I tried doing no commission sheets for a month and i got less people to commission me. I feel like having a commission sheet makes it easier for the commissioner to commission art by knowing the price and removes that uncomfortable conversation of prices for them
Yeah I noticed you were doing on Twitter lol. Even if that’s your process now, how long can you sustain that before growing out of it? Know what I mean? If you tripled your prices, would you still get those clients? Think about that as of you grow your business
At most do the "Starting from" where you put a starting price+ and instead of a commission sheet ,it's more of an Sample Sheet! They might look similar on the surface level, but they're completely different, since the Price Is Not the focus, but your Availability to work and to Showcase what you offer!
@@TheArtMentor ill grow out of it one day probably when people come to me for commission instead of me coming to them. I just need to put in time for my skills to improve
I applaud you for coming to that conclusion 👏 most people that use commission sheets don’t, which becomes the problem. Out of curiosity, if you’re using that practice, how often are you raising your prices?
@@TheArtMentor i am not quite sure on how often ill raise it or when that'll be but if demand is high then thats an easy way for me to decide to raise it, but for now its alright. Commissions help me be more consistent with drawing, especially during this time of year where i am at my least productive, so its a win win, i draw more and get some pocket money in the process. I am still nearing my 2nd year of my art journey so i am at no rush atm
YES! A video about art niches would be a cool idea for the next video. Also this couldn't have arrived at a better time, I'm struggling lately and thought about lowering my prices just to bag more clients, ANYTHING. Anyways, thank you so much for these!
@@TheArtMentor Thanks for the protips btw! And honestly the not posting too often, it's a helpful thing telling me "You're doing the right thing"..Since every post creates a big influx of people coming and sometimes it can be overwhelming and kinda hard to tell people that I'm not available. Sometimes I tend to take too much on my hand than I can handle when posting and I feel I'm disappointing everyone by being slow or not being able to deliver fast enough.. So the "The Pause" advice is also helpful from time to time to clear my mind!
That’s great! Yeah don’t burn yourself out too much by taking on too many clients. Would it help to have a video about how to manage your time as a pro artist?
@@TheArtMentor I'm working on some new artwork to update my portfolio. I've changed quite a bit my artstyle so, the ones I have in my current portfolio is kinda outdated.
@@TheArtMentor I really like to draw anime-style, I think I'll go with anime-style fantasy/RPG artwork. I'm challenging myself to draw full illustrations instead of only character design.
I started drawing again after almost one month break... I highly recommend to do that when you feel frustrated, because I came back with ideas and clear mind not with hatred and dissapointment!!! I'll try to apply your advices and see if I can get commissions, but I want to do them occassionaly, because I feel like doing art for myself and fanarts suits me better ❤❤❤
@@TheArtMentor My thought would be video game communities. You can go broad with that or as specific as an esport where people really identify with a game or their favourite characters.
Another awesome video. I felt stuck these past few months not knowing what to do next, your videos really helps! Looking forward for your growth on yt.
the niche i aways tried to go is doing fanarts. especialy cartoon characters in a more rendered style. idk if i that is too niche, but i never got actual commissions. i would really like to see a video about niches from you. It's hard to believe fanarts are not selleble enough. but may be just my personal experience :/
Heya Teach! Been away and found this late, but another great video. And YES, I would love to see a video from you about niches that are under-served! Looking forward to it!
@@TheArtMentor basically, I'd love to know what untapped/underserved niches for art commissions are out there (maybe like three to five of them) and some recommended methods for breaking into them/where to go to find commission work for them!
What if I still don't get art commissions after posting and posting for days? All i find is people searching for low budget stuff. I also can't have a good engagement with what i post on reddit. It basically feels nobody sees my stuff ahah Also some servers here and there requires a commission sheets in order to post your stuff. How would you behave in that situation? Would you skip the server and not promote your art there (even if it's full of people that might see it) or not? Great video by the way 🔥🔥
If you’re posting in cheap servers then you’ll get looked over, so start looking elsewhere okay? Same goes for anywhere requiring commission sheets. They’re all only promoting cheap work that’s disrespectful to artists. Also, how long and how consistently have you been looking for clients? How many months?
@@TheArtMentor probably a month now. I usually spend my mornings to search for clients and then i usually spend the rest of the day in finishing up the drawing that i'm making at the moment
@@TheArtMentor Reddit, facebook groups, discord servers, deviantart forums. Also i post everytime i finish a drawing but since i take a lot of time to do one it's not that easy to be consistent with the posting
That’s fine it sounds like you should keep focusing on making finished work and try posting every other month. Just be very diligent in your practices to make them deliberate and not just random as much. Does that make sense?
