Other artists on RU-vid tube have had the same exact problems and say what you say. You guys are 100% right!! Glad you put your husband in your videos at times. He’s funny
100% everything you said is so true and fantastic advice. I will add one common thing I see though: do not work for family. Trust me. I don't care if it's your mom, dad, sibling, uncle--don't work for family. Charge them like any client if you really have to work with them, but I'd tread carefully. I don't think people realize how different it is working with a family member versus a real client. The amount of respect and good will you get from a client is LEAGES beyond what your family will give. (I've seen many friends and artists get guilt tripped into doing free work for their family, and be completely miserable.) It's okay to have boundaries and say no. This is your job, don't let them take advantage of you. (Even after charging my dad for work, I literally cannot mentally handle working with him again. It's 1000x more stressful. Just not worth it!)
Thank you, Lisa!!!! I have spent the past 9 years as a professional photographer so that I could learn to take excellent reference photos for my artwork. Photography matters!!!!!
My husband overheard me listening to your video. He said you talk so fast if you ever had a class people paid for, they'd definitely get their money's worth out of it. I learn so much from you in such a short amount of time, because of the speed you talk. Love it!!!! ❤
Another spot on and fun video! Thank you! This hits one of my pet peeves. People who have not mastered any level of artistic ability yet post on social media. Kind hearted people tell them how much they love their work. This is clearly not a case of them liking something different than I like. This is like your 6 year old bringing a finger painting home from school and being praised. Then you see that same person offering commissions based on false information of nice people telling them they're awesome. I cringe at the impending train wreck if somebody actually expected them to do a decent piece of art. Praising your three year old is great. Lying to somebody you don't know to be nice is quite cruel as you are setting them up to embarrass themselves quite badly. . .
I am taking my first commission and watching this video was extremely helpful and common sense based information. I would just like to thank you for sharing this information Lisa.
I really like your content and you're a wonderful artist. I am a self taught portrait artist and have become well known in my community and the surrounding areas. Enough to pay the bills most of the time. I built my business while being a single mom of 4 and last year was finally able to quit my 5-5 job to pursue this full time. I'm struggling to find ways to expand awareness of my portraits to each state so I have a consistent flow of commissions. I started a few years back offering 10 minute quick sketches to boost business which quickly turned into people only wanting them because they were cheap. I now only offer them during quick sales because I prefer my best most detailed work to be shown. It's less overwhelming that way too.
Phenomenal advice, Lisa. Great video! And yes, artists..take a deposit!!! This way you are ok if they back out, and people are less likely to back out if they have already committed money to a piece.
Thanks, Lisa. I do take commissions, but really don't enjoy them as much as doing something that I have real passion for. But they are good for a stable supplemental income, lol.
Oh I SOOOO get that. I was not sad to stop taking them myself. It's not that they aren't fun but there is just so much more pressure and you can lose all time to create stuff you have real passion for.
You nailed it with this video. I learned a long time ago to pass up commissions with poor quality reference photos. The only time I make exceptions is if the pet or person has passed away and my customer knows and agrees to the fact I may not be able to capture their likeness. Though it is easier with pets, because like you said I can supplement the references provided with photos that I look up. Harder to do that with people. There’s so many minute details that can completely change the look of a persons face…
Great video Lisa! I just finished a couple of commissions for family myself, but they were still not free! OK, I gave them a "Family rate" but I'm NOT working for free!!! Especially when I'm using top of the line material's which aren't cheap!
Lots of helpful information! Thank you soooo much. I've done quite a few commissions in the last couple of years and my biggest issue is the quality of the reference photo. So far, I've had great clients who understood that I would have to use some artistic license because the details were just not there. I will be better at telling clients from now on that I need a good quality reference photo. I will probably watch this video a few times to make sure I get all the info.
as someone that is obsessed with corgis, amazed by your paintings, and addicted to painting my own corgi, as soon as you mentioned that commission I completely lost focus on everything and now must see what I can only imagine is the most incredible corgi painting in existence. Please share.
Great tips! Being fairly new with colored pencils and on my second commissioned piece I already know I hate the stress it puts on me! I would definitely rather make pieces I’m excited to do and let whatever sells sell! Mostly I just want to create at this point… not ready to turn it into a job.
Lisa, your videos are always awesome! I just did a portrait as a gift for a family who’s family member is 91 & on hospice. The portrait I painted was of the father with a mountain in the background and it was completed from a family portrait they provided. I completed it in three days and the family was extremely pleased but I’ve been disgusted because it just didn’t look as good as I thought it should have. After watching your video I took a good look at the photo and my work and they are truly exactly the same but the fault was in the photo quality! The lighting wasn’t fabulous and the mountain was definitely blurry in the background! It certainly rings true that a bad photo reference can ruin the whole thing!
❤️ wish I could watch right now but I’ve only got ten minutes. Can’t wait to watch it tonight! As someone whose commissions have slowed down in the past six months or so very helpful.
Hi Lisa, I'm new watching your channel and joined two weeks ago. But you and your husband are funny. I couldn't laughing at both of you. Thank you for showing how to run a business in art. I now have a pretty good idea of what I need to do.
