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My friends say I'm pretty good at painting and they make me paint stuff for them all the time, but I'm doing it for almost nothing right now (maybe 5 bucks for 10 models, which isn't even enough for paint).

So how do commissions over the internet work? Do you charge the person for paint and labor, or do you charge them for labor and get your own materials? How much are people willing pay?

I'm painting a wave serpent for a friend right now. I had to buy a spraygun and about 20$ worth of paint to get it done, so would I charge him for that stuff? I realize that he probably doesn't want to pay 60$ for a 50$ tank, but what would you do if you were him?

Probably in order like this:

1) Build up a reputation of your painting skills. Clear sharp photo to present your abilities.

2) Build up a trust worthy reputation of a commission. It might start as cheap labor , or small chunks , but it doesnt matter.
We all have to start from somewhere. Get a clear communication , of what the customer want.
-Be clear of what painting lvl the customer is looking for ( do they have sample of quality they want painted ? it helps )
-Get the color scheme right
-Make sure the payment agreement and painting deadline are 100% clear.
-Always make sure each side sends their payment / items with something traceable. There is nothing worse than something lost and
the 2 sides blame each other.

3) If you have successfully finished the commission + have it delivered + customer has received the items and is happy ,
then congrats! you are on your way for more , and perhaps the happy customer will recommend you to others!

Tips:

**Never ever accept more work than you can handle. Even if you feel like you have paced yourself ... nothing is always for certain.
When you just started , try to take only ONE commission at a time , dont even think about taking more until you have finished one.

**Try to not treat commissions as a source of income , i have seen this gone wrong every single time.
Unless you are a real experienced professional like GMM , stick with your real job for now :'P

**NEVER lie to your customers , if something is wrong , admit it , and take the mistake as a lesson to be learned in the future.
Making one lie to cover our own mistakes requires 4 brand new lies to cover the first lie. And it 'll expand like that making it a pain for yourself
and disappointment to your customers.

Wow, thanks! Only luna could write such a perfect post off the top of her head. It looks straight out of a book!
(I'm calling you 'she' here, because you're old avatar forced me to think of you as a woman).

I don't really want to start doing it online yet, I've got plenty of friends that need good models first , But I'm not saying it won't happen eventually though.

Wow, thanks! Only luna could write such a perfect post off the top of her head. It looks straight out of a book!

Thanks! Wow tbh i have been ridiculed for how awfully written my posts are , i sometimes cant tell if its sarcasm or a real praise! ( but i think its praise this time yay! )

(I'm calling you 'she' here, because you're old avatar forced me to think of you as a woman).

Yep!

I don't really want to start doing it online yet, I've got plenty of friends that need good models first , But I'm not saying it won't happen eventually though.

Commission with friends are the best , or atleast with someone you know. Thats how i started commission myself , i painted for my LFGS's owner.
Though i didnt take money as payment.

I agree whole heartedly with luna.

Just one more thing - if your a specialist [okay at most things but good at an aspect of painting] don't forget to offer offlets [people who can do the things you can't.]

For example:

I'm excelent at graded drybrushing. [for my models, I take them too far. ;]] and Pretty good at highlights. I can do bigger details, but I've not the patience or sleight of hand to do blending or drawn details, so I refer potential customers to people who also do minor commisions who can do those things. in a sense, it's the same as your GP sending you to a specialist, or a diagnostic medic refering you to a surgeon or physical practitioner.]

never be afraid to work with other painters. the satisfied customer is more important.

N: if you don't know any good painters who would be willing to do a partnership with you, then just go on what you have, but luna is right

BE HONEST.

LunaHound wrote:

Wow, thanks! Only luna could write such a perfect post off the top of her head. It looks straight out of a book!

Thanks! Wow tbh i have been ridiculed for how awfully written my posts are , i sometimes cant tell if its sarcasm or a real praise! ( but i think its praise this time yay! )

(I'm calling you 'she' here, because you're old avatar forced me to think of you as a woman).

Yep!

I don't really want to start doing it online yet, I've got plenty of friends that need good models first , But I'm not saying it won't happen eventually though.

Commission with friends are the best , or atleast with someone you know. Thats how i started commission myself , i painted for my LFGS's owner.
Though i didnt take money as payment.

That's a good idea. I think the comic book shop near my house needs some more models painted. I'll ask them, who knows?

And that's a great idea^

I'm really good at drybrushing and highlighting, but I really, really suck at clean coats on tanks. I've got a friend who's excellent at that.

Also, be realistic and grounded about what time is worth. You mentioned that your friend didn't want to pay $60 for a $50 tank, but if he had to paint it himself, how much time would that take and what would the end result look like.

In a similar vein, think about how much time it takes you and what your time is worth. If you don't value your own time and effort, no one else will do it for you.

In addition to the good advice given so far, I would really suggest charges your friends for the supplies. You spent $20 on paint for the model. Well obviously you may still have some of that left over afterwards to keep, but consider charging at least for the paint you use entirely. Or if you want to keep charging them a low amount make sure they are covering all supply costs, such as paints and brushes entirely, so you get something out of it.

Luna said it pretty damn well. It's also good form to take half a payment on receiving the models your painting, and using that money for supplies. This is especially good when you're new to painting. I know a guy who's a pretty esteemed commission painter and he gets his payment upfront - then again, he's got a great reputation and a lot of fantastic work, so people figure he's good from the start.