final picture, or whatever. Some artists charge extra for being unable to post the picture, as it means it cannot be used for keeping up social media active.
Anything you think that may be important, please specify very clearly as soon as possible. Did you ask for two versions of a picture and one is spoilery for some reason? Mention it! Is there some definitive Don't with your character? (Such as "don't depict them smiling?) Please clarify! Be as clear as you can!
(For those out of the loop, I don't want to bring up names or anything, but there's been some really... messy issues on twitter regarding a commission, and I thought it'd be appropriate to do a small friendly reminder on commission etiquette.)