I've never actually posted that I was doing commissions before someone asked. After sharing my work, they've started to trickle in. I never ask for customers. Personally, I hate to feel sold.
Well I agree with this things and some points that I wanna say is doing artworks because you need money and then putting "emergency commission"(in title) , "I need money to pay my rent"(in title) and then entering some people's dm asking to commission them, all those make the whole process cheap , I saw these a lot . While doing artworks we must have a client who don't do bargain, they respect the artwork, and to do commission artwork we better go on the way where demand is high and making something incredible will definitely attract people , invent something new and creating a new demand with own style may help , when someone's artwork is not improved and still trying to get commission , you better improve 1st. Also some artists may do really good artworks in anime style but still they're not getting commission because I think there are lots of other artists with similar artstyle nd they are selling art in low price... And there process to get clients may not be good as well... I love your videos because you really say the facts ^_^
Thanks I’m so glad you enjoyed! How often do you see those tactics employed online? I see them all the time! How do you think we could inform artists about its dangers better?
@@TheArtMentor Yeah same here, I see them everywhere, in like instagram, devianart, reddit, twitter 😂👀... well in case of informing, I think new comers should watch your videos 😄 and then self realisation also , because the way you say everything being honest I rarely find such videos on TH-cam. Keep making such good videos 👏 .
I've had commission sheets for years now! I'm not a professional artist but I've been doing commissions for a few years,, and I'm not sure if I can handle rising my prices high from the starting point cause im not as confident in my art..
Yeah I did it too, and then realized the freedom and better pay scale you get without a commission sheet. Have you tried it? Also, if you’ve been at it for years, why not raise your prices?? Haven’t you proven to yourself that you’re able to get clients? That means more value my friend 👍
Before I watched the video “Another TH-camr that tells me to analyse the market and make what sells crap” After I watched the video “This actually hit different, thanks”
Getting commissioned by people is rare for me I somewhat have luck on Twitter. It would be awesome to know about different niches to get into. Question would you ever talk about art streaming on places like twitch or picarto I'd like to know what you think about that.
@@TheArtMentor Idk I never really thought about a niche to get into. When it comes to platforms to post on Twitter and da seem to be my go-to but I'm open to other suggestions.
great question! absolutely not! You can take them without any business affiliation, and just a PayPal account. But, when you start making significant money, you should probably do that or be prepared to be heavily taxed. Does that make sense?
My struggle currently is wanting to do everything and trying to figure out where those "tiers" of pricing are/how to balance it all. I don't want to give up on everything and narrow down significantly (advice I've been given before), I want to try and make it work. I do paintings for hundreds and emotes for $30, my (relatively small) audience has expressed interest in cheap, quicker silly doodles I can use as less stressful pieces done without revisions, and I'm debating if it's worth promoting my work on those 3rd party commission sites (that aren't fiverr) to be found through search, or better to stick to just my branded website, even if I'm not that big yet. I'm a bit everywhere, but serious about all of it, and it's all within a certain niche. tldr; If you want to offer a bit of everything at diffferent rates (despite being told it's likely unwise), what would still be the best way to do it?
I know your struggle all too well bc I went through the same thing. The issue though, as you’ve pointed out, sounds like you’re all over the place in what you have to offer. The issue in that is that clients won’t know what to expect by approaching it like that. If you’re more focused and narrowed, you appear like a specialist that demands higher pricing. Otherwise, you appear novice with a lower perceived value. Does that make sense? As far as your pricing goes, cheaper is never better. That’s a recipe for burnout and instability. I would bet that if I asked my social media circle if they were excited to buy my art starting at $300, do you think they’d be excited? Of course not lol but you don’t need 100 clients, you only need a few. Does that make more sense when you look at it that way?
@@TheArtMentor I definitely see what you mean, so I'm trying to figure out if there might be ways to frame it. My regular work at decent rate is a painted style, clean line style, and a speedpaint style. The offshoot work is stream emotes, overlays, "silly doodles" and a loose sketch style, all cheaper, but nothing super competitive/close to the other stuff. I like being able to take on some of the cheaper work when it's a nice way to get something quick finished that doesn't drag on as much, but I also know there are cons to it. I'm just wondering if maybe having it on a different area of the website or separating it from the main website might be a solution? Like "this is my main detailed stuff, and here's quicker work that is a very different product/style, that you can maybe start with choosing me for until you can afford my higher level." I'm trying to be careful with making sure it's not at a quality that competes with my main offering,like having a "couture" and "ready-to-wear line", if that makes sense.
@@TheArtMentor Yes, I started out the wrong way making commission sheets years back early on dA, improved things over time, mainly direct my prices via website, and get most of my work through word of mouth. The last few speedpaints on my channel have all been of larger commission work.
