commissioner's guide

The following guide is intended for new and established clients looking to commission me for personal or private use.

It is highly recommended that all non-commercial clients read the Terms of Service first and familiarize yourself with the pricing guide, which has examples of what to expect when getting a commission.

For commercial use clients, while I am happy to create pieces for you, this guide doesn't apply to you~ Please contact me directly via ellgrimmart@gmail.com and let me know commercial usage is your intention, as you are subject to slightly special arrangements! 

You can literally just email me your initial commission pitch at
ellgrimmart@gmail.com
with [insert your name] COMMISSION in the subject line so I can find it :)

Some things that will help me when handling and pricing your commission request are the following:

• name (yours)

• 1-3 paragraph written description of the commission request

• number of figures/characters/people to illustrate

• what degree of complexity and polish you are looking for (the spectrum between sketch only and full render with background)

As It takes time to collect reference materials, so I would highly recommend that you have them prepared BEFORE you contact me for a commission. That said! Please WAIT to send reference materials until I write you back and ask for them. The next section covers what sort of reference materials I am looking for.

As part of my email confirmation of your successful commission contact, I will ask for reference materials. Static images are strongly preferred. Aim to have at least one image of each element that you already know needs to look a specific way. This can include person/figure features like hair, eyes, and overall appearance; clothing items; props; specific color choices; or motifs.

Excellent reference images are bigger (at least 600x600px) images in clear detail. They don't have to be exactly what you want me to draw, but I would appreciate some written explanation about what details are right and what you would like to look different. I can also merge details from multiple reference images.

Perfectly acceptable reference images can be of inspirational pieces of any size and quality that have elements you like. Think of these as Mood, aesthetic, vibe, or "B-roll" references, if you will. Written explanation about why these images appeal to you and are relevant to the commission will be very helpful.

If no reference images are provided, I will need anything else you have. Writings, songs, poems, videos, etc. (Note: there is an additional labor cost associated when there are NO [static/non-video] visual reference images. This cost will be included in the initial cost estimate.)

After you share what reference materials you have, I will calculate an initial cost estimate.

I will send you an email with this initial cost estimate and a direct link to my PayPal. If the initial cost estimate is acceptable, go ahead and pay at least half of that quoted price. (Example: if my initial price estimate is $100, and you think "NICE," pay at least $50 up front!)

If, after seeing the initial cost estimate you would like to change the commission request, I am happy to work with you to streamline the commission and bring it in line with your budget. I am also very happy to start a commission based on what you can pay now, and add to it later as you are able to pay more.

Once I receive the first half or more of the initial cost estimate:
congratulations!

You have secured a commission slot, and I will begin work on your commission. We will continue to stay in touch at each step of the process via e-mail over the next few weeks or months as part of the feedback and revisions process.

Depending on to what level of complexity your commission is, you will likely see emails from me at the following steps in the process, if applicable:

• rough sketch/s

• final sketch

• clean lines

• flat colors

I ask for approval along the way both to make sure you are happy with the commission and to minimize costly major edits late in the art process!

Please review the Terms of Service for more information on how major edits may change the final price.

When you are satisfied with the final round of revisions, I will submit the remaining billing amount, if there is any amount left to be paid. When I have received total payment: unless another format is requested, I will save your commission image as a set of .png format image files.

You can expect:

• a full resolution image file

• a medium resolution image file -- a size that is more reasonable for most digital applications

• and, if desired and requested: thumbnails, icons or banners of specific dimensions -- that you may find suitable for use on social media platforms, D&D Beyond character pages, Tumblr, etc.

Look forward to the arrival of these image files via email!

Commission complete!

Thank you very much!
I look forward to hearing from you again~