Over the last two decades or so, I’ve approached haircuts in different ways: Going in and saying “I trust you, do your thing” and the opposite extreme of “here are some images of the style I’d like.” There was also the one time I used a verbal reference to a celebrity’s haircut, and the hairdresser and I thought we were on the same page, but it turns out she was thinking of a different movie and I got a pixie cut instead of a bob cut. It worked out, also because hair grows back.
It turns out, art commissions are a bit like haircuts: You can ask for advice and opinions, but at the end of the day if you know what you want, you’re more likely to get art that makes your heart sing.
Having had good and bad haircuts and having commissioned a few pieces of art related to my book “Flight of an Orphan Thief” that more or less matched my expectations, I thought I’d share five lessons on how to commission art.
I will say that I got lucky because even when I fumbled the ask, the artists I worked with delivered beautiful art. However, applying the below lessons will make the process smoother and increase the chances of getting gorgeously outstanding art.
Advice I wish someone had given me about HOW to commission art
Here are five things I wish I knew when I first I commissioned art as an author:
No. 1: There is no such thing as too many details.
Any character or scene we ask an artist to bring to life is probably quite clear in our mind’s eye, but no matter how good a writer we might be, pulling the description from our book is not enough!
Think of it this way: Tolkien could probably get away with it, because he was describing things for the first time and went into excruciating detail. We don’t do that, because most readers would lose interest almost immediately.
It’s completely different for an artist, and when the detailed description is specific to a character or scene as opposed to part of an author’s style.
Share as many details as you can so that the artist can visualize something close to what you’re seeing.
No. 2: Light matters!
The scene I commissioned is a great one except it happens in a side room of a tavern that has no windows and is lit by a few meager candles. Good for the bookish scene, not great for the art depicting it.
Another scene I had commissioned happens at night.
I’m not saying avoid all dark settings, but perhaps be creative about how the artist can bring light into the picture – whether it’s the moon, more candles, torches, a fireplace or campfire, etc. It will make the scene much more interesting.
No. 3: If there’s a pose you have in mind, say so.
Or even better, show the artist! You can use Easy Pose (app) or Magic Pose (a website) to play around with positions for your character(s), because sometimes an image really is worth a thousand words!
And if you don’t feel like diving into that rabbit hole, look up example poses or sketch something on a piece of paper (even stick figures will do) so you can take a photo and include it in your brief.
No. 4: Give visual examples if you can
This applies to every aspect of your commission. That means clothes, accessories, setting, and more. Use Google, Pinterest, whatever works. It doesn’t mean the artist will copy what you send, just that they will know what you want.
No. 5: Be clear about the process and timeline
Do you make a downpayment to secure your spot and then the rest is paid when the art is delivered? When can you expect a sketch? What’s the usual time frame from start to finish? How many revisions do you get?
It may seem obvious, but it’s not, and every artist has his or her way of doing things. Don’t make assumptions, as that may set you up for a frustrating experience.
And if the artist isn’t quick to respond when you first reach out, or if they aren’t good at communicating, don’t think that will change if you decide to work together. Take it as part of who they are and how they work, and decide if it matches your vibe or not.
Use art commission briefs
I made my own, and it’s still evolving. Artists sometimes have a template you can use, or you can ask fellow authors and they may be willing to share theirs.
This isn’t anything too complicated, just a document (Word, Google Doc, whatever works) that brings together all the information you want to share with the artist.
For example, for a character art commission, so far I usually include:
- Bullets about what the character looks like and their personality
- A few sample images to visualize the vibe:
- Which celebrity would you pick to play the character in a movie made about your book?
- Can you give a few examples of body type or specific characteristics?
- What do you want the character to be doing / what pose do you have in mind? Describe it and consider a visual of the pose.
- What’s the setting / background?
- Additional visuals: clothes, accessories, hair color, etc.
- Excerpts from your book describing the character, showing their personality, or describing the setting or scene.
There are two example briefs below.
It took me a while to realize that as an author, I love words – but any artist is probably more of a visual person, so it makes sense to provide them with visual inspiration.
What about artificial intelligence (AI)?
Ok, here’s a bonus No.6: If you care about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative process, ask about it and be clear about your stance on it.
Some artists are explicit about never using AI, others use it as one of their go-to tools, and a few use it but try not to admit to it.
I’ve seen authors decide to pull books off the market because they realize after publication that their cover was done using AI, and it doesn’t match their values. While I avoid witch hunts related to AI, I also think it’s important to be clear about preferences and approaches, and I would not work with anyone who isn’t honest about theirs.
The bottom line is that there are SO MANY incredibly talented artists out there, and it’s absolute magic to see your characters and story come to life through art. Be warned, it’s addictive.
Note: Would it be useful to have a list of platforms where you can find artists, along with pros and cons, and specific recommendations? If so, let me know and that might be the topic of a future post!