As you may know, I am skilled in various arts, but my passion lies in video production and OOAK dolls. I hope to do a doll movie that is feature-length.

My experience in commissioned work has been faulty on my client's part.

My first experience was to make a video for my family, which, counting both family by blood and marriage directly and cousins and stepchildren, we number about 200 relatives. I was to receive photos and compositions performed by my grandfather, a fiber optics refinement scientists (retired), but when my client, my aunt Lucinda, asked to used copyrighted material, I had to draw the line. We tried to revive this project, but it's dead and to make matters worse, I wasn't paid up front.

I learned two things from being a commissioned artist
1. Talk out the details in detail.
2. Pay me up front.

Now, I have decided to take up doing fashion dolls with Obitsu parts, acrylic paint, Mod Podge, Copic markers, fabrics, yarn, thread and other materials.

I have some questions about pricing the commissions, what to do with multiple item requests, what a sane limit at one time of how many projects from different clients, how to pace myself and most certainly important, how detailed I should be on my do and don't guidelines.

I know at least one of you does commissions as @Nymphetamine has a chain-mail choker.

If you have any advice, please help. I am trying to get into something that not only give me multiple wholesome pleasures but something that uses my skills to my advantage.

I work as a freelance writer/editor, so I can answer a few of these questions.

Pricing should be the price of the materials, price of time, and price of shipping (or make them pay for it).
- Figure out what each doll will cost to make and make up a chart for cost per material. That way, if a customer wants some extra things added, you can very quickly figure out how much the price needs to be bumped up. Very important when you're dealing with orders over the phone or through another immediate form of communication.
- Figure out how much time it will take and then decide how much you want to make per hour. Essentially, figure out what your living expenses are, then divide that by workdays in a month, and then workhours in each day. Once you get a per-hour rate, set up a chart of how much time it will take to do each thing on a doll. Again, that will help you answer customization questions quickly.

You can also add a little more to the price to cover taxes, or add an Annoying Customer fee.

For multiple item requests, are you talking about when you should ship them out? If one will take significantly longer than the others - for instance, a month longer - then ask the customer if they want them all at once or to send the normal ones in and then the long one later. Otherwise, send them all at once and tell the customer when all of the items will be done.

The sane limit should start out small. Commissioning or freelancing can be very stressful. Especially if you get anxious over whether people will like your projects. The more anxious you are, the more stressful it will be, and the fewer projects you'll be able to do. So in the beginning, try one or two projects at a time and see how that goes.
Once you're established, you should have a better sense of your limitations and be able to do more at a time.

For pacing yourself: that shouldn't be a problem in the beginning, unless you already have an established base of customers. If it helps, schedule out how much work you're going to do and when, and follow that.

I'd recommend being as detailed as possible. Sometimes, people can be stupid. The site I work from has a very strict policy: all jobs must be paid through the site. Every time you send a message, you must check a box stating that all work for the job will be paid through the site. I still get people asking me to take money orders and checks. (Not entirely sure they aren't scams.)
So add in anything you think will be necessary.

Have you thought about how you're going to attract customers?

Well, I will consider parts, equipment and labor, shipping costs for items I can't find at my local arts and crafts outlets, as well as make them agree to not harass me with "Is it done yet? Is it done yet?" and I took a cue from a past experience to be paid up front.

The anti-harassment clause is part of my trade, as said in Toy Story 2 "You can't rush art!"

As for garner attention for a customer base, I will be having my mentor in drawing, a man in Buenos Aires who draws beautiful Sailor Moon-related art as his main way of living, feature me as I have been a good student. He's around the age of my estranged older sister, who I haven't seen in 15 years and because she was a crappy sister, I consider my mentor to be the older sibling I desired as a younger sibling.

But as friends helping friends, I am willing to throw myself in the path of weaponry's discharge. I just want to see people happy.

But if the inverse is going to be constant nagging, I will make them pay extra.

For what it's worth - I urge you to have a back catalogue or portfolio of work on hand to show potential customers - this also not only shows people the standard of your work, it also gives clients the chance to see your personal vision as far as your art is concerned. I am working on several commissions for furniture at the moment, and from looking at my portfolio clients have been able to say 'I want something like *that*' ... this leaves no room for misunderstandings later down the line ~ because in art there can be misunderstandings.

I was pleased to see that you have learned through experience to talk through the fine details before you start work - for to do otherwise paves the road to disappointment for you and for your client.


I don't see how you can actually enforce this in a reasonable manner - but to preempt it I give my clients a ball-park estimate for completion. I emphasize 'estimate' because it is purely an estimation - give yourself a realistic amount of time to finish your work and tell your client up front it's going to take X amount of days/weeks. If there are other clients who have orders that have to be completed before you can start work, advise your client of both the waiting list and the estimated amount of time for completion.

Well, regardless of what is set before me, I will do it!

I made the chainmail necklace for Nymphetamine. It's not something I usually do, but I mentioned in a post that I do it as a hobby and she contacted me. (ETA: I would just like to add, not to be rude, but if anyone else is interested, I really can't right now, Life, y'know.)
It was the first time I'd ever done anything like this, not even for family.

For pricing, I pretty much only charged for materials and post and packaging, I rounded up the price so I only made a little profit, but I was happy just to get the opportunity to experience selling something online.

In future, if I do it again, I would charge material costs (I worked it out by how much each ring cost and kept track of how many I used), post and packaging, and then put like, £10 on top for my time, less if it's not very big, more if it's really complex and takes a lot of time.

As for how we worked everything out - she sent me a picture, I confirmed it was within my skill level and I messaged her every time I got to a new stage, like when I ordered the materials (which took AGES to come, Nymphetamine was really great about that, I felt so rude) or when I was starting, or when I'd sent it.
Communication is key. If you're worried about people asking if it's done yet, either give them a solid timeline and explain to them why it will take that long, or just get used to it, because it you don't know how long you will take, you can't expect them to wait forever.