Commissions and Design Sales?

Posted 4 years, 10 months ago (Edited 4 years, 10 months ago) by SilentTree

Hi!! I hope this is the correct place to put this agh-

I've been on TH for a few months but haven't used it much so I'm still fairly new. I'm hoping to open commissions on here, and possibly design sales to save up some money for a study trip, but I have a few questions first!!


1. Commissions


I've had commissions open on places like Twitter and Instagram for a while, since about 2016, but have been largely unsuccessful. How are/can commissions be set up on here as opposed to other sites? / what would you guys recommend for advertising and marketing strategies?


Current commissions prices here . How does it look? Should I update my prices and choices?


2. Design Sales


I've never done design sales before, but it certainly looks like an interesting community on here! How is it done? What is recommended for a beginner who hasn't done it before? ((How do you guys not get attached to the designs? ;v;))

Same goes for open/closed species sales! I've seen that around on here a lot. Should I look into doing something like that?


You can find examples of my art here:

https://twitter.com/PainiteMeteor/moments

https://instagram.com/_silenttree_

WARNING: I'm a Kpop fanartist and do quite a lot of Kpop art, though I'm starting to shift my focus to more OC related things. Just thought I should let you know ^^;


Any help at all is appreciated!! (And if this isn't the right board to put this in, please let me know ^^;; )

voughtcorsair

bump :3c

Retro

SilentTree

Hey there! Long time commission-taking artist here to help!

1. Twitter and Instagram are notorious low spots for nabbing commissions unless you're already known on another site. They algorithms make it incredibly hard to get noticed. I would definitely recommend setting up a gallery on dA or Art Station, or other specialty sites. This gives your potential buyers a larger view of your works, progress, and what you offer, and is not liable to be lost in a timeline. Also, offer trades or designs for art when you start out! You won't make money off of them, BUT: you will diversify what you can offer, get more practice, and also build some good will. A lot of users on TH are younger and may not have access to spending money online, so they thrive on art and design trades to be able to participate and compete! Keep in mind, too, that TH is a closed system that's in beta, so don't be discouraged if you don't get traction at first. It's still a young site with a very small user base!

(Your prices are more than fair, by the way!)

2. Designs are...tricky! Some artists make one-offs, where they have a character they want to create, but don't have a place for them. For example, you REALLY want to draw a gryphon based on a crow and a housecat, but you don't really have a place for them in your own worlds. But that might be someone else's dream design!

To me, the number on thing I look for in a design is the aesthetic: does it appeal to me? Someone can use a freebie base from dA, but if I love the pallete or idea, I'll still want it. But another person could have the most complex, beautiful design ever at a fair price, but it might not hit the right notes. If you use free bases, generally, start with a low price and ALWAYS credit the base artist! They're a good way to hone your skills.

With open/closed species, come in prepared. If it's a vague idea, what will hook people in? Why does this species exist? How is it different from another? Are you keeping it closed for tracking and story reasons, or simply because you don't want to release many at a time? It's complicated! But the most successful closed species I've seen have pre-existing stories, traits, and reasons to keep users coming back. Events, limited releases, giveaways and a community hub are all great ways to garner interest!

Please feel free to DM me, I'm getting a little long-winded here! Lol

SilentTree

Retro thank you so much!! your response helps a lot ^^

is it alright if i dm you at a later time in case i need help and suggestions for setting all this up?

Retro

SilentTree Absolutely! :D