Tutorials » Freelancing Guide
Hello all! Recently I've been getting a lot of notes and e-mails asking for suggestions and advice on how to get started with a career in freelance art, so I decided to go ahead and write up a general guide for it. Please note that this guide is based on my own personal experience and is not necessarily the right or the best way to do it. I also cannot guarantee success.
| INTRODUCTION |
First off, let me say that freelance is not exactly the best choice for a career. It is very hard to make it as a freelance artist and a steady paycheck is never guaranteed. If you have no self dicipline, are prone to procrastination or cannot take direction well, it is not a good idea to try it.
Lots of people have asked me for my stats as an example, so I'll go ahead and use that here. I have no day job; art is my sole source of income. Via commissions, I make roughly $500 a month, give or take. Keep in mind that this figure is decided by how much each commission costs and that I can get them all done within a month. If I do not finish them in time, I have to stretch out the money until I can take more. If I am dedicated with working on them, I usually have enough time to finish them as well as do some of my own art and even take a few nights off of art completely.
Note: I still live at home, so it is possible for me to live off of this income. If I was out on my own, I would not be able to support myself without a roommate or something.
I also get "spending money" from various other endeavors my artwork is a part of - print sales, CafePress, shuushuu, etc. As of right now, prints generate about $30-$80 a quarter (every three months) and CafePress generates about the same (though I rarely pulled in money from CP until recently).
There is also money from random freelance jobs I take if they suit me, but for the most part I've discovered that taking commissions is a lot easier and more fruitful. With commissions I can do them at my leisure and I can get more money for them. Freelance is hard work for usually very little pay, and it always needs to be finished yesterday. It's just more stressful and usually not worth it if I can make the same money by taking X number of commissions instead.
So, now that you've got a general idea of what you're looking at, let's move on to the guide! I have broken it down into sections, and each section has been broken down into parts. Each one contains a general step, followed by further explanation, so if you don't want to read everything you can skim the titles.
| 1. GETTING NOTICED |
I know, I know. We're only on the first step and already it's the hardest part of the whole ordeal. But let's face it, if nobody knows your art you're not going to get work, are you? So, let's review ways to get yourself recognized as an artist.
a. Post Your Work to Art Communities Like DeviantART
Posting your artwork to places like deviantART, SheezyArt, Side7, Yerf, VCL, etc. is the best way to showcase your art. These gallery communities generally have good exposure and it's a great way to show off your stuff, not to mention make friends and contacts. Having your own personal site for your work is a good idea as well, but people looking to hire freelancers will often peruse these places rather than do a fruitless Google search. I can't count the number of times I've received an e-mail with a freelance job offer that started with, "We saw your work on deviantART and..."
b. Generate Interest In Your Work
If you're really ambitious, you could actively try to get people to visit your gallery. Do NOT do this by sending notes/e-mails to people asking them to look at your work or by commenting on someone's art with something akin to, "Nice work, please check out my gallery!" That is rude. If you want to get people to look at your stuff, visit the forums. Most art communities have a special forum where you can post thumbnails of your art and request that people look at it. Do this there only.
c. Draw Fan Art
I know some of you are going to think this is really cheap, and I would agree with you, but it's really one of the best ways to get people to look at your stuff. Let's face it, people are more likely to know about Inu-Yasha or Naruto than your original characters Jim-Bob or Suzy-Q, and if they happen to come across one of your fan arts and like the drawing, they will probably check out the rest of your gallery. This leads them to your original stuff. But be wary of falling into the trap of doing mainly fan art just to get attention. It may be nice to get a lot of faves and comments, but never forget your main focus should be on your own creations, even if it won't garner quite as much attention. Only use it as a stepping stone.
| 2. SELLING YOUR WORK |
Okay, so now you're fairly well-known in the art community and you're ready to start getting paid for your artwork. There are many ways to go about this, but let's start with selling your own stuff.
a. Selling Originals
If you work prominantly with digital media, this step may be a bit harder for you. However, if you do a lot of traditional media images, you may want to consider selling some of them. Most people prefer to have originals over prints. If you have some that you are willing to part with, try selling them via auctions, or you can simply state in the description of an image you upload that it is for sale and people may contact you about buying it. You can also make journal posts or a "for sale" page on your site and list any images you have for sale and how much you would like for them.
b. Prints
Prints are by far the best way to sell your artwork. You can sell the same image multiple times and generate a continuous income versus a one-time sale of a single piece. It doesn't even have to be digital media - you can scan a traditional media image and make a print of it. There are many ways to do this, but do not feel that you have to limit yourself to only one method. Offer them in any way you can to maximize your market and increase sales.
