Different Art Markets and What to Expect

[ocelotish]

Well, I'm finally planning on taking commissions now that I've done something I might be willing to pay for, but for me subject matter isn't really an issue. I really don't care what I draw as long I am paid to draw it, which puts me in kind of a unique situation.

Where do I market myself?

Because there isn't an obvious answer I thought I'd ask you guys about the different markets and compile an info post that way (which will hopefully be of use to others too). Where do you go to sell superheroes? What about Disney style? Do you need to have your own character and a huge portfolio? Do people care about backgrounds? Are cheesecake shots a vital part of your gallery? Is there a common scamming M.O.? Do customers assume they have rights to that sort of image? That's the sort of information I'm interested in.

Just to make it easy here's a form that might help you organize your thoughts/include questions you might not have considered, but feel free to comment however you like.
Type of work:
What sells:
Price ranges:
Sites to use/advertise on:
Need to know info:
What to watch out for:
How people view artists:
Any additional comments:

Edit: For clarification, I'm talking mainly about individual commissions. Corporate commissions are also interesting (just a different kettle of fish), but feel free to discuss that too.

Edit 2: There's some great advice in the replies, but just to steer things back on target, I'm also interested the more niche specific information. How is the anime market different than the furry market, different than the superhero market, etc. It's less "How do I do commission basics," more "Where is this market centered (in terms of websites), what do they look for, do they only like digital, etc." Very genre specific info.

Comments

[edenpilgrim.livejournal.com]

Know your own limits when taking on loads. Speed is a bigger factor than some people will give credit to when they consider when taking on commissions. If you can't complete something in under an hour's time don't charge under ten dollars, even if the image is a small icon. Even if that small icon takes you two hours to finish and you're selling it for $10 it means you are making far below minimum wage for highly specialized work. Only sell what you know you can accomplish.

Base your prices on how fast you can complete your work. If you have received formal training factor that into your prices. Also keep material costs in mind. If you are not making enough to cover your materials you are losing money by selling work.

Try to avoid doing gimmicks and challenges unless you know you can easily complete the work very quickly and with good quality. The less unfinished work you owe people the better. Filling up a que with several hundred names might be tempting but it's far wiser to set limits for yourself. Weekly or daily ques are wiser, but make sure you can complete your que by the end of the week or day.

Be mindful of trends. If fahsion scarves are popular and you know you can make some good quality scarves don't be afraid to hop on that bandwagon. Opening up for badges before the con season hits is a good idea, too.

Remember neatness in your execution. If work is neat, clean, and well presented then the errors in the work(because there will always be errors in your work. No artist is perfect) will be less obvious. Things to remember when considering neatness include but are not limited to clean cuts and splices in both digital and traditional work, intelligent use of bleeds, color correction when taking the work to print, avoiding any 'muddying' with colored media, and of course avoiding any actual 'grime on the image or items themselves. By dirt and grime I mean substances should not be on the product like grease from fingers and other junk. It's also extremely tacky to sell products with bodily fluids on them, especially considering there is a chance of spreading disease; I don't know if blood-painting is still a niche.

In short, make sure your work is something you want your commissioner to show off when they receive. Never sell damaged product. If you damage something in production or post production and you cannot repair it without it still showing the damages you need to start over, this is why it's important to work quickly and to charge enough to compensate for any mishaps during production. If you can see something wrong in a product endeavor to fix it as soon as possible.

Be confident in your work but don't be arrogant. There is a very fine line between those two in the business. A confident person is proud of their work but has a good solid understanding of what they are capable of and their confidence will show in their work.

One last thing. Don't let your commissioners bully you. Even if you behave like a proffessional some people will not always treat you that way. Many artists in who do fandom work online are treated like the personal art slaves of whatever community they cater to. You're a person, too. Establish a reasonable TOS and don't let customers abuse you. The customer might not always right, but still try to conduct yourself ethically.

Don't do anything shady.