There comes a time in every young artist's life (read as "time on the internet") where he or she must take into account the expense of running their site and other personal projects. As such, this is where the need for commissions comes in. Commissions are an alternate means of making money in which--

Okay screw that, you probably know where I'm headed with this, right?

I'm taking commissions for art to help fund my site as well as general expenses here and there. Working as a server is nice and all, if you like the fact that your most recent paycheck is what Richie Rich could call nose-blowing money.

Obviously there is a cost involved, but I want to do this as a way to give back to the people who have followed my various projects over the years and who are still here. One thing I believe strongly about art is the importance of sharing it with people.


Starting off, this is what you will get at the very least:
-All drawings will be done on cardstock. Yes, cardstock. Not cheap printer paper. I'd rather give you something made to last.

-All drawings (unless you specifically request it of me), will be done on letter size paper; 8.5in x 11in. Other sizes can be discussed and pricing will vary based on size.

-Regardless of what format you want your piece in, you will always have the original sketch mailed to you. If you order digitally inked and colored hard copies, you will have the high-res (600dpi) digital images sent to you.


So onto the chase. What's this going to cost you?
-A simple black and white sketch of one character of your choosing will run you $5.00. Every additional character after this is an additional $1.00. Larger character counts and costs can be negotiated depending on the scope of the project. If all you want is the pencilwork with the additional characters, I will go even further and add pencil shading for no extra charge.

-Having that sketch inked (as in, I scan it, fire up Manga Studio and trace over the sketch) will run you $10.00. The previous costs will be added to this, plus a cost for actual running time while working on the image, which is at a rate of $1.00 per hour. If you wish for screentones, that is an additional flat fee of $5.00, regardless of how many characters are in the image or the level of toning desired.

-I do my coloring in Photoshop. This is a whole different beast altogether, so flat colors will run you $5.00, plus the aforementioned fees. An hourly rate of $2.00 per hour will be calculated for time actually spent doing coloring. However, prices for colored lineart and shading will also be factored in as well.

Colored lines are a flat $2.00 charge, and by this, I mean coloring the lines to match the shading of different parts on the character to give the drawing a soft look. For example, if you want your drawing to be completely outlined in blue, that's a relatively easy fix and is free of charge. However, if you want no solid dark outlines, you would pay the $2.00. This is purely for aesthetic purposes and is not required for your purchase.

Two tone coloring (flat color and one level of shading) is a flat $5.00 fee, plus the actual time spent coloring. Airbrushing over the shades to add depth or flavor to the image is free of charge.

Three tone coloring (flat coloring and two levels of shading) is a $7.00 fee plus the actual time spent coloring. Airbrushing over the shades to add depth or flavor to the image is free of charge.

Airbrush shading (using the airbrush to shade as opposed to distinct hues for shading will run you $10.00 plus the actual time spent coloring. This is because it's a bit tricker to get right, but provides something stunning to look at when all is said and done.

Costs can be discussed/negotiated based on what you can afford as well as for the scope of the project and the time in which you need or want the piece. Additional gimmicks like words or lettering, or some other kind of flair is free of charge.

Backgrounds are negotiable and depending on the scope of the background, it can be free of charge, or be factored in to the final cost.

So let's do some math:
You want a single character doing a cool pose shouting, "YEEEEAH BOIIIII!", airbrush shaded, and with his name in the background? You are looking at paying:
$5.00 for the sketch, plus
$10.00 for inking, plus
$1.00 assuming it takes only an hour to ink, plus
$5.00 for flat colors, plus
$10.00 for airbrushing, plus
$2.00 assuming it takes only an hour to complete. Your grand total is:

$33.00 total.


Same character, this time screentoned. You are looking at paying:
$5.00 for the sketch, plus
$10.00 for inking, plus
$1.00 assuming it takes only an hour to ink, plus
$5.00 for screentones. You are paying:

$21.00 total.


Two characters with three tone coloring. Keep in mind you are only charged per character in the sketch stage:
$5.00 for Guy A, plus
$1.00 for Guy B, plus
$10.00 for inking, plus
$1.00 assuming it takes only an hour to ink, plus
$5.00 for flat colors, plus
$7.00 for the two shades, plus
$4.00 assuming it takes two hours to complete. Your grand total is:

$33.00 total.


With your purchase, you will receive the high-res images in your email upon completion as well as hard copies of the original image and the completed image in the mail. There is no additional cost for printing, however, should you also want your picture laminated, there is an additional $2.00 flat fee for that independent of everything else.


A couple of guidelines:
-You have to tell me what you want in detail. I can improvise things here and there, but keep in mind, I'm an artist (and a psycholgist, for that matter), but I'm not psychic. This will save both you and me some time during the creation process.

-Once we've assessed the cost of your project, you should budget enough to send at least half of the cost of the picture. This is both to help get some gears moving and to act as a bit of security for you and me. If I have that deposit up front, I'm more likely to start work on your piece and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing I'm hard at work.

-Of course, should something happen and I am unable to finish your piece, you will be refunded your money. On my end, all progress will be irretrievably discarded.

-Again, of course, when I finish the work, I will send you a low res (probably 72dpi) and watermarked version of your image via email. If you are satisfied with the image, once I have received the other half of your payment, I will proceed to mail you the hard copies as well as the high res image. At this time, you can also inform me of whether you want it laminated or not.

-However, receiving a hard copy is completely optional. If you wish to receive hard copies, I will ask for a non-negotiable shipping and handling fee, usually between $5 to $15 . For simple sketches, it might just be the $5, whereas more detailed pieces may go up to $15. The reason for this is because I use UPS in most cases as opposed to USPS Media Mail. I've had USPS screw up my deliveries a few times before and I'm really not willing to take that risk with something I've worked hard on and you've paid a good amount for.

-If you want to save on S+H, consider getting your local friends to have art done for them too! Of course, all of the usual fees would apply (save for maybe a bulk discount here and there whenever I figure out where to put it). In which case, I would include all the drawings in one envelope/box/container/whatever I ship in, and shipping will remain the same price.

This should just about cover it. If you're interested, there are a number of ways to contact me:

Email: kitsunefox2001@gmail.com
AIM: keitsukenxky or kitsune yamato
Yahoo: kitsunefox2001
MSN: kitsune_yamato@hotmail.com
Skype: nickainsworth

You can also send me a note in my box here on dA.