As much as I hate taking commissions, I occasionally do. I have a price list/contract that lists all the particulars, and the client then let's me know what size they want. When it gets to the part about price and deposit, it states "a 50%, non-refundable deposit is required, and constitutes a contract once processed." Its worked fine for me for the past several years. But, absolutely, no paint goes down until I get that deposit.
Lisa: Don't procrastinate! Me procrastinating on my xmas commissions while watching this video: 👁👄👁 **sweats nervously** (they're not late though thank god, still got a month yet) And also I agree that the artist is at fault if they take on a bad reference photo and the work doesn't turn out how the client wanted it to, up to a point. HOWEVER, I have had clients who, no matter how much advice and guidance for photo taking I give to them, have repeatedly given me awful, blurry photos in bad lighting. There does reach a point then when you have to make a decision to turn away the commission. Thankfully I'm at a point now where I've done so many portraits that I am used to filling in the missing information from the reference in most cases (unless the animal has really complex/unique markings), but if you're not experienced, then you should never be afraid of turning work down if the references are bad. Don't put yourself through that stress, and ruin your reputation to your clients!
I have spent hours online looking for images of a particular breed if I'm given a relatively poor pet photo. I really would say to other artists, make sure you feel comfortable working from the reference photo provided from your customer and if you aren't, don't be afraid to say "I can't use this image" When it comes to human portraiture, the reference image has to be clear or you might as well not even try. Best of luck everyone!
I don't do commissions or draw/paint people at all anymore. Never had a problem with the finished piece but rather the pricing or just wanting it for free. Or the photos. Blurry out of focus or six pics of different people that they want in one finish piece that looks like it was one original pic. Then the attitude when you say it can't be done because of this or that reason. I also worked with the public in my day job at the time so that didn't help either. I just got to the point where I said no to the job and I never wanted to do another commission or draw/paint another human again.
I’m at that point where people love my work and I’ve sold a couple of paintings, non commissions. I would like to do commissions but don’t feel confident enough to take on that pressure. I do have a price list and business cards but not there with how long it will take me to complete the painting as I have a part time job (school hours, I have a son of 11 years old). So like you mentioned here in your very helpful video, I need to do more paintings and should then find out how long it takes me. Unless I’m just not a confident person to take on commissions 😐 I’m looking into doing prints but where do I start 🤔😀 I guess looking for a company to do the prints first 😁
Lmfao 🤣! Omg I needed that ahhhhh that was good stuff , holy smokes lol did you finish my painting,,,, ahhh no …. spin class , lol 😂 water the plants lol that was so funny lol call of duty I needed that ty and as always greet information ty ✌️❤️
I go by size, color or black and white, medium and if they want it framed or mounted on a pedestal or not. I won't do commissions because no one wants to pay and says things like "Yeah art is not a real job I need you to do this for free" and my favorite "Your art is nice but I can do it better. You're charging way too much." Sure buddy let me see you 3d model to this level of detail and then combine a sculpture, mold it, cast it and finish it. While you're at it go ahead and 3d print some parts for that model with ZERO experience and make sure it's to the correct scale. I wanted to see them try it only to watch them have a mental breakdown.
The "bad photo produces bad art" angle always reminds me of signwriters who write exactly what the client specifies, including spelling mistakes - both parties are at fault!
As a working photographer, I am capable of getting a good shot. Then the client says "could you just send me those files?" The photo session is for me to get a good reference not a photo session for the client to have a photo portrait. How do you handle this? Thank you so much for the content you provide.
Thank you I agree completely with what your saying and feel I need to share your video with my customers. As a artist and tattoo artist, I'm forever getting given poor quality pitchers as well as art on line that has full copy rights on it. People Don't get that I cant add in the missing eye because a shadow is to dark and always want something that is simply illegal to copy. I know copyright is another story but it seems to go hand in hand with my job. Its sooo frustration and Im repeating myself everyday to customers. Sometimes the same person. I have lost my sh%t at people in the past. something that makes me feel like a jerk afterwords. Im pretty reactive so i find myself biting my tongue and trying to think diplomatically on how to explain things better.
Random thought - would getting your basics written on a sign or poster that you can put in the waiting area help? I know I end up reading ALL the notices and posters and stuff on the wall when I'm sat in a waiting room...
Can I get please some advice? I do children’s book illustrations and I want to buy new colored pencils. My ideal would be luminance and lightfast but I can’t buy both full Setswana.would it be ok to buy half of both? Or better one complete set? I love the Derwent lightfast butI need the luminance for their buttery feel for many areasof my work. What upsets me is if I buy half of a set at some point I’ll buy the whole stand get repeats because the open stock pencils are just too expensive so a full set makes more sense. I just can’t decide. I love both pencils but I’m not sure if lightfast is buttery enough and luminance good for details….
That's why I don't work on commissions, it's difficult to work with people. I prefer to have my work ready, and if they like them to buy it, it's easier that way, at least for me.
I can't do commissions. For some reason, if anyone asks me to make art of something specific, instant art block. I've given up fighting it. Commissions are just not something I do.
