How To Handle Red Flags In Potential Commission Clients

When you are an artist and want to be a full time freelancer, commissions seem to be the way to go! But there are cases sometimes when the stress might not be worth the money. We all learn this through our own mistakes and experience, but I've taken the time to point out some common red flags that you would need to be on the look out for, especially if you are a beginner.

Let's directly jump into it. I've collected some classic examples, that I am 100% sure you will encounter if you're in the game of doing art commissions.

Now, we've all heard that one, to a point where it's become a meme:

Think about the exposure! We are a big company/account/whatever, millions of people will see it and come to you for work!

First of all, if they have such a great audience, or are as big as they claim, they can afford to pay you- they just don't want to. Don't feel like you have to work for no payment just because you are a beginner - if someone likes your work and wants to commission you, that in itself is proof that your work is worth it. Exposure might be a good bonus to a commission well done, but it is not a payment method.

Other examples of potential clients being cheap:

- Saying: But X person charges a much lower rate! (probably a lie!)

- Constantly negotiating, trying to bring price down - a sign that you will have many disputes through the whole process

- Trying to make you do work before agreeing on conditions, price, or an upfront amount- a sign that they might be trying to scam you, be careful! Or that they just don't understand how the process works

Remember: Cheap clients usually are the most demanding, often micromanaging- that shows lack of trust, why did they choose you then? They would require most time and emotional exhaustion- it is not worth it. You might have to burn yourself once or twice, experiencing this to understand exactly what I mean - that was the case for younger me, but I'd advice you to be smart and trust me on this one.

Ways to handle it, and prevent bad experience:

Cover yourself with having strong communication from the beginning. Agree on budget, timeline, amount of revisions, upfront payment, etc before starting to actually work on the project. If they have a much lower budget than what you are expecting - let them know what you can offer them for this budget.

Still, you can always say No - be selective. Sometimes it might be better to miss out on a job and save you the stress.

Another type of red flag is a client that is well meaning, but clearly does not understand what goes into creating an art piece, or how pricing of such piece works and why. That could even be a friend or family member, which makes the situation even more uncomfortable. Here you might need to turn on explaining mode, and let them know (politely!) why custom art is something that takes up time, skill, and requires such and such payment. You can still feel free to decline, say you're fully booked but might work together in the future. Use terms such as commission, work, timeline, budget - sound professional, so both sides are on the same page, understanding that this is a service and a business transaction.

Sometimes you might be communicating with someone that would agree on your terms, but still sound unprofessional and non reliable. Make sure to always check who you are talking with- if it is a company, research it on google, if it is a person try to get an understanding of who they are and if they are serious. If they try to bully you into lowering your prices, or use an unprofessional language - drop them! Protect your time and energy for people who would appreciate it.

TIP: Only send low resolution previews before receiving full payment. If the client insist on getting the full commission before they pay you- major red flag! You could also watermark your previews, to be extra sure it wouldn't be used before you've received your fee.

If you have any doubts or suspicions, do not ignore them!

Talk everything through with your potential clients, make sure your conditions are clear to them and cover yourself with creating invoices or put down a document in writing. I would advice to ask for a portion of the payment upfront, to be sure you client is serious, especially if you do not know them and this is your first time working with them. If you notice any define red flags, it might be better to skip the job and save your nerves. But make sure you are always polite and professional!

In the beginning you would probably make mistakes- it is part of the learning process, take it as an educational experience. There will be both ups and downs, keep your head up and happy painting!

All the best! -Clementine