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Student Commissioning and Agent Advice
It is an exciting leap to progress from being a Student to an Artist or Illustrator. Sometimes it's a gradual transition, if friends or admirers of your work begin to tentatively ask you to do something specially for them. (or even ask brashly, not realizing how much of your heart and soul goes into every offering!) Or it may happen as a sudden switch, which is often the case when full-time students leave college and begin the process of looking for work. I can remember the first phone calls I made to publishers, blushing when I said the words
Hello, I'm an Illustrator... But however it comes about, there is an Art and a Skill to accepting commissions.We all try to learn from our mistakes, but here are some useful guidelines, based on my experience, which hopefully will help you adopt the right attitude to yourself, your work and your client. And anyone, from your next door neighbour to a multi-national company, who asks you to create a piece of work for them, is Your Client. It is important to act professionally with everyone, to value your time - so that they value it too. |
It is always flattering to be asked to produce an artwork, and many students have told me theyʼd happily have worked for nothing or not accepted the payment, that the pleasure given to the recipient was enough, the delighted face of the client was worth more than money. I ask you to slightly alter that thought and turn it around, for your benefit, as well as your clients.
I was told by a tutor at college 25 years ago, when at that time I never thought anyone would EVER commission me, that we should never work for free.
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That if we were approached by a Charity, and the MD who was commissioning me was wearing a better shirt than mine (always likely) then they could afford to pay SOMETHING. If nothing is charged, the artwork is devalued. I have, in recent years, done some work for a charity for no fee - I painted Christmas cards, which took a couple of months to complete - but the deal was that I got 2000 of each beautifully printed card. That was not working for free, in fact, it was a good deal, for me and for the charity. It provided me with amazing publicity as my name was printed on the back of the cards. And people still comment on them - and return to that charity every year because they are now well know for the quality of the cards.
The areas you need to consider when accepting or considering a commission are:
1. Do you WANT to do it! Once you have got over the flattery of being asked, it is vital that you carefully think over what has been requested and ask yourself if itʼs the right commission for you. We are inclined to feel an obligation to provide whatever we are asked for, but the buck stops with you. A couple of hours Thinking Time can save you weeks of agony.. So if youʼve been asked to paint a portrait of your local High Street, litter bins and all, when your area of special interest is, say, botanical studies of roses, it is not unreasonable that you should say, Thank You, I'm SO delighted that you've asked me, but I'm afraid that's not my area. You could, of course, privately attempt the very commission, to see how you get on, without the pressure of actually accepting the work. Unless you WANT to do it.
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2. The Deadline. This is so incredibly vital. If its a professional company, a publisher etc, you will always be given a deadline. Which you MUST meet. If, however, the Client is a member of the public, you may hear those dreadful words Oh, No Hurry.. How my heart sinks when I hear that. I will confess that I have had 5 commissions in the past two years from lovely members of the public (i.e. not professional bodies), and all said there was no rush, and what happened? I didn't start on any of them. And felt guilty and neglectful, but I was busy with 100 other things, and sure there's no Hurry... |
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| So at a meeting last month with a businessman who was commissioning me, when I asked for the deadline I was not far short of devastated when he said, Oh, No Hurry, so quick as a flash I replied FOUR WEEKS THEN! I must have reached my guilt-capacity. The job was delivered ahead of time, and now Iʼm working through my backlog, with the resolve to enforce a deadline on every job. Otherwise, it can drag on forever. Trust me. I know!
2.5 The Deadline Again! If you are given a deadline that you know you can't meet, say so immediately. Perhaps they need it in a week but you know it'll take a month - tell them this,and either they give you more time because they want You, or they will have to find another artist because they can't alter the timings. But they will come back to you again if you are honest - you should not try to do a month's work in a week. You, quite simply, won't! |
3. The Budget - A professional body will offer you a fee, along with the deadline. Usually (but not always) the illustration fee covers the cost of the license to use your artwork for the agreed purpose, and you will receive the artwork back after they've printed it. On deciding whether or not to accept the fee, work out how long it will take you (roughly) and see if the fee will cover your costs (including scanning or postage etc as well as materials) AND give you a profit! If it's a private non-business customer (your neighbour for example) use the time and costs as a starting point only. They may be shocked at what it actually costs you to produce it. For professional fees, contact the Association of Illustrators for advice. |
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4. Understanding the brief - take notes, ask questions (you will develop a 6th sense so you will know they meant Pink when they said Green) and provide a Rough for approval before going ahead with the finished artwork. With private clients I also ask them to make notes on the rough drawing and to sign both that and the photographic reference and send it back to me. This ensures they understand what they will get, and have no surprises. |
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5. A successful Work Process - this will make you and your clients happy. You will work out what works best for you, in time, but generally speaking it means acting professionally at all times, and being honest and clear with the client from the outset. This is easiest with a professional client, but can be achieved with private clients too, so long as YOU take the lead. Don't be embarrassed. If you're calling a friend about a job they've commissioned, have a note beside the phone so you can say what needs to be said - just read it aloud! Everything should be decided at formal meetings. These should be as few as possible. Take notes always, and confirm decisions, fee and deadline, in writing. Agree that one third of the fee is paid on acceptance of the rough drawing, the balance on completion. I also recommend you draw up a contract outlining the above. This way everyone will be clear - its the cloudy areas that make commissions difficult. |
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Artists Agents:
Many artists don't deal with clients at all, but instead do all their work through an Agent. If you decide to do this, it is really important that you feel totally comfortable with the agent, and not in fear of them in any way. You need to build up a relationship with them, based on trust. (It doesn't mean they'll ever be your best friend, but you need to be able to be honest and open with them if they are to act on your behalf) The advantage of having an agent is that they will source the work for you, they have a client base already and do your marketing.
Of course, you will have to pay for the marketing as well as a percentage of every job you do with them. You also need to discuss with them how they feel about you having your own clients as well - some agents will want sole control over your work load. This is so that they know you aren't overloading your schedule and that you can still meet the deadlines that they have negotiated for you. If you are looking for an agent, make sure you visit as many as possible till you find the right person.
Written by Julie Douglas |
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