Artwork

Never, ever work for free. Someone will tell you, “It will be good exposure”; I live in northern Canada – people die from exposure. Do not do work on speculation. If someone is really interested in commissioning your work, send them links to your portfolio, and let them see what you have already done. That should be enough for them to know what you can do.

Be reasonable and realistic in how much time it will take to complete a commission. Are you making minimum wage, or better yet, a living wage? Never turn over the final finished product until you have been paid in full. Personally, I recommend you never waive your “moral rights” – your right to be acknowledged as the author, and not to have your work altered or used for purposes that you do not approve. But that may be difficult, especially if you are dealing with a big developer.

If you are using artwork for anything other than personal use (including posting on social media), you need to make sure that you have the right to use it commercially. Artists will charge more for commercial use; after all, you might manage to make money off the products using your work (but don’t count on that).

I’m not an artist, so when I commission artwork, I want the artists to bring their own style and interpretation to my ideas. Why hire a professional creator if you’re not going to use their creativity? Find an artist whose style you like, and see if they’re accepting commissions. Or put out an open call on a website that artists visit, but be warned: you may be overwhelmed by the number of responses.

Whether you are an artist or a developer, please be sure you have a written agreement specifying what artwork is to be produced, what the total price will be, how and when it is to be paid, and how long the commission will take. Be sure to specify if the work is for commercial or non-commercial use.

It is weird working with an artist whom I’ve never met: at first, neither of know anything about each other. It is reasonable to pay a deposit at the beginning (usually half the total fee), and the remainder upon completion and payment of the balance. That way, both parties are protected. For a really big project, which may take months of work, you may need to work out something different. An artist who starves to death will never complete the commission.

Artists and gamers are not necessarily the best people to draw up contracts. I’ve attached the template I use, which was developed with the help of a colleague who is a professional artist. Feel free to download and modify as you see fit! Places where you need to change or add information are highlighted.