Commissioned Work

Here are my responses:

When accepting commissioned work, all creative processes and workflow processes become more structured. They become governed by the client's expected deliverable.

Most of the time commissioned work is a welcomed challenge.

I love commissioned work...I only take commissions from people who are already very familiar with MY style and give me most of the freedom I need to create fully.
Commissioned work adds one more step....a full color rendering that gets approved by the client when the contract is signed. I take a hefty deposit, nonrefundable as well.
I have no issues with a client telling me the size or color scheme....that makes MY job easier when a few elements of the design have already been determined.

Marlene: Great attitude and approach towards commissioned work! Thank you.

I don't know. My latest experience with commissioned work was too stressful for me to consider doing it again anywhere in the near future. I suppose it depends on the client and, like Marlene said, how willing they are to hand over the creative reins. Right now, though, I'm burnt out on it.

April: It can definitely be a taxing experience; I know first hand too. Marlene has establish a good set of guidelines that definitely make commissioned work more free flowing and enjoyable.

I treat all my commissioned works not unlike my art school assignments. I will meet the challenge head on and offer more than what they expected, instead of getting good marks, I paid well for my efforts.

Alfred: Great share and bold take on commissioned works! Thank you.

i don't do commission. because no matter what i make, it's never their vision. and at least with the one i sort of worked with, it was fine until it was 98% done, then suddenly everything was wrong. when someone comes up to me and says - i don't really know what i want and i really can't explain it to you, i want sort of a barrel and some grapes.... can you make that? i say, nope.


---Mike Savad

I am working on a commission at present of a Beagle dog.

I have SO learned my lesson that commissions are only a two way product at the time I am commissioned. The art is mine and the reason they wanted me was because they saw my style and liked it. Once we have chosen the theme and colour scheme (background) I am on my own until finished. I warned her that beforehand. I warned my last one beforehand too. I get less hassle and interference that way. I Just tell them that, as the artist, they need to let me get on with it.

Mike: lol Thank you for your amusing share. Wise man not to get caught up in the anguish of "To Be or Not To Be" that "commissioned works gone wrong" can cause.

Isabella: Congratulations on your current commission! Good strong approach. Assertiveness is something this girl needs to seriously work on. :)

Forgot to mention the most important thing....
Trust your gut....if you sense ANY red flags from the client, walk away! You'll be tearing your hair out by the end and probably won't see the balance of your $$ cuz you will never please them
If they appear to have the ability to aggravate you...build in an aggravation fee!...or take a bigger deposit...I've been known to take 100% upfront.

I have a love hate relationship with commissions:

I like them in that I get to step a little outside of my usual themes, I am challenged and almost always learn new skills, and, of course, they pay.

On the other hand, I find them terribly stressful. Realizing my own visions can be hard enough. Realizing someone else's can drive you crazy. One of the biggest problems I have is that people don't realize it, but when they picture an image in their head, they tend to see it from many angles at once -- kind of like a movie scene where there are lots of camera cuts. I have clients sometimes get frustrated when they realize that what they see in their mind can't translate into a single 2d image.

Marlene: Brilliant on the aggravation fee or taking a bigger deposit. This is why it will serve me well to work on my assertiveness.

Daniel: Very insightful share and relatable. Thank you.

For anyone who has had a difficult client, can you share any "situation diffusing" techniques?

I was a commercial photographer for many years, so everything was commissioned. I don't mind it a bit.

I had a difficult client when 20 and, unfortunately didn't diffuse it. She was elderly and wanted a pen and ink drawing of her as a young lady. She had an old moth eaten terrible photo but I made several sketches and finally got it as I wanted it and did the pen and ink.

It was actually one of my best works ever.

Her son saw it first and was bowled over. LOVED it.

We took it to be framed. Got it perfectly wrapped. Met her in the Navy Club (I belonged also) and presented the image

She opened it. Slammed it on the table. Said it looked nothing like her and made me give her back the deposit (we were in public and she was very elderly...just looked bad not to) and she then berated me for over half an hour as I sat there biting my tongue (not like me)

She then stood up, threw a glass of beer over me and stormed out.

Wasnt until afterwards that I realised she took the image with her.

no way to diffuse...just make sure you've paid yourself for the grief.

I have only returned one deposit...and I was doing a mural, so it was just a few gallons of paint.
I showed up to a client's house and she told me to move a sofa from her living to another room....I explained that I was her mural painter and she said she hired me and I am to do what she tells me. Furthermore, her husband is a doctor!
Unfortunately, she didn't know with whom she was dealing. I handed her back her deposit (I had it clipped to my daytimer) and told her my husband was a doctor as well and that perhaps we'd meet again at the next medical convention.
LOL

People ask me do you do commissioned work, and I say no. They ask why? Because I have done commissioned work. Have you been to a restaurant and no matter what there is someone who wants this and that, from slicing a sandwich to square ice cubes or a clear glass for there coffee. Remember there are people who's hobby is to jerk other people around. If you haven't done a commission piece you should try it. You'll find out what it's about. Be careful and get everything straight. Commissions do not work for me.

Isabella: Oh my! Even the Rockafellas attempted to right their broken commission with Diego Rivera. Sounds like you handled it with plenty of grace.

Marlene: Super execution and exit of an aborted mission!

Jack: Thank you for your share. I agree with giving commission work a try.

I have done commissions before. One was a sketch of a coworker. A sitting portrait. When I got to a stopping point and she looked at it she said "That's an old woman!" She was 75. Go figure.
Another lady wanted a painting of some butterflies to represent her deceased relatives. So in the original,painting I put five butterflies. When I showed her halfway thru she said "Oh no, there are five! Only three are deceased. Does that mean something bad id gonna happen to another family member?" So I had to start over because I did not hear the number she wanted! It turned out beautifully. Much better than the five.
I find their time for completion does not usually match my pace.

I get the money first and then they say,Do what you want. Because they who buy my Art want me to decide think they think that's more interesting and they want my Art work,not from there own mind.

Iamthebetty: GREAT experience share! I chuckled at both of their reactions a little. :)

Robert: Not surprised that you are given complete creative freedom. :)

For anyone who doesn't like doing commissions....please pass them along to me! ;)