Minecraft Skin Commission Guide - Beginners Guide
(This guide may be outdated! For a more updated version, try the Google Document!)
Thinking about opening Minecraft skin commissions? Whether you’re brand new to selling art or already making commissions, it helps to know what you’re getting into. Minecraft skins are more than just pixels (we hear that a lot around here), they’re art! And treating them like a professional art can take you places.
This guide is here to help you get started, from understanding what it is you're doing and why, to end goals. We won’t cover every detail, but it will give you the foundation you need to open commissions with confidence!
The goal of this guide is to set you up to start selling custom Minecraft skins. But it should work well for selling any type of digital art. I have over 6 years of commission experience! But please remember every day I am still learning new stuff myself!
Note: Commissions and freelance work can sometimes touch on legal stuff, like licensing and income taxes. This guide is made by a person sharing what they have learned from experience and is not to be taken as professional legal advice. There will be tips and warnings, but if you need any legal work, you should consult a lawyer or legal professional.
A commission is the act of paying for a piece of art (ex. a Minecraft skin), to be created by an artist.
When someone commissions you, they're paying for the permission to use the piece of art. Almost like renting. You will still retain all rightful ownership to it. For example, a client could use a Minecraft skin in game, but they couldn't resell it without your permission, because at the end of the day, you have ownership over the art.
Commission work is different from selling your work for resale or running a small business. It's easier to get into and allows both you and your clients to have more flexibility. It's can be one of the most rewarding ways to get paid as an artist!
⁘ Am I Ready to Take Commissions?
There’s never a perfect time to start taking commissions. Honestly, you can start whenever you feel ready! But being prepared will make the process smoother, and help you reach people who really want to pay for your work. Even if you don’t have an audience yet, preparation will make it easier to build an audience as you go.
Below is a list of things that can help you get ready. There’s no set number you need, but the more of these you have, the better prepared you’ll be for a successful commission process! If you think the answer is no to any, it might be a good time to reflect if this is a good match for you.
Checklist - Are you ready yet?
Are you prepared to turn a hobby into work?
Do people already ask you to make them skins?
Can you handle constructive criticism and change your work for feedback?
Do you have a portfolio of AT LEAST 3 Minecraft skins you think are worth selling?
Do you have a social media presence or following?
Do you have a consistent style?
Are you SURE you're ready (the only real question)?
What even is a portfolio? This will probably be the most essential part of your commission process, and a complete MUST! It's a curated collection of your best works, something that represents your skills as an artist.
A portfolio at MINIMUM should have 3 of your best/most relevant works for your commissions. You should be able to send this portfolio to your potential client, and they will know exactly what they should expect from you.
Your portfolio should be easy to access for potential clients. Make sure it is linked to social media and advertisements related to your commission work (ex. on your Reddit "About Description").
Some professional sites to display your Minecraft skins on:
Your own website (Always the best!)
Carrd.com (Free alternative to site hosting)
Planet Minecraft (Acceptable standard for the Minecraft community)
A commission sheet is your ground zero, and it's a sales pitch to potential paying clients.
A good commission sheet is clear, has examples, and gets the most important points across. Like where to commission you, some examples of work, or your prices. There are a lot of free templates on the internet, or feel free to copy the following template:
Some platforms are more professional and make people feel safer than others. Contacts like Discord or Twitter work, but can scare off potential clients due to the amount of scams that happen there. Using third party sites with a lot of reputability makes your clients feel safer. Those can be sites like Ko-Fi (recommended), VGen, or even email contacts with Google Forms are pretty standard (Please note, not all sites will work for every country due to payment systems).
You should aim to have one CLEAR location to point people towards. Pick whichever works best for your needs, and most importantly, will keep you looking professional and be able to reply quickly.
Pricing your work can feel overwhelming, especially for Minecraft skins. Not only are you making a digital art, but you're also making a niche art. This makes it tricky to try to pinpoint your price-point, because there isn't much to compare yourself to out there.
There isn't one price that fits all, and ultimately, it's up to YOU to decide your rates.
Every artist deserves to be paid for their skills and time. Valuing your own work will also benefit the community and set a higher standard for wages for Minecraft texture artists across the board!
USA minimum wage is your floor, not your ceiling. Even if you’re new, charging below $7 USD per hour is unsustainable. Many skin artists find a fair base in the $10 to $25 USD per hour range, depending on skill and speed. Although an ideal starting point is roughly $20 USD. Keep a track of your time, and adjust accordingly!
(Rate convertor for those who need it.)
If you're outside of the US, do not be afraid of charging these prices. You're selling to a global market, you can work off what international customers would pay.
Feel comfortable charging more if:
You have a lot of years of experience.
You have a high skill level.
It takes you a while to make Minecraft skins.
If you're using your commissions to live off of.
Unless specifically stated, commissioning a person for a piece of art is more like renting! The person will be allowed to use the art piece however you permit them to, but they do not own the IP ("Intellectual Property")(This is dependent per applicable laws).
