It’s one thing to create art for yourself but to sell it is more complicated. I’ve been freelancing for about two years and I’ve discovered just how important it is to value your work. The illustrations and paintings I create take time and I should be compensated for that. Dealing with clients can be tricky because in most cases (whether it’s an individual or a business) they will try to get a commission or a print for as cheap as possible. I’m happy people appreciate my work but as soon as I get the feeling someone wants to buy I inform them what my prices are.

It helps to be proactive because believe it or not art is a service people take for granted. I have personally have had potential clients try to get free labor from me. Either it’s assumed the work is free of charge or I just don’t get paid. To ensure that this didn’t happen I took a few precautions. First I always create a contract for my commissions. Second I never do any work without a deposit. That includes research, and sketching. It’s all part of the process. Revisions are free until a point and then the client incurs more charges. I’ve had many, many clients take advantage of revisions. Finally it always helps to build a rapport with whoever you’re working with. It makes the work much smoother.