Tips for Artists. To create art is to live art, but how can artists make a living creating their art? Knowing the different between making art on commission vs. selling finished pieces is the first step. When you make works of art on commission you are forming a relationship that is based upon pre-determined specs that you create from scratch. However, selling a completed work of art out of your studio or at a gallery is an event. These two should never be confused. Here are important tips to consider which may avoid commission nightmares:

1. Know your strong and weak areas – If you are unable to answer “yes” to at least 2 of the following questions then you should not take commissions: (a) Are you a good communicator? (b) Do you work well with other people? (c) Are you a good listener? (d) Are you able to be flexible without losing your cool? (e) Are you able to follow instructions? (f) Are you able to respond effectively to the needs, requests and concerns from others?

2. Make sure to do your due diligence before signing a commission contact — Knowing with whom you are dealing before signing a contract can prevent major commission pitfalls: (a) If you haven’t worked together before, do your due diligence regardless if the initial contact felt like you just reunited with your long lost twin. (b) Meet with the other party at your studio or where your art is created to discuss the project. (c) Make sure your art is displayed to show a representative selection of your work as the more they see your art the more they understand your work. (d) Observe the reaction the other party makes to your art. (e) Determine if they want an exact duplication of your artwork they’ve seen before or to commission a work of art, as many people only want the prior.

3. Make concise and clear statements to avoid confusion that can haunt you during and at the end of the commission project. Consider the following questions:
• Have you ever commissioned art before? How many pieces?. The larger amount of commissioned art means you’ll encounter fewer problems. Be sure to get names of several artists and contact them to see it things went well between the parties.
• If they’ve never commissioned art make sure you can give them what they want based on their specs. Always turn down a job where unrealistic expectations from persons are difficult to fulfill.
• What do you want to see in your art? Broad answers are best otherwise they will try to micromanage the job. For example, how your art makes them feel, the message it represents, their appreciation of you, the artist, will insure your art expression (not theirs) will be represented in the finished product.
• What don’t you like about my art? The more they love about your art the better. The less they like: warn them in advance that you can’t do much about it and encourage them to find another artist.
• Don’t allow the other person to leave the details up to you. Always ask them for any other questions or requests before signing any contract.
• Will you be the only one approving the art? It is very important to receive a “yes” answer to this question. Less is better as you will never receive consensus so think hard about turning down the commission. If one member of the group doesn’t like the finished project, Game Over!

4. If you are satisfied with the meeting and understand all that is expected of you go ahead and create and sign a contract. Make it simple and include key points like basic characteristics of the art, payment schedule, late payment fees, completion time, and final delivery. Never make verbal agreements as it avoids “we agreed upon this or that” future disputes.

5. Require a nonrefundable advance, approximately 1/3 the total commission cost. This insures if the other party backs out that you still get paid for invested time, materials and labor. This also prevents you from rushing the job and encourages the other party to expect a positive outcome.

6. Make arrangements for the other party to make three to four periodic visits to view the work in progress. This allows you to diffuse potential problems by addressing concerns in advance of the commissioned piece of art.

7. Dialogue should be encouraged, as the other party should NEVER be made to feel uncomfortable expressing feelings or asking questions about the art. You should maintain an open line of communication to encourage crucial feedback. Should they become dissatisfied with the art you won’t be able to hear them if you are overly sensitive to criticism, which can cause major disputes upon completion of your commissioned piece of art.

8. Do not change the look of the art unless you receive prior permission to do so. Stick to the script or you will face severe consequences n the end.