FAQ

First time commissioner? Just want to find out more about how to commission something and what commissions are all about? Hopefully I can answer that here! :D

What is a commission?
Why would I want a commission?
How do I go about getting a commission?
How soon can you finish my commission?
How does the queue work?
I need something by a certain deadline, can I have a rush?
What if I want something really specific... what if I want a change?
Where can I use the art once I have it?
Are you able to do something in a style different from what I see here?
(fanart) Will you draw me X character from Y series?
Will you make me a plushie?
Will you draw me a comic?
(clone) Will you draw me a picture *exactly* like (insert different artist here)
(price)Why is your art so expensive??
Can you draw me like an anime person?
Are you interested in being the artist for my webcomic/normal comic/etc?

What is a commission?
A commission is what an artist calls "something I was paid (commissioned) to do." If you want something drawn for you, or a picture of your own character by a certain artist, you can commission them to make it for you. Consider commissions like "hiring" an artist, except that it's on a piece-by-piece basis.

Why would I want a commission?
There are several reasons why you could want a commission. Perhaps you really like an artist and you would want to see how one of your characters looks in her style. Maybe you want some promotional artwork for your product... hiring an artist can get you something really custom that pops.

How do I go about getting a commission?
It varies a little depending on what exactly you want, but first you need to come up with what it is you would like to hire an artist for. Sometimes this can be a vague idea or something very specific. Then you would email me, present your idea as best as you can, and ask I'm interested in the project. If I am, we can work out exactly what you want with emails and sketches (These sketches and discussion are FREE). Once we have agreed on what I am to do, I can quote you a price. I ask for either 50% downpayment or full downpayment at this point. I will keep you updated on the progress and ask for your input when it makes sense to do so. When I get a final piece that you are happy with, I will request the rest of the payment. Then I will send you a high resolution tiff of the piece you have commissioned.

How soon can you finish my commission?
Being a commission artist is not my primary occupation. The amount of time it takes for me to do your commission varies a LOT on my current workload, and how many other commissions I have. Once we agree on what needs to be done for a certain project, I can give you an estimate of how long it will take based on my current workload. If you have a deadline in mind, I need to know right up front if you want me to meet it. If the deadline you have in mind is within 1 month of the time you contact me, you can choose to have it put on a Rush to meet your deadline. Please note that in some cases there are deadlines that I can not meet and I will not accept a project whose deadline is within 2 weeks of the date I am contacted.

How does the queue work?
The queue is the order I work on my commissions. In general, it's first paid first served. So if two people are talking to me about commissions, whoever puts a downpayment gets put on the queue first. If I've been asked to do, say, 3 drawings, and all 3 were paid for, they will occupy slots #1, 2 and 3. Having a lower slot in the queue doesn't necessarily mean that I won't work on your piece before the upper 3 are completed, however. Some commissions are easier to do than others, like sketchwork is easier than CG work, so I might end up getting a lower queue number done first. Deadlines for particular projects and whether something has been put on rush is also taken into consideration.

I need something by a certain deadline, can I have a rush?
If you absolutely need a piece within one month of the time I am contacted, it needs to be put on a RUSH. The RUSH fee is +50% of the final commission price. I WILL NOT accept any project whose deadline is within 2 weeks of the date I am contacted.

What if I want something really specific... what if I want a change?
Even though you are hiring an "artist" don't expect me to be all "artsy" about the work I am doing ;). My primary goal is to make sure that you get a piece that is what YOU want. It makes me happy when my client is happy. As such, I give a lot of opportunity for feedback. If you don't like something in my design, please point it out. However, I can only make changes that are logical for the phase of the project I am in. For example, when I'm in sketching phase, I can make any changes. I try to make the sketch as close as we want to the final drawing as possible because it is one of the few steps
I can make changes in when doing a Natural Media project. Once I am finished inking, I can still make changes to the lineart - but ONLY DIGITALLY. If I'm colouring in Natural Media, there is very little I can do to change what has been done, but in a digital piece, I can change a lot.

If you really need something specific, please remember the rule that an artist is only as good as her reference. If you have a very specific pose or article of clothing you want, PLEASE provide me with links to images that are similar to what you see in your mind.

Where can I use the art once I have it?
You can find out more about this in Spikecomix Policy, but in a nutshell, where you can use the art you commission from me is decided in the initial discussion phase. If you say nothing about what this image is for, it is assumed to be for PERSONAL USE. Pieces for personal use can be used ONLY for display in your home and on your personal site. You MAY NOT claim the work as your own, the artwork is STILL (c)Spikecomix. You MAY have the work printed at high quality for display in your home ONLY. You may not print the work for any other purpose or distribution, be it for profit or nonprofit. If you wish to do so, this is negotiable, but it may affect the price.

Are you able to do something in a style different from what I see here?
I am in no way locked into the style you see featured on this site. It is my *specialty* and the style I prefer drawing in the most, but it is not the only thing I am capable of doing. If you can provide me with some reference drawings of a style of art that you like, I can shift my style *towards* that style, but it WILL NOT be identical. It will still be my style.

Will you draw Fanart?
As part of my policy, I will not do fanart commissions. Not only for the questionable legality of the issue, but because I have found that if I do some fanart for someone, I do not enjoy it and the person receiving it expects it to be more like the original artist's. I am not a copy-cat artist.

Will you make me a Plushie?
I no longer accept plushie commissions. The process is far too time consuming and it is not enjoyable enough for me to make it worth it.

Will you draw me a comic?
In most cases I will not accept a comic/doujinshi commission. They are extremely labour-intensive compared to regular still art. The only comics I would potentially accept would be simple 3-4 panel strip art or a short, simple comic for instructional purposes. In both cases, the script would need to be provided.

Will you clone another artist's style?
No. Absolutely not. If you are commissioning me it is for a piece that is more or less in *my* style. I am not a copycat artist. If you want the style of a particular artist, commission THEM. However, I will accept reference of work by other artist as a style cue. For example "with hair more like this character from that anime (picture attached)".

Why is your art so expensive??
Actually, it's not that expensive at all. On average, it may take me up to 2 hours of work to come to an agreement for what I am to do, 3 hours to get a sketch that a client likes, 1-3 hours to ink (depending on complexity), and up to 12 hours to colour something. For a $70-$80 commission, that's roughly $4/hr. A lot of people experience sticker shock, I think, when they shop for commission artwork, but I don't think they realize the amount of work that really goes into it. Also, there's the concept of supply and demand. I set my prices so that the demand on my art meets the supply that I can provide.

Can you draw me like an anime person?
I get asked this so often, it gets its own FAQ! Yes, I can draw you, or your kid, or you and your girlfriend in a cartoony anime way. You can expect the same kind of prices as in the Base Guide, I will require picture reference.

Are you interested in being the artist for my webcomic/normal comic/ other fulltime art commitment?
No. I am a full time engineer and I have many other commitments to attend to, so I am not interested in becoming an artist for something that involves rigorous commitments. However, I am no stranger to long term- multi phase projects. Many of the people who commission me ask me to commission many images in a series, or for the same project or purpose. I don't mind doing that at all, in fact I love repeat business because we're already familiar with each other. The only thing that needs to be set is that the work I'm doing must have a timeframe flexible enough for the ebb and flow of my workload.

If you have any other questions, feel free to Contact me.