PSA for collabs/commissions/hiring artists
Heyo so I recently got contacted by someone about something(?) art related(??) and it was a super confusing experience that I still don’t totally understand what they wanted from me so I wanted to lay out some advice for anyone hoping to contact an artist for any sort of project, be it a collaboration, a commission, or whatever. Also, artists, know your rights.
1. Start by introducing yourself and explaining what you do. Don’t be vague, give specifics. What are you interested in? What makes what you do different from what other people do? Why should someone want to get involved? What do you want from the artist?
2. Have answers in mind for questions of content/method/scope. That’s super important for any collaborative project, especially when pulling other people into it. Tell them exactly what they’re getting into. What do you want this project to be about? How do you want this project to be achieved? How much time and resources will be spent on this project?
3. Over explaining is better than under explaining. Make your language clear. Write professionally. Do your best to have good grammar. Give artists the same professional courtesy you would give a any other legit business.
4. Ask yourself: What am I getting out of this? What are they getting out of this? Are those two things equal?
Generally, collabs mean that both participants are contributing to the work load. It’s a constructive effort that relies on the contribution of both parties. Asking someone to draw something for you (or your business/blog/channel/whatever) isn’t a collaboration, it’s a transaction. What are you offering in return? Some artists are happy to create art for exposure. Many of us create art as our business, and exposure isn’t a very reliable currency. If that’s all you can offer, quantify it. Where will it be featured? How many people will see it? How likely are those people to then support me as an independent artist? Don’t be surprised if many artists ask for more tangible compensation.
Please, please don’t try to shame artists for wanting compensation for our work. “Some people just do it for fun” doesn’t make us want to perform free labor, it just makes us feel bad and question the worth of our art. Most of us already draw for fun- that’s all the stuff you get to see for free on our blogs. We also often have to create art for classes, for other jobs, and for professional portfolios. We don’t have time to work for free for someone we don’t know. You wouldn’t ask an architect to design your house because it’s fun. Please afford us similar courtesy.
Some ways to support artists if you can’t afford to spend the money:
- Reblogs!! Follows!! Tags!! Even if you can’t commission me, one of your followers might!
- Recommend us to your friends/family. Do you know your mom wants a family portrait? Does your friend want a doodle of her dog? Send them our way!
- Encouragement can go a long way. Comment. Send asks. Tell us specifically what you liked about a piece. This makes us more confident and willing to post art on platforms like tumblr and instagram, where you’ll get to see it for free!
- Keep an eye out for stolen art, reposts, no credit, etc. Know that it harms artists and makes us less willing to share what we create.
I hope this has been helpful for both artists and people who want to work with artists. Please let me know if there’s anything I’ve missed!
theartofmadeline
andulkaphoto
origamiaround
gummygunk
izzy806