It sounds like that is your main issue then. If you don’t have recognition, then who’s searching for your website? Why not put out your work using the methods in my other videos that will bring clients to you?
Sure, if you aren’t using good strategies to find clients instead of looking for them. Are you subscribing to the social media paradigm? Check out the whole video and the links in description for how to take more actionable steps instead of waiting for clients to come to you. Have you been doing that?
@@TheArtMentor the primary strategy was to improve the quality but then i see lets say fiverr editors their quality is beyond generic and basic it kinda makes me angry that they get clients while not earning it since naturally people need to prove they are ready to get clients thats the first barrier the second barrier is algorithm cause from years of experience algorithm suppresses growth and it impacts motivation and they all say work hard it will work and it didnt seems that not everyone is destined to be successful and im gonna prove that luck is the difference between remaining a nobody and someone another thing that no one talks about is what its like then you do become successful and how it effects then you do get what you want and then its back to emptiness cause you reached your goal and theres no goals left even finding a good guide on youtube is extremely difficult then theres fake gurus selling attention not real guidance
I hear all of your concerns, and in fact I share many of your concerns. That’s actually the driving force behind many of my videos. Im not sponsored or endorsed by any platform or advertisers, and I base everything I recommend around real, actionable advice. You’ve noticed how “growing your following” and other trash advice like that doesn’t help most artists, right? What if I told you there are real, concrete strategies anyone can do that actually helps them get clients? I invite you to watch my Art Commissions playlist for real advice that’s nonsense free and proven to work. Try it out yourself, bc as a testament to this, have always had less than 1K followers on any social media platform yet I’ve had steady, NOT CHEAP commissions for years. You can too 👍
@@TheArtMentorI've been Hustling ✔ Grinding ✔ Posting ✔ Still no clients ✔ Paypal account 0 ✔ Tried everything the youtube tutorials told me to ✔ Still nothing ✔ Blamed it on AI ✔ word by word lmao 😅
@@TheArtMentor you summoned me lol, I'll just listen to you and take some time to just draw what i like and stop stressing about clients, and yes, i was about to open emergency commissions 😅
The NFT ponzi schemes for the past two years have set modern artists (true to their trade), both digital and conventional pretty far back now... No one can be assured what you create is genuine, and not a rip! Therefore, no one buys! What few modern art commissions there are now require proof of authenticity, as well as legal representation on both sides... This all costs the artist big money... Most artists whom aren't already established or financially backed lose out on getting their art maketed...
@@TheArtMentor- I wouldn't know where to begin... With corporate AI now in full swing, geared to swipe "bits and pieces" of everything posted on the web, how do you compete? For example, If I am a consumer of art, and I want let's say a custom art wall hanging, all I have to do now is write a few words and/or submit some image I found on the internet, and Voila! Not only do I have something I might be interested in, I can have it custom framed, matted, etc. and sent to my house for a modest fee! Done deal! Who needs a particular artist, except rich collectors? Again - those are few and far between!
Have you seen my content on how to do what ai can never do? I hear your concerns, and can I give you some advice? It sounds like you’re giving in to the fear and despair ai wants you to feel rather than focusing on what you can do that ai can’t do and people want. For example, many artists that I work with and myself have actually gotten more commissions since ai began. If you feel there aren’t any clients out there, have you instead considered it may be your strategy and platforms that are actually the issue?
I use a few AI programs (such as Daz3d) very sparingly, when I don't feel like drawing figures from scratch... However, I usually post on sites that do not accept AI whatsoever and I DO get some exposure, but this is mid/late 2024, where many don't have two nickels to rub together, much less can afford any kind of halfway decent art commissions right now....I don't know whom you deal with, but I don't know of anyone wealthy enough to help me market my art... Therefore, I have to provide all those expenses, and that's not easy to do when you're on a limited budget and/or fixed income... As someone whom once came from a family of means, I find that talk is always cheap when _someone else_ is picking up your tab!
@Jhihmoac well I teach all over my channel where to get respectable paying clients so you can learn and it’s not that hard. I’m not from a life of privilege at all, quite the opposite in fact, so my tips work for anyone.
>lowering the prices bro, ive seen people getting Way mooooore clients when they do it, and everytime they post thyyhave comissions open, they ran out of slots, even when they do not have a big following.
