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So I am beginning to become very well with the whole painting thing. I get lots of compliments with my ability and prolly in two years or so If I keep improving I might be well enough to enter one of GW or P3's painting contests and actually win!

I am thinking of being a local commission painter, Was wondering if anyone knew what I had to do in order to get started. What requirements for it was. Things I should ask my clients and the over all quality of the work that must be done etc.
Things I am not really super good at yet are human eyes and space marine lenses. Although I am practicing on it and got lots of guides on it. I can do really REALLY good orks. My orky stuff is top notch and I am not too bad at painting Trollbloods. I can do a really good looking basic skin design as well as camo and if its terrain. I can do Superb stone work. I painted this castle tower recently and I was using another in the shop that someone else had painted that I wanted to look just as good. Didn't think I could copy it the way they had it but somehow It ended up looking much better than what I was aiming for lol.

Doing a self bump...Cannot believe that no one has answered to this yet.

1st: pics. Many and varied. No one will hire a commision without knowing the quality of work expected.
2nd: Website. Your setting up a business. Be professional about it.
3rd: Research. Review the going rates per mini type and the quality expected (Table-top, Tournament level, Golden Daemon).
4th: Determine the extent of work your planning on doing. Will you just be a painting service, or will you also build and construct custom conversions of models?
5th: Start small. Get some work done on the local level and get feedback. Don't expect to paint a 2000 point GT army in a week and still maintain a job/schooling/social life (or even time to play).
6th: ITS NOT YOUR ARMY! If your customer wants pink Orks, then paint them pink to the highest ability you have. Even when hideously wrong, the customer is still right.
7th: Post pics of those minis along with the feedback and every site you can. Include your website in your signature.
8th: Decide early if you intend to defend your intelectual Rights or accept that once payment is made and mini delivered you are done with it. IE: If a mini you painted on commision wins a major award (Golden daemon et al), do you step in and inform the judges that it was in fact 'your' work; or do you let someone take the credit for your skill?

Word of advice: this is a message board, not an instant message chat room. People may not reply as quickly as you'd like.

I'd echo the sentiments of the above. The most important thing right now for us is to see the quality of your work to date.

Oppl, no need to be rude. Something 4 days old won't show up on the front page, and will likely never be responded too. A bump is preferable to a new post with the same question.

Field Gen, in addition to the excellent advice above, if you're planning on painting mostly locally, you should consider:

1) Having display models of your best work at your local store(s). Best advertisement there is locally.

2) Talk to your clients, and do a test model for them so they can see the quality they will be receiving.

3) Read the blogs of some of the commision painters here such as Ifalna or Wynterdine (spelling may be wrong on both) for ideas about how they handle commissions.

4) Send PM's to other commission painters. I'm sure Hulksmash, for example, would be happy to answer specific questions.

Apologies if that's how I appeared, it was not my intention. Was merely making the point that replies often don't come as quickly as we all would prefer.

Well I think its gonna eh...be a few more years until I am golden demon worthy. I can paint pretty well. Much better than average IMHO.

I will try to take some decent pictures and share them with you guys soon and see what you guys think.

See this thread also:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/366891.page

Field Gen wrote:I will try to take some decent pictures and share them with you guys soon and see what you guys think.

As has been said before, you HAVE to have pictures if you want to paint for commission. Not just decent pictures, either. They need to accurately showcase your skills (or lack thereof). As for starting out, paint for local players to get the hang of following somebody else's ideas/visions. Once you've painted for some locals, start painting models and putting them on ebay. That will greatly help your customer service side of commission painting. You need to ship carefully and promptly, and you must be in constant contact with your contractors. Well, assuming you want to paint for commission more than once.

Before that, though...

You need good camera skills. You need good lighting, camera, background... Just a yellow-tinted cap with your android phone won't cut it.




Ghidorah

Well here is link to a few pictures as well as some I will post in this thread...I need to learn how to take better pictures.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/images-41700-16946_Display%20For%20Commissions.html