I. Home-made prints. If you have a nice home printer, you can get glossy photo paper from print supply stores and make your own prints, then sell them yourself via a website or journal post in an art community.
II. Printing services. You could also enlist a service like deviantART's print program, which will handle everything from taking orders to creating the product to shipping it out, and even take care of complaints or returns with no cost to you. They will take a percentage of the profit, but you do not have to do anything except upload the image to be printed. It's a fair trade-off. There is also the advantage that people are more likely to order through a secure website than they are to go through the bother of personally e-mailing you to make an order.
III. Another method is to get cheap bulk orders from printing services like Paper Forest. This is good for getting prints to sell at conventions but probably not best for casual sale, since you would have to put out the money to purchase the prints with no guarantee that you will sell them all and get the money back.
c. Products
Ahh, products. Having a t-shirt of your artwork used to be an impossible dream, but nowadays it's fairly easy to have this done. Like prints, there are a few ways to do this, and again, do not feel that you must limit yourself to only one option.
I. Cafepress. I know many people believe this service to be a complete rip off, but I have yet to find another website that allows you to fully design, customize, and create many different products for individual sale. They have lots of products ranging from shirts to hats to bags...even black t-shirts! It's free to join and you earn profit based on how much you raise the price of your products over base cost. It's very easy to use and they help you every step of the way.
II. DeviantART. DeviantART's print program also allows you to create a few select products at the same time that you create your prints. Their products include mousepads, mugs, calendars, magnets, coasters, postcards and puzzles. I am not sure of the level of customization you can use for each project based on how different it is from the print image, but it is a good way to make products of a strictly artistic image. I would suggest using deviantART for products of the straight image, and CafePress for designs made specifically for the products. (For example, place a drawing of an elf with a forest background as a mousepad on deviantART and a chibi cartoon elf drawn specifically to be a mousepad on CafePress.)
III. Bulk printing services. This is an option I wouldn't really recommend outside of preparing for a convention. You can often get good deals by buying in bulk, but like bulk prints, you have to put out the money with no guarantee you'll sell all of the products and get it back. Still, if you would like to look into this option, there are online services like Paper Forest, or you can visit a local printing store, which is likely to have bulk product printing services available. I'm sure there are also companies to contact about bulk orders for other products like shirts, but I don't know any.
IV. Homemade products. This is another option I wouldn't recommend. Really, the only product you can make at home (that isn't a paper product like prints or stickers) is clothing, and you can do it with iron-on transfer sheets you can buy from a local store and print on with your home printer. The quality really isn't going to be that great, and the iron-on will probably wear out after only a few washings. Not good for business.
There are also many other marketing options you can consider. Button pins, stationary sets, stickers, keychains/charms or little sculptures made of Sculpey. The possibilities are endless. Always be open to new opportunities to sell your stuff. The more you market, the more money you make, and the more you can support yourself on your art alone.
| 3. COMMISSIONS |
Now that you're set up to sell your own stuff, it's time to look into doing creations for others. More often than not, people are more willing to pay you more for an image of their own original character drawn in your style than they are to buy a print of your character of who they have little or no attachment to. Moreover, this is the foundation for freelance work and the best way to start the process. This is a good indicator of whether or not you're cut out for freelance work. You must be able to take orders on what to draw, draw something you probably wouldn't have drawn on your own, draw an image to someone else's specifications, and be able to do it in a timely manner. If you find you cannot do this or that you do not enjoy it, then you should quit immediately. Working for actual freelance jobs is going to be much more demanding than personal commissions.