You mentioned a video idea for talking about specific niches - I’d love to hear them, if you haven’t made the video already! If you already made it, I’m sure I’ll find it soon enough 😂 Thanks for sharing all of your tips and experiences! You’ve taught me that I was in a toxic relationship with art and now I know how to fix it. I’m excited to create again
Heck yes I will absolutely make that video! I plan to early next year. Looking forward to it? Happy to hear you’re enthused about your art again! Keep that passion and never let it go okay? 👍
Greetings Art Mentor! I am Oskar, I created something that I think you could find fascinating. Since I see you are a true hustler and very square guy, I trust you will read through this even if it is a little longer than the usual comment. SO I went to art school myself, like most of your fanbase I would imagine. Even though one doesn't mean the other, I do know how to draw, however I was always more the team management, business kind of person, so going through my contacts I and local friends, I made an Artist Union. 8 Members, of fresh, talented people, with incredible styles, approaches and I must say, real talent. As I said I know how to draw, however my colleagues BLOW me out of the water! HAH! The project was named (Don't laugh!) C.O.C.K. Acronym for > Confederation Of Commissionwork Knowledgeables (I know right?) Since most of my friends are, or had a history in the furry scene, we decided to brand ourselves as a furry/anthro/anime design team. Essentially the idea is > Many great artists > Many great artworks > Good management and advertising > Great growth for all of us, both in commissions and in personal talent. 8 Of us banded together, lead by me. They draw, I put in the work of advertisement, setting up sites, such as our furaffinity, deviantart, twitter and more to come. We have been in it for a month approx. and actually got a some commission requests even though I had to adapt to this kind of work environment, so we did have some sloppy schedules and posts at the start especially. Still, I am writing this comment not because I am necessarily unhappy about the speed at which we get commissions at, or the artists works, even though both of those things aren't perfect. And that is, in fact why I am reaching out. I come to seek advice on where we are sloppy, where we are going wrong and where we can improve. All of this to handle, even though I don't draw myself, I am putting in the same if not more effort managing all this! It's only natural, I could say, that I am not perfect, especially since we are new. I would be straight up HONORED if you could contact us on discord so we could, in short, talk about some steps we could take. I would also be honored to share our furaffinity, some of our works, you may look at our lineup of colleagues. So here, I say, If you will, I won't take up much of your time~ OskarMaxx#8273, is my business discord. Cheers, and thanks if you read all the way!
Hey thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to me with this, and for watching my video. Are you the same account on DeviantArt that I saw about this?
@@TheArtMentor Indeed, hell I hope it was! Well, our DA is not in the best shape as of right now, our main resource is FA but we are planning to catch up on there with one surprise posting spree of some 15 artworks all released in the span of half an hour! But yeah our Furaffinity is the main thing. I am glad you replied, as I said it would be awesome to continue this in discord DMS! Add me at your own leisure.
What did you learn in this video about your art commissions practices? What are you struggling with?
thank you for your good advices!
You’re welcome and thanks so much for watching! What did you learn or enjoy most in this video?
@@TheArtMentor I especially liked your advice that an artist should respect his work and not underestimate prices.
Yeah that’s a tough one isn’t it? Is that something you’ve had issues with in the past, or maybe you’ve known artists that did?
@@TheArtMentor Unfortunately, I did so. But now I understand that this is a mistake!
This advice pumped me to take a break and draw for fun instead of buisness
That’s a great realization! Do you have a particular passion project in mind?
I tried doing no commission sheets for a month and i got less people to commission me. I feel like having a commission sheet makes it easier for the commissioner to commission art by knowing the price and removes that uncomfortable conversation of prices for them
Yeah I noticed you were doing on Twitter lol.
Even if that’s your process now, how long can you sustain that before growing out of it? Know what I mean? If you tripled your prices, would you still get those clients? Think about that as of you grow your business
At most do the "Starting from" where you put a starting price+ and instead of a commission sheet ,it's more of an Sample Sheet!
They might look similar on the surface level, but they're completely different, since the Price Is Not the focus, but your Availability to work and to Showcase what you offer!
@@TheArtMentor ill grow out of it one day probably when people come to me for commission instead of me coming to them. I just need to put in time for my skills to improve
I applaud you for coming to that conclusion 👏 most people that use commission sheets don’t, which becomes the problem. Out of curiosity, if you’re using that practice, how often are you raising your prices?
@@TheArtMentor i am not quite sure on how often ill raise it or when that'll be but if demand is high then thats an easy way for me to decide to raise it, but for now its alright. Commissions help me be more consistent with drawing, especially during this time of year where i am at my least productive, so its a win win, i draw more and get some pocket money in the process. I am still nearing my 2nd year of my art journey so i am at no rush atm
YES! A video about art niches would be a cool idea for the next video. Also this couldn't have arrived at a better time, I'm struggling lately and thought about lowering my prices just to bag more clients, ANYTHING. Anyways, thank you so much for these!
I’m happy to make that, so thanks! So after watching this, what do you think you need to do for your dry spell?
So happy to see a new video!! haha Have a good day!
