| Posted: 08 December 2006 at 2:59pm | IP Logged | 11
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AdamH: I'd also be interested in knowing how you all get in touch with these artists to get these great comissions?
There is no big secret, I don't think. Here is my method to starting a commission:
(1) Pick an artist that you like.
(2) Go to a site like ComicArtFans.com and do a search for commissions by that artist.
(3) THIS IS IMPORTANT: Do lots of research before you go any further. Find out what people have to say about their experiences with that artist. What was the turnaround time? Was their good communication from the artist and/or their rep? Did the art arrive bent in five places? Would that collector get another commission from the artist in the future?
(4) Contact the artist or their rep. Lots of artists have websites and/or email addresses. (You get the private email addresses by asking fellow collectors).
As for art reps, there are very good ones and there are very bad ones. (JB's rep, Jim Warden, has an excellent reputation, for example). Again, this is where your research comes into play.
(5) Tell the artist EXACTLY what you want in terms of # of characters, medium, paper size, level of background detail.
At this stage, be aware of word choices. A "sketch" is not the same as a full blown "commission", for example. If you are asking for a "commission" and you get a price quote for a "sketch", there has been a breakdown in communication and chances are you are going to be disappointed when all is said and done.
(6) Negotiate a price with the artist. Keep in mind that commission pricing is all over the map. Some artists charge a lot for a single figure, pencil-only, with little or no background, while others will give you an inked, multi-character scene with full background for one package price. Some artists provide excellent value for money, while others do not.
Remember that asking for a price quote does not commit you to a commission. If the price is too high and you can't work out a deal that works in your budget, politely tell the artist/rep that you are no longer interested and then just walk away. There are lots of other fish in the sea.
(7) Pay for your commission. If you are unsure of the artist's track record, ask if you can pay 1/2 now and 1/2 upon completion, or some variation thereof. It is very rare to find an artist who will let you pay 100% of the tab AFTER the commission is totally completed. If you have any doubts about the artist's ability to deliver, then politely decline the commission and move on.
Other important lessons from the 'commission game':
(a) Commissions come after an artist's 'real' deadline work [! See edit below !], so don't be surprised if the time frame changes at some point along the way.
[edit 2007.08.02: It has been pointed out to me that commissions and deadline work are both equally 'real', as both involve customers, payment and expectation of delivery within certain time parameters and at a certain level of quality. I agree, so I want to correct my comments: I think customers need to be slightly flexible about deadlines. That said, artists have no right to put commissions on a perpetual back-burner. All work, regardless of who it is for, should be dealt with as promptly as possible and all deadlines must be treated seriously.]
(b) If there is a certain costume or story element that you really want to see in a drawing, say so. (And provide reference materials. Artist X probably does not remember page 13, panel 3 from one of the twenty books they cranked out on a deadline back in 1972).
(c) Be realistic about what an artist is going to be able to deliver -- by which I mean to recognize that, say, a Dick Ayers commission will never be the same as an Arthur Adams commission (nor should they be!)
(d) Remember that at the end of the day, commissions are a crap shoot. You don't know exactly what you are going to get. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they can be a disappointment.
Edited by Brian Sagar on 02 August 2007 at 12:14pm
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