a. Taking Commissions and Setting Rates
There is no special way to set up for taking commissions. You can do it through your webpage, or make a journal post on your art gallery of choice stating that you are open for commissions. It is a good idea to give a rough idea of your rates so people know what they're getting into. If you don't know what prices would be fair, try looking around at other artists that take commissions that are about at your artistic level and see what they're getting. If you do not get any commissions at your listed rates after a while, try lowering your prices. If you start getting too many commissions, feel free to raise them a little. You can also increase your prices as your skill level improves.
b. Avoid Being Cheated and Give Commissioners Security
Be careful of scammers. Lots of times people will commission an image and never pay for it. The best way to avoid this problem is to require that half of the total cost of the commission be paid up front. You also want to give your commissioner security, since it often happens that an artist will take their money for a commission and never deliver the image, so setting it up to do the process in steps is a good idea. Here is a list of steps of the best way to handle commissions:
I. Get half of the total payment up front. II. Complete the sketch of the image and present it to the commissioner for approval as well as proof you are working on it. III. Get the second half of the payment. If the commissioner does not send the second half at this point, quit. You have at least been compensated for the time and effort spent on the sketch via the first half. IIII. Complete the image and deliver it to the commissioner.
Note: Sometimes the commissioner will want you to finish the image completely before they give you the second half. If this happens and they are adament about it, finish the image, but do not give it to them. Make a copy of it and make it very small, and put a "SAMPLE" watermark across it, then give it to them as proof the image is finished. If they want the full, large, unwatermarked version, they must pay for it before you hand it over.
c. Build a Good Reputation
Your reputation as a commissioner is one of the most important things you have. Word spreads fast in the art community and if you have cheated someone or treated them poorly, it will have grave reprocussions. You will not get work with a bad reputation. However, a great reputation will actually draw people to you. Here is a general list of things to keep in mind in order to build a good reputation in the art community.
I. BE POLITE. I know some of you may think it's really cool to be a sarcastic, condescending jerk, but people looking to pay you for something are not going to be nearly as impressed with that sort of attitude as your friends are. If you are nice, friendly, helpful and accomodating, you are more likely to have repeat customers, as well as draw new ones by word of mouth. It doesn't even have to be sincere, just BE NICE.
II. Good communication. People who commission you are often very eager to get their image, plus they may be worried about their investment, so it's a good idea to communicate with them often. The best way to do this is to create a work schedule for your commissioners to view so they know where you are with their commission. This is an easy way for them to check the status of their image without having to bother you at all. If they contact you anyway, be nice and give them an update. A happy customer is a loyal customer. Also, if an unexpected event comes up that forces you to delay any commissions you have, be sure to let them know so they do not think you have run off with their money.
III. Be TIMELY and make commissions TOP PRIORITY. I cannot stress this one enough. I'm often surprised and disgusted by how long it takes some artists to complete commissions. I'm also surprised by how often I get comments like, "Wow, that was fast!" when I deliver a finished commission within a few weeks at most. If someone is paying you to draw them something, it should be your top priority. I'm not saying you shouldn't work on your own artwork at the same time, but any commissions you have should come first. Work on a commission for a while, then flip to your own stuff. It does not look good if you have several outstanding commissions and you keep posting up large, detailed, finished works of your own art. A commissioner will see this and think, "Hey, if they have time to do all these pictures for themselves, why can't they get MY picture that I PAID FOR done?" It should not take you 4 months or more to do a commission.