PS: Love how straight forward this video is
Hey thanks for watching! What was new or helpful for you in this?
@@TheArtMentor Thanks for the protips btw! And honestly the not posting too often, it's a helpful thing telling me "You're doing the right thing"..Since every post creates a big influx of people coming and sometimes it can be overwhelming and kinda hard to tell people that I'm not available.
Sometimes I tend to take too much on my hand than I can handle when posting and I feel I'm disappointing everyone by being slow or not being able to deliver fast enough..
So the "The Pause" advice is also helpful from time to time to clear my mind!
That’s great! Yeah don’t burn yourself out too much by taking on too many clients. Would it help to have a video about how to manage your time as a pro artist?
@@TheArtMentor Yes it would be amazing!
It shall be done! 🔥
I'm trying the "taking a break", it really got me more motivated to do artwork.
And 08:00 absolutely!
Yeah seriously it helps!! That pressure is awful to handle isn’t it? So what are you working on in your posting pause time?
@@TheArtMentor I'm working on some new artwork to update my portfolio. I've changed quite a bit my artstyle so, the ones I have in my current portfolio is kinda outdated.
That’s awesome! What kinds of commissions are you seeking to get?
@@TheArtMentor I really like to draw anime-style, I think I'll go with anime-style fantasy/RPG artwork.
I'm challenging myself to draw full illustrations instead of only character design.
That’s a great genre with lots of opportunities for work! Ever thought about applying to indie game studios with that?
Price for most people have a sort of subconscious affect. Lower feels cheap even if the product looks better than the pricey one.
That’s so true! Have you ever felt that way about your art and commissions?
I started drawing again after almost one month break... I highly recommend to do that when you feel frustrated, because I came back with ideas and clear mind not with hatred and dissapointment!!! I'll try to apply your advices and see if I can get commissions, but I want to do them occassionaly, because I feel like doing art for myself and fanarts suits me better ❤❤❤
Yeah it really helps clear your head, doesn’t it?
What kinds of commissions are you seeking? Have you tried getting them before?
A video about good niches to explore sounds so fun!
Alright thanks for the suggestion! What niches do you think would be the most popular when I do this?
@@TheArtMentor BUFF GIRLS😈
😂😂😂 omg perhaps lol
@@TheArtMentor My thought would be video game communities. You can go broad with that or as specific as an esport where people really identify with a game or their favourite characters.
Let’s see what I find! I think the results will be surprising
Another awesome video. I felt stuck these past few months not knowing what to do next, your videos really helps! Looking forward for your growth on yt.
Thanks I’m glad it helped! So why have you been feeling stuck?
the niche i aways tried to go is doing fanarts. especialy cartoon characters in a more rendered style. idk if i that is too niche, but i never got actual commissions. i would really like to see a video about niches from you. It's hard to believe fanarts are not selleble enough. but may be just my personal experience :/
Happy to make that video!
Regarding your fanarts, is that your main commissions niche, or do you have other things to offer?
@@TheArtMentor it is my main art. yes. especially for the owl house fandom, because i love that show.
That’s very cool!
Heya Teach! Been away and found this late, but another great video. And YES, I would love to see a video from you about niches that are under-served! Looking forward to it!
happy to make this! Anything special you'd like to know or see about this?
@@TheArtMentor basically, I'd love to know what untapped/underserved niches for art commissions are out there (maybe like three to five of them) and some recommended methods for breaking into them/where to go to find commission work for them!
Happy to do that! Have you seen my video on defining your style and genre? That will help you break into any niche
@@TheArtMentor you know, I should probably go and give that a watch. Thanks!
Let me know what you think after! Thanks for watching 😁
What if I still don't get art commissions after posting and posting for days?
All i find is people searching for low budget stuff.
I also can't have a good engagement with what i post on reddit. It basically feels nobody sees my stuff ahah
Also some servers here and there requires a commission sheets in order to post your stuff. How would you behave in that situation? Would you skip the server and not promote your art there (even if it's full of people that might see it) or not?
Great video by the way 🔥🔥
If you’re posting in cheap servers then you’ll get looked over, so start looking elsewhere okay? Same goes for anywhere requiring commission sheets. They’re all only promoting cheap work that’s disrespectful to artists.
Also, how long and how consistently have you been looking for clients? How many months?
@@TheArtMentor probably a month now. I usually spend my mornings to search for clients and then i usually spend the rest of the day in finishing up the drawing that i'm making at the moment
And how often are you posting on social platforms as well, also, what platforms are you looking for clients on?
@@TheArtMentor Reddit, facebook groups, discord servers, deviantart forums.
