COMMISSIONS!
COMMUNICATION / TIMELINES
Thank you for trusting me to bring your creative vision to life! I made this page to break down the commission process. It all begins with assessing what the project is, where it will live, and what it will take to achieve your vision.
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I assess projects based on time, complexity, and schedule - I keep myself busy, but occasionally have breaks between projects where I can work through commissions. First thing we need to do is clearly articulate the vision - is the project for a character looking suave from the shoulders up, or is it an epic fight scene with forty spartan soldiers? Will this illustration live on a billboard, or is it for a close personal friend?
Once we nail down the specific deliverables, we can get a better feel for what it will cost. Project dependent, I'm receptive to receiving payment in two installments - half up front and half on the back end.
A huge part of commissioned work is trust, and that all begins with communication. I'm very quick to respond to correspondence and keep commissioners in the loop. If I have no external deadlines, I prioritize commission work, and tend to get it finished on a fairly tight timeline - this is usually a discussion, but we'll figure this out before we begin, and I'll communicate what I have on the horizon (conventions, deadlines, etc).
THE PROCESS
PENCILS
Each project is a bit different, but in general, the concept starts in the sketch phase. If there's a few approaches we're trying to decide between, you might receive a 'thumbnail' sketch - a gestural sketch that blocks out key elements of your commission. But in general, everything starts with pencils.
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This phase is incredibly important! Pencils are loose, and very easy to change - if anything seems off, let me know in the pencils phase, as it gets much more difficult to make changes as the process goes on. As it is a looser phase, focus on the overall layout and how well we're achieving your vision. I tend to tighten up more technical details in the inks phase.
INKS
In this phase, I tighten up lines and build out more technical details. Essentially I'm locking in decisions. If the piece is design heavy, I might leave some areas blank for me to finish in the color phase.
COLORS / DESIGN
This is where the magic happens - it all comes together in the color phase! Any design elements will be built out, and any type treatments added.
DELIVERABLES
Upon completion and receipt of payment, I'll send hi-res final deliverables!