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Hey all. Right i've had a grand idea, commission painting but I was wondwering if anyone can give me any tips on how to go about doing it and getting started up! how to advertise myself, prices etc any input would be ace!

I would recommend you start a thread in Painting and Modelling showcase with some examples of your work to generate some interest. Then i would suggest makiing a thread in Dakka Swap shop titled '[H] commision painting service [W] £££' again with examples of your work.

Perkustin wrote:Then i would suggest makiing a thread in Dakka Swap shop titled '[H] commision painting service [W] £££' again with examples of your work.

Don't do this. There's a painting services thread that's stickied that you should post this info in instead.

Also making a signature that links to a website with the information may also be helpful. That way every time you post its like a non-intrusive advert. There are plenty of websites that allow you to create your own site for free as well.

Researching some of the better known and established commission painters will also help get an idea of what information you should include in either your website or the forum postings that you will use to drum up business. Said research will also allow you to gauge how to price your work and what services to include in your painting fee (assembly, model clean up, basing, ect).

From everything I have heard discussed about commission painting by actual painters it is a hard, often unhappy, road that few successfully travel. Still, if you are determined and skilled enough you can make a place for yourself amongst the pack.

All business is that way though. Make sure you know yourself and make sure you have the time to do it. If you have parental units at home make sure they're good with it. I swear I didn't think actually trying to make a way in art would have caused so much whining and complaining.

If you have a local gamestore you can always put an ad up in there. Make sure you have examples of your painting though.

Also, don't expect to make enough money to live on. Unless you're running a studio that gets lots of clients coming in and out (Like Blue Table, but hopefully of a higher quality) you're not going to make much more than some spending money. I probably make a bit over $100 a month or so, for lots of work. It's what I love though, so it's not too bad.

Luco wrote:All business is that way though. Make sure you know yourself and make sure you have the time to do it. If you have parental units at home make sure they're good with it. I swear I didn't think actually trying to make a way in art would have caused so much whining and complaining.

Where you see whining and complaining I see people trying to give the OP a dose of reality. How many horror stories circle among gamers of commission painters that burn out and fail to provide their services to customers? I have heard many and often the punch line is: "I sent X points of Y to be painted and now I am out the minis and the money I paid to have the army painted and Mr. Painter-Guy is no longer responding to e-mails/phone calls."

Not cool (also not implying that Darkmoonlight will do that, just giving the worse case real world scenario).

You don't often make a lot of money for commission painting and it is a lot of hard work for very little reward. Stating that isn't knocking someone for trying to "make a way in art" it is giving the facts so that someone doesn't embark on a foolhardy errand that ends in disappointment and frustration for everyone involved.

A friend of mine sent off to a guy here on Dakka to paint his Orks. The guy ended up having some really awful real life stuff happen to him halfway through, and had to stop commission painting in order to focus on real life stuff. Unlike some horror stories here, the guy was nice enough to send all the half-completed Orks back at no charge.

In other words, don't take on commissions bigger than you can finish, and don't take on commissions if your life is going downhill. As much as we all love this hobby, sometimes things are more important than tiny plastic men!

DarkTraveler777 wrote:

Luco wrote:All business is that way though. Make sure you know yourself and make sure you have the time to do it. If you have parental units at home make sure they're good with it. I swear I didn't think actually trying to make a way in art would have caused so much whining and complaining.

Where you see whining and complaining I see people trying to give the OP a dose of reality. How many horror stories circle among gamers of commission painters that burn out and fail to provide their services to customers? I have heard many and often the punch line is: "I sent X points of Y to be painted and now I am out the minis and the money I paid to have the army painted and Mr. Painter-Guy is no longer responding to e-mails/phone calls."

Not cool (also not implying that Darkmoonlight will do that, just giving the worse case real world scenario).

You don't often make a lot of money for commission painting and it is a lot of hard work for very little reward. Stating that isn't knocking someone for trying to "make a way in art" it is giving the facts so that someone doesn't embark on a foolhardy errand that ends in disappointment and frustration for everyone involved.