IV. "Artist's Block" is not an excuse. I really hate it when I see people use this as an excuse for why they haven't touched your commission in six months. If you often find yourself stricken with "artist's block" and cannot produce images while in it, DO NOT TAKE COMMISSIONS. And for that matter, steer clear of freelance work. People who hire you to do images for a project are not going to accept that as a valid reason for why you haven't done the work. If you can't draw something unless you're "inspired" then you have no business trying to draw something to someone else's specifications, let alone take money from them and then tell them they have to wait around until some nonexistant muse grants you the vision to create their picture.
c. Do Not Take More Than You Can Handle
It is always a good idea to take a set number of commissions at a time, usually between 5-15. Whatever you think you can handle within a month or two. Sure, it may seem like a good idea to take thirty or forty commissions at one time. Look at all that money you'd get! But look beyond that. You will also have to stretch that money out until you are finished with the commissions and can take more. If people see you with a list of thirty oustanding commissions and you are pleading for people to take more because you need money, they're not going to do it. After all, you haven't finished your current obligations, have you? You wouldn't get to theirs for a long time, and they're not going to give you money for that pleasure. It also helps your own self-esteem and work ethic if you feel you are making progress. If you have 10 out of 15 commissions finished, you feel proud and accomplished. If you have 10 out of 40 done, you feel worn down and unmotivated for perceived lack of progress. Tackle commissions the same way you would tackle eating an elephant - one bite at a time.
| 4. FREELANCING |
Okay, so you're well-known in the art community, you're selling your own stuff, and you're taking commissions and don't hate it. Great! Now it's time to get into official freelance work. As with previous steps, there are several ways to do this.
a. Wait for them to come to you. If you're well known enough in the art communities you've joined, chances are people looking to hire artists will find you and contact you on their own behalf. When they do, be sure to respond immediately, whether you are interested in the job or not. If you aren't, don't just ignore them, respond and say thanks but no thanks. If you are interested, ask for further details, like what exactly they would need done, how fast they would need it, and what the payscale is. Often times they will ask you for a quote on what you would charge for the images they need, so be prepared for that as well. You should have a good idea on what a fair price would be thanks to all the experience you got through commissions, but don't be afraid to haggle if they do not agree to your rates or if you do not agree to theirs.
b. Actively search for jobs. I've never really done this, so I'm not entirely sure what the best method would be, but I do know there are places where you can post up your profile and examples of your art for people to view. It's usually in the form of a well-known website that beckons to people looking to hire freelancers, and they go there to review artist profiles and find someone they think will fit their needs.
c. Hire an artist representative. Another option I've never done myself, but I've heard about it. Basically, you hire someone to represent you and find you freelance jobs, and they also get a percentage of your payment. They pretty much act as a middle-man between you and the employer. They seem rather unnecessary to me, but perhaps they're good for people who do big-time freelance work.
There are also several things you should keep in mind when taking on freelance work:
a. Be productive. Work hard and fast.
b. Be disciplined. Keep yourself on a schedule and constantly working. With freelance art you often work at home and do not have a boss constantly prodding you to stay on schedule. It's up to you to stay on top of the job and see that it's done right and finished on time.
c. Do NOT procrastinate. Get the work done right away, and I mean RIGHT AWAY. You cannot put it off for a week or two 'til you "get around" to it. Employers want it NOW and they expect it NOW.
d. Freelance is a JOB. Treat it as such. Put freelance work above everything else, even your own art. You do not have the luxury of doing your own stuff at the same time like with personal commissions. If you get ahead of schedule and finish your work before the deadline, then you can relax and do your own art. Better to finish early than finish late.
e. ALWAYS GET A CONTRACT. You certainly do not want to be cheated and not get paid for your hard work. Always make sure you have a valid, legal contract that states you will be paid for whatever work you are hired to do. That way if the employer does not pay you, you have legal recourse.
Please keep these in mind. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a bad freelance reputation or prevent you from getting further work. If you work hard, do it right and get the job done on time, you're likely to get more work from the same employer in the future.
| CONCLUSION |
Well, that's about all I can think of that you would need to know. If you're thinking about getting into freelancing, this guide should give you a general idea of what you should expect and things you should keep in mind. Again, please remember that this guide is based on my own personal experience and should not be viewed as iron clad or the right or best way to do this. It is merely meant to help you along. Blaze your own trail, discover new methods, and pick the options that work best for you!
As I said before, being a freelance artist is an uncertain, difficult career, but if you're dedicated, determined and work hard, you can pull it off. Good luck!