Also i post everytime i finish a drawing but since i take a lot of time to do one it's not that easy to be consistent with the posting
That’s fine it sounds like you should keep focusing on making finished work and try posting every other month. Just be very diligent in your practices to make them deliberate and not just random as much. Does that make sense?
I've never actually posted that I was doing commissions before someone asked. After sharing my work, they've started to trickle in. I never ask for customers. Personally, I hate to feel sold.
Hm that’s interesting and why do you dislike that feeling?
Well I agree with this things and some points that I wanna say is doing artworks because you need money and then putting "emergency commission"(in title) , "I need money to pay my rent"(in title) and then entering some people's dm asking to commission them, all those make the whole process cheap , I saw these a lot .
While doing artworks we must have a client who don't do bargain, they respect the artwork, and to do commission artwork we better go on the way where demand is high and making something incredible will definitely attract people , invent something new and creating a new demand with own style may help , when someone's artwork is not improved and still trying to get commission , you better improve 1st.
Also some artists may do really good artworks in anime style but still they're not getting commission because I think there are lots of other artists with similar artstyle nd they are selling art in low price...
And there process to get clients may not be good as well...
I love your videos because you really say the facts ^_^
Thanks I’m so glad you enjoyed! How often do you see those tactics employed online? I see them all the time! How do you think we could inform artists about its dangers better?
@@TheArtMentor Yeah same here, I see them everywhere, in like instagram, devianart, reddit, twitter 😂👀... well in case of informing, I think new comers should watch your videos 😄 and then self realisation also , because the way you say everything being honest I rarely find such videos on TH-cam. Keep making such good videos 👏 .
Hey thanks so much for saying so 😁 do you think I should make a separate video on emergency commissions?
@@TheArtMentor yeah 😂 I think so..
I’m happy to do that!
I've had commission sheets for years now! I'm not a professional artist but I've been doing commissions for a few years,, and I'm not sure if I can handle rising my prices high from the starting point cause im not as confident in my art..
Yeah I did it too, and then realized the freedom and better pay scale you get without a commission sheet. Have you tried it?
Also, if you’ve been at it for years, why not raise your prices?? Haven’t you proven to yourself that you’re able to get clients? That means more value my friend 👍
Before I watched the video
“Another TH-camr that tells me to analyse the market and make what sells crap”
After I watched the video
“This actually hit different, thanks”
^ This
Thanks for saying so! Is that the typical commissions video advice? Lol
Is that what you usually see as well? I typically see the “grow your following!” Advice that just sets me off lol
@@TheArtMentor Oh defo that Grow your following bs is the most prevalent one xD
It discourages people making them think they gotta be super famous
Yeah don’t you think it’s caused so many artists to quit bc they felt discouraged from not being famous?
Getting commissioned by people is rare for me I somewhat have luck on Twitter. It would be awesome to know about different niches to get into. Question would you ever talk about art streaming on places like twitch or picarto I'd like to know what you think about that.
Sure what niches are you interested in learning more about potentially, and/or what platforms for art commissions
@@TheArtMentor Idk I never really thought about a niche to get into. When it comes to platforms to post on Twitter and da seem to be my go-to but I'm open to other suggestions.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’m not really versed on Twitter but I’m open to experimenting and reporting!
I have a question, do you need a business license in order to sell digital art commissions?
great question! absolutely not! You can take them without any business affiliation, and just a PayPal account. But, when you start making significant money, you should probably do that or be prepared to be heavily taxed. Does that make sense?
@@TheArtMentor yes thank you so much :)
My pleasure! What kind of commissions are you interested in?
@@TheArtMentor I will mainly be working on semi realistic character portrait commissions
Very cool! Good luck!
My struggle currently is wanting to do everything and trying to figure out where those "tiers" of pricing are/how to balance it all. I don't want to give up on everything and narrow down significantly (advice I've been given before), I want to try and make it work. I do paintings for hundreds and emotes for $30, my (relatively small) audience has expressed interest in cheap, quicker silly doodles I can use as less stressful pieces done without revisions, and I'm debating if it's worth promoting my work on those 3rd party commission sites (that aren't fiverr) to be found through search, or better to stick to just my branded website, even if I'm not that big yet. I'm a bit everywhere, but serious about all of it, and it's all within a certain niche.
tldr; If you want to offer a bit of everything at diffferent rates (despite being told it's likely unwise), what would still be the best way to do it?
I know your struggle all too well bc I went through the same thing. The issue though, as you’ve pointed out, sounds like you’re all over the place in what you have to offer. The issue in that is that clients won’t know what to expect by approaching it like that. If you’re more focused and narrowed, you appear like a specialist that demands higher pricing. Otherwise, you appear novice with a lower perceived value. Does that make sense?
