Art by the lovely MomooPiink.
1. Don't ask for discounts or make rude remarks about an artist's pricing. Pricing is a very personal thing, and no artist has similar living expenses to another. Instead, ask questions about what's included in the service you're going to buy and make sure it fits the qualifications of what you need. A lot of artists have payment plans available, so remember to ask if those are available!
2. Make sure to be detailed with your feedback and respond in a timely manner. No artist is a mind-reader (AFAIK), so to receive what you envisioned, you must be willing to give detailed feedback. Simple sketches, collages, Pinterest boards, and text references help the artist visualize what you have in mind. If you don’t communicate what you want beforehand, it’s unfair to blame the artist for unmet expectations.
3. Before approaching an artist, make sure you do research on them. Look at their portfolio, previous clients, and their social media so you have a better picture of their work process and results. NEVER ask an artist to copy another's style or to change their style. If you want a piece by them, make sure you actually LIKE their style and it fits your vision/aesthetic. Picking one of their previous pieces and using it as a reference for how you want yours to look is also great, as that gives the artist a clear view of your expectations.
4. Be patient, but communicate your limits. Be very upfront about any deadlines or expectations for communication. If you're someone who wants weekly updates or needs a rush commission, make sure the artist you hire is available to accommodate that. Don't tell an artist to take all the time they need IF you have expectations to receive the finished piece in a specific timeframe. Make sure to communicate your expectations clearly from the beginning. And note: This doesn’t mean be scared of asking for updates if some time has passed and the artist is radio silent, that is within your rights. Just don’t pester them for updates every 5 minutes after they have already updated you, that is rude.
5. Be fair with your reviews. If you had an excellent service and the artist went above and beyond for you, leaving a 4/3 star review without explaining why will unjustly lower that artist's rating. Make sure you are fair with how you rate the service you've received, as a lot of artists depend on the ratings they have on commission platforms to get more clients (unfortunately, a lot of online platforms consider anything less than 5 stars ‘bad’, so it will mess up with the artist’s visibility in their algorithm. If you feel the need to leave anything less than 5 stars, make sure you explain why). Don't mess with an artist's livelihood for petty reasons. If you are dissatisfied with the service for whatever reason, make sure you approach the artist FIRST to have them fix it, BEFORE leaving a negative review. If they don't fix it, or are rude about it, then definitely go ahead and rate them as you see fit. Just remember that a lot of artists would be more than willing to fix whatever's wrong so you are fully satisfied with the service!
6. Respect an artist’s work in public. How you treat the commission pieces and assets you receive in public is a reflection of you as a creator and person. If you belittle or talk badly about a piece you receive from an artist, you might be blacklisted. If you treat it as ‘inferior’ when comparing it to another piece, that is also very rude and disrespectful to the artist who worked on that piece. Remember artists are human beings, and they deserve respect. If you wouldn’t want people talking about your content or creations the same way, then don’t do it to anyone else.
7. READ THE TOS. Read it carefully, even if it’s long. If you can’t, ask for a TLDR version from the artist directly. Every artist has an individual process, don’t assume what works for one artist works for the next. Make sure that you agree with everything within it before placing an order. If you don’t understand something about it, ASK. Ask the artist to explain to you what it means before you commission them. Make sure you’re fully aware of everything before you pay, don’t make the mistake of assuming things when money is involved. Protect yourself, but also respect the artist’s TOS and be sure to manage your expectations correctly.
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