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7 Tips to Increase Your Income Through Commissions

Commissions are perhaps as old as art itself. From ancient patrons of the arts to the paying clients of today, artists have long collaborated with their admirers to bring their creative visions to life.

At HUG, we acknowledge that commissions can be a pivotal and thriving contributor to a successful livelihood for an artist-turned-entrepreneur.

As we introduce another Artist Storefront this week, this time with artist and creative technologist Sara Baumann, who has mastered the art of commissions. As we expand on our first article on commissions, read on to learn firsthand through the expert insights and experiences she’s gained from commissioning digital and physical paintings as well as customized goods like sneakers, handbags, accessories, and more.

It’s time to get personal.

About the Artist

Sara Baumann is the artist and founder behind Women and Weapons. She is an Iranian-American from Dallas, Texas who went from being an occupational therapist to pursuing her lifelong dream of being a full-time artist. Now, she shares her story and encourages others to chase their creative dreams, too.

Here’s her actionable advice on how to customize your commission practice.

#1: Price based on complexity

How an artist prices their work is both a personal and technical decision. If you’re not sure what to charge for your art, HUG’s free Pricing Calculator can help get you started.

There are several factors that Sara takes into account when developing the price for a commissioned piece: cost of supplies, cost of shipping, and most importantly, how complex the request is.

Complexity can be determined by the amount of coverage, size of the item, requested details, number of colors, and even the requested timeline. The more complex a request is, the more charges that a client can expect to incur.

#2: Always provide a quote beforehand

Once you have decided on how much a commission should cost, always share a quote with your prospective client before you start.

Sometimes, an artist and client may enter a negotiation period where a request is simplified or even made more complex to fit a certain budget. Sometimes, a client may want even a rough mock-up of the custom work and that’s up to the artist on a case-by-case basis if that’s something they wish to accommodate.

Once both part parties have come to an agreement and payment has been sent, that’s when the real fun begins.

#3: Educate the client

Remember, as an artist, you’re the leading expert on your creative practice.

Educating your client on both the creation and the care of your commissioned piece not only informs realistic expectations and creates a good customer experience, but also gets them to get excited to purchase your art again in the future.

Some examples of simple ways Sara will inform her clients:

• Reduce wear and tear on painted sneakers by not wearing them during high activity

• Advise against painting the backside of a handbag, as the friction of rubbing on one’s side can wear down the paint over time

• Sara prefers painting on leather with specific leather paint and sealant that allows for flexibility and maximal adhesion to the product

• With respect to other artists and intellectual property, Sara does not recreate another artist’s work or copy existing IP that is owned by another party

• For physical or digital artwork, Sara shares her options for the various materials and dimensions and what would work best for a particular request

#4: Stay true to you

When a client requests a commission from you, be transparent about the best kind of work you can provide during the process. This can include the physical limitations of the item and also what kind of art you’re willing to create in collaboration.

While she is no stranger to intricacy and detail, Sara Baumann shares that her sneakers and handbags aren’t well suited for landscapes or portraits. While a commission request can come with creative challenges, it’s important to stay true to what works best for you. Artists deserve good experiences in these instances just as much as clients do.

#5: Keep the client updated

At the beginning of the commission process, Sara likes to find out if a client wants to receive ongoing updates on their commission or if they'd prefer a surprise once everything is complete. Open communication is the best way to build a respectful relationship between an artist and their client.

It’s not unusual to incorporate changes or revisions when sharing a work-in-progress, but it’s up to an artist how many revisions they’ll allow. For digital art, Sara allows 1 or 2 minor changes. For hand-painted works, revisions aren’t always able to be accommodated depending on how big of a change they are and how far along the painting is. It’s up to an artist to decide and communicate those kinds of boundaries with their client.

#6: Include the cost of shipping in your pricing

For digital art, Sara simply shares a full-resolution image through a Google Drive folder with a link for the individual to access.

However, the sharing of physical pieces can come with added costs and complexity. It’s best to find out ahead of time how much you can expect to pay to ship a client their custom work. This includes the cost of materials like appropriate, which can be quite reasonable for the size of a shoebox but can be a lot more if it’s a large canvas painting, with the added option of if you or the client wishes to pay for extra insurance or not.

Sara generally packages her own items and uses websites like Pirateship or Shippo to make her own labels and share tracking information with her clients, so they exactly when their special delivery comes in the mail.

#7: Don’t sell yourself short!

Before she was a full-time artist, Sara Baumann had a career as an occupational therapist. The transition from one career to a more creative one of course comes with a healthy dose of imposter syndrome for everybody, this is normal.

However, the only person who can determine your worth is you, and you are worth a lot. The art you make is the unique result of who you are as an individual, so price your art accordingly.

“Following your dreams isn’t always a straight trajectory.

It doesn’t always mean having overnight success. It doesn’t always mean getting to be on that path as your full-time career (yet). It often means pursuing your dream while you work another job, hustling day and night as you think outside of the box and get told no constantly.

Be flexible, patient, and persistent. If you keep persevering, keep learning, keep evolving, and keep growing… that passion can grow into a full-time endeavor.”

Sara Baumann

Closing thoughts

Selling your work is just as much of an art form as creating it, and commissions come with the added complexity of working with a new or returning client. Knowing upfront what you need to communicate like the cost of complexity, anticipated timelines, and shipping information can make for an easier, more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

While it can take some trial and error to perfect your practice, commissions can become a novel and integral way to grow your income and earn a living from your art.

Ready to follow Sara’s lead and offer commissions too? Sign up for your own HUG Artist Storefront to be the next to sell your art on-chain, online, and maybe even clothing rack.

Artist Grants and Opportunities

• ✂️ Cut my art into pieces! Digital Dreams is curating a Collage Art for a nostalgic exhibition for their Kansas City First Friday event.

• 🌈 $1000 Grant for Queer Creators: Take pride with Meta Queens this June! 2 artists who identify as LGBTQIA+ will each receive a $500 grant. Donate as little as $1 to qualify.

• 👕 $1000 Prize for Swag Design: Mantle Ecosystem is awarding 3 artists with a $1000 USDC in exchange for designing event merchandise.

• 💰 HUG is giving away $12,000 USD annually in artist grants in exchange for artwork to raffle off to our community.

This Week’s Art Drops

Did you know that these are just 8 of hundreds of art drops on HUG? Get a full list of this week’s art drops from HUG here.