As far as your pricing goes, cheaper is never better. That’s a recipe for burnout and instability. I would bet that if I asked my social media circle if they were excited to buy my art starting at $300, do you think they’d be excited? Of course not lol but you don’t need 100 clients, you only need a few. Does that make more sense when you look at it that way?
@@TheArtMentor I definitely see what you mean, so I'm trying to figure out if there might be ways to frame it. My regular work at decent rate is a painted style, clean line style, and a speedpaint style.
The offshoot work is stream emotes, overlays, "silly doodles" and a loose sketch style, all cheaper, but nothing super competitive/close to the other stuff. I like being able to take on some of the cheaper work when it's a nice way to get something quick finished that doesn't drag on as much, but I also know there are cons to it. I'm just wondering if maybe having it on a different area of the website or separating it from the main website might be a solution? Like "this is my main detailed stuff, and here's quicker work that is a very different product/style, that you can maybe start with choosing me for until you can afford my higher level." I'm trying to be careful with making sure it's not at a quality that competes with my main offering,like having a "couture" and "ready-to-wear line", if that makes sense.
So just to be clear, have you ever gotten commissioned work before?
@@TheArtMentor Yes, I started out the wrong way making commission sheets years back early on dA, improved things over time, mainly direct my prices via website, and get most of my work through word of mouth. The last few speedpaints on my channel have all been of larger commission work.
It sounds like that is your main issue then. If you don’t have recognition, then who’s searching for your website? Why not put out your work using the methods in my other videos that will bring clients to you?
wait i was suppose to earn money while drawing garbge that outclasses ai generated jpegs
Can you please explain your question a bit clearer so that I can answer that? Thanks!
@@TheArtMentor tldb you can have the best skills in the universe but if no traffic or interest exist commissions will never work
Sure, if you aren’t using good strategies to find clients instead of looking for them. Are you subscribing to the social media paradigm? Check out the whole video and the links in description for how to take more actionable steps instead of waiting for clients to come to you. Have you been doing that?
@@TheArtMentor the primary strategy was to improve the quality
but then i see lets say fiverr editors their quality is beyond generic and basic it kinda makes me angry that they get clients while not earning it since naturally people need to prove they are ready to get clients thats the first barrier
the second barrier is algorithm cause from years of experience algorithm suppresses growth and it impacts motivation and they all say work hard it will work and it didnt
seems that not everyone is destined to be successful and im gonna prove that luck is the difference between remaining a nobody and someone
another thing that no one talks about is what its like then you do become successful and how it effects then you do get what you want and then its back to emptiness cause you reached your goal and theres no goals left
even finding a good guide on youtube is extremely difficult then theres fake gurus selling attention not real guidance
I hear all of your concerns, and in fact I share many of your concerns. That’s actually the driving force behind many of my videos. Im not sponsored or endorsed by any platform or advertisers, and I base everything I recommend around real, actionable advice.
You’ve noticed how “growing your following” and other trash advice like that doesn’t help most artists, right? What if I told you there are real, concrete strategies anyone can do that actually helps them get clients? I invite you to watch my Art Commissions playlist for real advice that’s nonsense free and proven to work. Try it out yourself, bc as a testament to this, have always had less than 1K followers on any social media platform yet I’ve had steady, NOT CHEAP commissions for years. You can too 👍
You literally called me the f out on the first 20 second, now i feel attacked and intrested
Haha really? What did I call you out on?
@@TheArtMentorI've been
Hustling ✔
Grinding ✔
Posting ✔
Still no clients ✔
Paypal account 0 ✔
Tried everything the youtube tutorials told me to ✔
Still nothing ✔
Blamed it on AI ✔
word by word lmao 😅
Oh wow I must have channeled you lol. So what did you learn after watching this? Did I continue to read your mind?
@@TheArtMentor you summoned me lol, I'll just listen to you and take some time to just draw what i like and stop stressing about clients, and yes, i was about to open emergency commissions 😅
Oh no not emergency commissions! 😱 that’s a bad sign haha. Hey think I should do a whole video on emergency commissions? 🤔
The NFT ponzi schemes for the past two years have set modern artists (true to their trade), both digital and conventional pretty far back now... No one can be assured what you create is genuine, and not a rip! Therefore, no one buys! What few modern art commissions there are now require proof of authenticity, as well as legal representation on both sides... This all costs the artist big money... Most artists whom aren't already established or financially backed lose out on getting their art maketed...
That’s true. Should I make content to help artists and clients recognize authentic artwork?
@@TheArtMentor- I wouldn't know where to begin... With corporate AI now in full swing, geared to swipe "bits and pieces" of everything posted on the web, how do you compete? For example, If I am a consumer of art, and I want let's say a custom art wall hanging, all I have to do now is write a few words and/or submit some image I found on the internet, and Voila! Not only do I have something I might be interested in, I can have it custom framed, matted, etc. and sent to my house for a modest fee! Done deal! Who needs a particular artist, except rich collectors? Again - those are few and far between!
