Below is everything you may want to know about commissioning me. If you have any questions, or think that your project may be an exception to one of these policies, please email me.
Ordering a Commission
- Commissions may be ordered in person, via phone, or email. However, I will need a written copy of your commission request in order to deliver the best possible service. If you order a commission in person or over the phone, I will make hand-written notes to use as a reference when it comes time to work on the commission. If you order via email, your email counts as the written request. The more detailed the email is, the better chance you have of me doing exactly what you want. I will read your entire email and I will tell you if parts of it are unclear to me. You may also include sketches and reference images with your commission request to help me understand what you are looking for.
- I will not/can not duplicate any image for you exactly. If you would like me to do a painting of a photograph, I will do my best to get an extremely close likeness. However, artistic liberties may be taken to ENHANCE your provided image. Ex: Intensifying colors, cropping the image, moving elements around to improve composition. You may direct me in how to change the image if you like. Otherwise I will do what I feel is best for the project.
- You may not give me a picture/illustration done by another artist and ask me to copy it.
- You may give me a picture of a cartoon character and ask me to put them in a new picture/pose/environment. This is called fan art.
- If you want me to alter or improve an existing image file or design to be used as a logo, you must own that image (either through purchasing it or through creating it.) If you send me an example of an existing logo and tell me you want something similar that is okay. I will redesign the logo, altering it by at least 60% to avoid copyright infringements. The more simple the design, the less you will notice the changes.
- The only way that I can copy more than 40% of any image is to change the purpose of the image; treating it referentially, educationally, or in parody. This is called appropriation of artwork and it basically means that you are taking an existing image and claiming it as your own because of the way that you alter the intended purpose of the image. It is complicated, controversial, and I like to avoid it very much.
Image Ownership
- I retain the right to post all images of my creation on this web site, or any other, for personal promotion unless otherwise specified. If you wish to provide me with a link to your homepage and email, I will post them alongside the drawing or drawings you commissioned.
- Once you pay for a commissioned image, it is yours to duplicate only for the specified purposes that it was created for. If you wish to own full rights to the image, thus being entitled to duplicate it without restriction, additional payment and documentation is needed. In the event that you do own the full rights to the image, I would still greatly appreciate it if you would credit me in some way as the artist, and provide a link to my website, but this is optional once you own the full rights.
Working on your Commission
- I will send you samples of in-progress work whenever you ask and probably more often than you ask in order to make sure everything is going exactly as you wish it to.
- If your commission is especially extensive or will take a very long time to do, I may request that payments be made throughout the project. Example, if I was illustrating a book for you, and I estimated the project to take 300 hours, I may ask that you send partial payment every 100 hours.
- If your project requires a deadline for completion, I need you to be available to provide me with information that I may need to advance the progress of your commission. If I cannot get a hold of you, I reserve the right to miss the deadline with no penalty to me.
- I reserve the right to refuse any commission for any reason. I’ve never refused a commission. But I reserve the right.
Payment & Delivery of the Final Product(s)
- I prefer Paypal, but I do accept cash and check.
- I will ask for payment for materials at the beginning of the project, before I start working, but after I buy the materials. I will show you a receipt in order to verify that these materials did indeed cost what I say they did. The only time I will charge for materials without a receipt is if your project will require a large amount of a material that I already own. (Large relative to the unit size) Example: if you want a 4’ x 6’ painting that will require me to use most of my paint, but will not require that I buy new paint, I will charge you for the paint but, the charge to you will be LESS than the cost of a new tube of paint. If you have any problem with this, I will simply buy new paint in the appropriate sized tube, and charge you the full price of the new tube with proof of purchase.
- For most projects I will not require final payment until the project is completed. I will NOT send you the final image until I receive payment. I will however, send you a preview of the final image via email in low resolution, not suitable for printing. Typically, my preview images are sent at 60 – 70 dpi. The sample image will also have the words “Sample Image” or a watermark placed over it to prevent theft. You do not own the image nor do you have the rights to reproduce the image until you pay for it.
- Once payment has been received, I will send you the full resolution image or painting or whatever it is you ordered, without watermark. If your image is digital, I will print it for you and mail it to you for an additional charge upon your request.
Refunds
- I do not offer refunds on anything. Not on materials, and not on the time spent working on the image. Because payment is not required until you see a sample of the finished image, this shouldn’t be a problem. If you receive the final image and then ask to send it back to me for a refund, I have to assume that you have reproduced the image and are trying to steal it. If you do have any problems with the final image after you receive it, please contact me and I will work with you to resolve the problem until you are satisfied.
