If someone hires you to do a custom piece of art like a mural, painting or any kind of art commission, do you ask for an amount to be paid up front, before the final piece is delivered?
This is called getting a deposit or a down payment. If you feel like knowing this piece of the art commissions process is missing for you, it may be holding you back from incorporating one of the most lucrative ways to earn money in your art practice.
I say lucrative because they’re usually the items with the highest dollar amount that you’ll sell from your studio. And, since these kinds of artworks are custom-made they usually take longer and are more specific so you can usually charge more than your regular prices.
It’s a different kind of value and experience your commission buyers are getting.
It’s for this reason that commissions can be a great way for artists to have a high-paying income stream that can even become a foundational element of their art practice. If you’re considering incorporating custom art into your practice, you can check out the How To Make Money With Art Commissions article to help you decide if it’s right for you.
How Much Deposit To Take?
The answer to how much of a deposit you should take for your art commissions is really up to you. Everyone feels differently about money so align your deposit decision with what feels great for you to offer.
To help decide, here are a few examples of the kinds of deposits you can set up for commissions:
50% before the start and 50% when the art is delivered.
75% before the start and 25% when the art is delivered.
100% before the start.
25% before the start, 25% at the progress meeting, and 50% when the art is delivered.
After reading through these samples, did one feel like a fit for your art commissions process? Maybe start with that one and test selling one to see how it goes.
Other Art Commission Questions
When putting together or updating your commission process, you’ll run into these kinds of questions. In advance of selling your next custom art piece, I invite you to take a look and decide now how you’ll answer them.
Is the deposit refundable?
Is there a point in the project when it's too late for a refund?
Can I see the piece before it’s done?
Will I get progress updates?
What if I don’t like it, do I still have to pay for it?
Do you want to have a written agreement/contract for custom art?
Is there an additional fee if the scope of commission requires significantly more work due to the client's request?
Learning Curve
While art commissions can be frustrating, especially while you're figuring out a process that works best for you, they're also a nice way to connect with your collectors and have a lot of fun interacting with people who love your work.
The key to getting to where it's an enjoyable process is to learn from each commission you sell. Then to incorporate changes that will help to make it easier and more profitable to deliver on that bespoke art piece you sold to a collector.
This includes testing a deposit amount and being open to changing it later if it makes it easier for you to feel safe selling a commission.
And go easy on yourself if you make a few mistakes along the way. It's okay. It's all part of the learning process.
Gentle Reminder
As your art business coach while you read this, this is my gentle reminder that it's a great idea to get a deposit at the start of any custom art project you do for someone else.
This way you can feel good knowing that you're being compensated for the materials you're buying and work you're doing right away, and the collector is invested from the start.
In the comments, let me know what questions you have about your sales process for your custom murals and art commissions. I’m here to help!
Cheers,
Kate