Have you seen my content on how to do what ai can never do? I hear your concerns, and can I give you some advice? It sounds like you’re giving in to the fear and despair ai wants you to feel rather than focusing on what you can do that ai can’t do and people want. For example, many artists that I work with and myself have actually gotten more commissions since ai began. If you feel there aren’t any clients out there, have you instead considered it may be your strategy and platforms that are actually the issue?
I use a few AI programs (such as Daz3d) very sparingly, when I don't feel like drawing figures from scratch... However, I usually post on sites that do not accept AI whatsoever and I DO get some exposure, but this is mid/late 2024, where many don't have two nickels to rub together, much less can afford any kind of halfway decent art commissions right now....I don't know whom you deal with, but I don't know of anyone wealthy enough to help me market my art... Therefore, I have to provide all those expenses, and that's not easy to do when you're on a limited budget and/or fixed income... As someone whom once came from a family of means, I find that talk is always cheap when _someone else_ is picking up your tab!
@Jhihmoac well I teach all over my channel where to get respectable paying clients so you can learn and it’s not that hard. I’m not from a life of privilege at all, quite the opposite in fact, so my tips work for anyone.
>lowering the prices
bro, ive seen people getting Way mooooore clients when they do it, and everytime they post thyyhave comissions open, they ran out of slots, even when they do not have a big following.
Sure I’ve seen that too, but at what price point? What’s the point of getting commissions where you have to sell your dignity to get a full roster?
You mentioned a video idea for talking about specific niches - I’d love to hear them, if you haven’t made the video already!
If you already made it, I’m sure I’ll find it soon enough 😂
Thanks for sharing all of your tips and experiences! You’ve taught me that I was in a toxic relationship with art and now I know how to fix it. I’m excited to create again
Heck yes I will absolutely make that video! I plan to early next year. Looking forward to it?
Happy to hear you’re enthused about your art again! Keep that passion and never let it go okay? 👍
None of the above works. What next?
How long have you been trying to get commissions, and what kind do you want to make?
Eric N.
Huh?
Greetings Art Mentor! I am Oskar, I created something that I think you could find fascinating. Since I see you are a true hustler and very square guy, I trust you will read through this even if it is a little longer than the usual comment.
SO I went to art school myself, like most of your fanbase I would imagine. Even though one doesn't mean the other, I do know how to draw, however I was always more the team management, business kind of person, so going through my contacts I and local friends, I made an Artist Union. 8 Members, of fresh, talented people, with incredible styles, approaches and I must say, real talent. As I said I know how to draw, however my colleagues BLOW me out of the water! HAH! The project was named (Don't laugh!) C.O.C.K.
Acronym for > Confederation Of Commissionwork Knowledgeables (I know right?)
Since most of my friends are, or had a history in the furry scene, we decided to brand ourselves as a furry/anthro/anime design team.
Essentially the idea is > Many great artists > Many great artworks > Good management and advertising > Great growth for all of us, both in commissions and in personal talent.
8 Of us banded together, lead by me. They draw, I put in the work of advertisement, setting up sites, such as our furaffinity, deviantart, twitter and more to come. We have been in it for a month approx. and actually got a some commission requests even though I had to adapt to this kind of work environment, so we did have some sloppy schedules and posts at the start especially.
Still, I am writing this comment not because I am necessarily unhappy about the speed at which we get commissions at, or the artists works, even though both of those things aren't perfect. And that is, in fact why I am reaching out. I come to seek advice on where we are sloppy, where we are going wrong and where we can improve. All of this to handle, even though I don't draw myself, I am putting in the same if not more effort managing all this! It's only natural, I could say, that I am not perfect, especially since we are new. I would be straight up HONORED if you could contact us on discord so we could, in short, talk about some steps we could take. I would also be honored to share our furaffinity, some of our works, you may look at our lineup of colleagues.
So here, I say, If you will, I won't take up much of your time~ OskarMaxx#8273, is my business discord.
Cheers, and thanks if you read all the way!
Hey thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to me with this, and for watching my video. Are you the same account on DeviantArt that I saw about this?
@@TheArtMentor Indeed, hell I hope it was! Well, our DA is not in the best shape as of right now, our main resource is FA but we are planning to catch up on there with one surprise posting spree of some 15 artworks all released in the span of half an hour! But yeah our Furaffinity is the main thing. I am glad you replied, as I said it would be awesome to continue this in discord DMS! Add me at your own leisure.
So, any news regarding this?