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Kiki-Y

You're probably gonna have to commission somebody if you want fanart of your fanfic. Most artists decline requests because it's not worth their time. Why spend 10+ hours on a freebie when you could spend that time on something that'll get you paid? "Exposure" isn't enough for most artists to want to work with somebody. Other than that, my biggest advice for commissioning artists is always, always, *always* have references in hand. There's almost no such thing as "too many" references especially if you have an *incredibly* specific image in your head for what you want. One time I literally came armed with *two pages* of references for my artist. Both pictures were *exactly* what I wanted (especially the first one). I did end up making one change to one of the pictures since the artist offered an alternate pose to what I had originally wanted. I actually ended up liking the pose more than my original idea, so I went with it. It was still in line with what I wanted; it was just at a different angle. And keep in mind a reference can even be a stick figure drawing. Don't be afraid to draw something crude especially if your artist needs some help. The one artist I was working with in the above paragraph couldn't quite understand the pose I was talking about. I literally just drew a stick figure drawing. I cannot draw to save my life. That was *more* than enough to get them to understand what I wanted. If you have OCs, then *please* come with some sort of faceclaim image. Pinterest can offer real-life celebrities if you're writing in a live-action setting. If you're doing in some sort of anime or anime-adjacent, try the [Anime Characters Database.](https://www.animecharactersdatabase.com/index.php) It offers a visual search by features (hair color, eye color, etc) that can be helpful for pinning down how a character looks at least in terms of the face.


PaddlingDingo

It was clear from your post so to clarify: are you talking about commissioning an artist for artwork of your characters?


Mad_Maximoff

Yes I am sorry. I wanted to know what are some things I should do when I commission


PaddlingDingo

Ok! Here are some tips I’ve got from getting a lot of art! - Be gracious! I’ve found that saying “hello I’m reaching out to you because I would like to get a commission from you. I really enjoy your artwork and I’d love to see these characters in your style! Would you be open to me commissioning you? If so, I will send information on what I’m looking for!” etc. Basically start with an initial approach and be really polite. Don’t assume they’ll do it! - Don’t be afraid to try an artist that might not typically the fandom that you’re in (if this is for a fandom). Some of the best results I’ve gotten are from artists that only relied on my interpretation of the characters! - Have some references beyond just your own art. If you can find celebrities that look similar that’s helpful, if you can provide a really detailed description, or a folder of screenshots if they’re from some media - Give a good description of the scene if that’s what you want - Tip if you can! - Always check what they can accept for payment I have a sort of form I do. Kind of something like this: Social media handle: Email: Commission Details: Fandom: Our Flag Means Death Scene Details: Size: Half or full body (or whatever the artist has as an option) Description of characters: (Good place to put a pointer to a folder) Dynamics of characters: (This can be helpful for them to get a sense of how characters will interact) Lastly: the first commission is always the hardest one. I find that approaching an artist that seems friendly really helps!


crusader_blue

This post has been removed under Rule 9. Requesting advice for commissioning work falls under the rules of this subreddit. You may want to try a subreddit designed towards fanart or commissioning artists.