Wait, my parents are on here?! o_O I think you misread or I did a poor job with that bit. I had meant that it was hard for me to keep going with it due to parents that didn't approve of me running a painting service out of their house and constantly complained about it while I was doing it. This is true though, there are a lot of horror stories about commission painters.

Another tip for comission painting: be familiar with your post office, its frustrating having someone else's models sitting in your room while you make trip after trip to find the office closes at a different time than it has on the website that day. -.- I agree with Dark Traveler, commission painting, unless done on a large scale, is a little bit of extra money and isn't likely to pay rent. Then again most businesses take losses their first year and they've usually got several thousands of dollars in loans.

Darkmoonlight wrote:Hey all. Right i've had a grand idea, commission painting but I was wondwering if anyone can give me any tips on how to go about doing it and getting started up! how to advertise myself, prices etc any input would be ace!

Have a spot to post samples of your work. It is the absolute first question on people's minds. Second will be prices. But Anyone who claims to be an "artist" or "designer" must have a portfolio, or they are merely a "bloviating windbag".

Hope that helps

FWIW, I do know a few people who quit their regular jobs to become professional painters. It takes years to build up a steady clientelle, and the successful ones understand the difference between painting for their own enjoyment (art) and painting for a client (design). The designers meet deadlines, make choices that aren't aethetically pleasing if the client is insistant, and don't take on more than they can handle because they think if they just work harder they'll make all of their clients happy. Be realistic in your projections. If you know you're the type who procrastinates when you're working on a boring project, or will choose going to a movie with friends over painting that 30th ork, this might not be the best choice for you.

Decide what your time is worth. Figure out exactly how long it takes you to paint a basic trooper, then a more elaborate character model. Now, take that time and multiply what you think is a fair rate per hour. Do you think someone is willing to pay that? Do you need to speed up to make it worthwhile? If it you do the math and you're only making $3 an hour, is it still worth doing? Also keep in mind that this job will compete with the time you spend working on your own models, and will turn your hobby into a chore.

I mentioned the steady clientelle; that's how many pros make a successful living.They are often selling their work to the same group of collectors who are paying for art, as opposed to players looking for specific gaming pieces. People are usually more willing to pay $200 for a mini that they can display as art, rather than a mini that is intended primarily for gaming.

I know there are exceptions to everything I've said here, this info is based on my experience as a graphic designer and several friends stories to me. YMMV.

Good luck!

Luco wrote:

Wait, my parents are on here?! o_O I think you misread or I did a poor job with that bit. I had meant that it was hard for me to keep going with it due to parents that didn't approve of me running a painting service out of their house and constantly complained about it while I was doing it. This is true though, there are a lot of horror stories about commission painters.

Another tip for comission painting: be familiar with your post office, its frustrating having someone else's models sitting in your room while you make trip after trip to find the office closes at a different time than it has on the website that day. -.- I agree with Dark Traveler, commission painting, unless done on a large scale, is a little bit of extra money and isn't likely to pay rent. Then again most businesses take losses their first year and they've usually got several thousands of dollars in loans.

Yeah that is my bad, I did misread you post. Sorry about that!

I too have started commission painting and what I've found out so far, apart from the obvious painting ability is:

Making a website isn't as easy as it looks, even using a template will still require some fiddling and coding if you want to deviate from the template provided.

Keep a calender and only accept work you know you can finish, and dont be afraid to turn down work if you know it will go over deadline.

Expect your own painting and social life to take a backseat to your obligations.

I'm at an age now where i'd rather be sitting at my desk painting than going out and living it up, and don't rely on it as my main source of income, and know what I can paint in what time. Sometimes you will have to do long hours at the desk especially if a horde commission comes up!

Hope this helps

Johny

Like already mentioned put up a lot of pictures to give them an idea of what they'll get and have a signature like Luco's to use as an advertisement and have it link to your own site. There should be pictures of your best work on the same page as sort of a backdrop to the information. Of course there should also probably be a gallery section where they can look over it as well.

Perhaps use pictures of your work to make the signature as well.