Knowing this, you should be able to charge an individual more based off how they plan on using it. Whether you're willing to put in the work to write contracts, or you're adding stipulations, it's good to charge extra to people who will be making profits off of your art work. This is an industry standard. Do NOT let someone take advantage of your lack of knowledge.
Common licenses: (Note, you will be responsible for creating and upkeeping these! Be aware you are stepping into a more legal world.)
Personal (Default):
A personal license is typically the default assumption of how the commission will be used. The commissioner will NOT be using the commission for profits. This is usually people using the skin in-game, streaming casually, making non-profit videos, etc.
Monetized ($$):
This is a great license for individuals that will be making profits off of ad and sponsored revenue, using your skin. So for example, Youtubers or Twitch streamers, who will be making profits from your product. It allows passive income, but does not allow resell, making merch, or redistribution.
Commercial ($$$):
Commercial licenses are the big ones! This allows businesses and big creators to use your Minecraft skin for profits. It covers a lot like, using the skin for branding, server packs, merchandising, paid content, reselling, and MORE depending on what you will allow.
Still confused? That's because it's confusing! Try out this video. Not only does it break down the details a bit more, but it covers how to make your own contracts for licensing on your own.
Be aware! Dropping your prices low does not make your work look more appealing (Unless it's a sale). Low prices communicate low quality, and in some cases, people may suspect you of stealing or using AI. Cheap rates will draw in difficult clients or trolls who see your art as cheap rather than valuable art, and trust, it SUCKS having to defend yourself.
Undercutting also hurts the community. When you price far below other artists, it drags down the market and can create resentment. Other artists may avoid working with/avoid interacting with you if they feel you’re devaluing everyone’s efforts or taking their clients. Or at worst, they will not recommend you to potential clients.
Look at artists of similar skill and style, and take note of their prices. Just remember, these prices are adjusted to this individual's needs. But they can be a huge inspiration to valuing yourself as an artist.
If you’re consistently booked or feel like you've improved, it's probably time to raise your prices. Even a small increase helps prevent burnout! It's always good to redo all the above steps every 6 months or once a year, just to make sure your rates are fair.
Do NOT fear increasing with time, there are Minecraft skin artists who charge $60+ USD per Minecraft skin, and that's COMPLETELY fair for their time!
Figuring out where to get paid is one of the biggest hurdles for beginners. Your options will depend on both where you live and how old you are. Please keep in mind, most countries will require you to be 18+ to access banking or payment services.
PayPal: The most common worldwide, has business accounts, and lets you send invoices.
Stripe: Similar to PayPal. Less availability in certain countries.
Local Transfers: Things like Venmo, Zelle, or CashApp (US). These can work for in-country clients, but aren’t always reliable for international commissions.
Most payment services charge transfer fees, which can eat into what you actually earn. It’s a good idea to keep this in mind when setting your commission prices. However, services like PayPal don’t allow you to charge clients extra specifically to cover those fees. If you want to offset the cost, raise your prices overall. Just don’t label it as a “fee.”
If you're under 18, it might be tempting to find work arounds to getting paid in other formats. You might get offers to work for or want to get paid in Robux, Discord Nitro, gift cards, or other digital items. This is NOT IDEAL.
Why not? There's a lot of downsides:
There's no buyer or seller protection. If a scam happens, there's not way to ensure you get your payments.
It's usually against the platform's "Terms of Service", meaning they don't allow the trade of products and digital payments.
It has no real value. You can't pay bills or buy food with digital trades. You deserve real money for your time.
What is "ToS"? Why do I need it?
Not always needed, but always good to have; your terms of service (or "ToS"). The terms of service is an agreement between the artist and the client made before the commission begins/is paid for. Not often legally binding, but many clients will not commission without clearly outlined ToS so they know what to expect from the process.
ToS are best for hobbyist and non-reselling/non-commercial work artists. If you plan on working with large IPs, companies, or big content creators, it is best to contact a lawyer for contract creation.
All ToS should be displayed where commission processes take place. Most third party sites like Ko-fi or Vgen require a ToS display, making it non-negotiable.
2. What should "ToS" include?
Your terms of services should fit your needs. But a general good start is outlining the following:
Intellectual property rights and copy rights.
What you will/won't make.
Pricing breakdown and payment methods.
Methods of communication.
Timeline and process breakdown.
It's a lot to wrap your head around. If you need further help, check out these examples here and here!
If you like what I do, continue supporting my efforts!
Donate: https://ko-fi.com/campestral
Commission: https://vgen.co/Campestral
Socials: https://campestral.carrd.co/
If you need additional help or run into any issues, please contact me. I will get to you as quickly as I can.
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Email: [email protected]
Thank you so much for taking your time to read this! I’ve recently found a passion for helping the community and educating where I can. So go easy on me! This is new for all of us. ^^
Seriously, use the help section to help me make this better, or find and support me online! I can’t do this alone <3
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