Ever wondered how the process of an art commission works?
Drawings don’t just start out like this, fully colored and shaded.
And no artist gets their client’s ideas on paper (or digitally) perfectly the first time.
Introducing: A recent commission of mine, from the upcoming novel Mission Aquamarine, by Timothy Wolfe.
Commissions start with line art. Simple, black and white outlines, and some gray shading, that give my clients an idea of what the finished piece will look like.
I send this piece to my client for feedback.
Next, the flats! (Called flats, because the illustration looks quite flat at the moment.)
I’ve made any edits that my client wants (in this case, extending the illustration fully to the sides of the canvas), and now get to do one of my favorite parts. Filling in all the white spaces with bright colors.
Off to the client again for more feedback.
And finally, the details. The illustration has really come to life.
(Fun fact, a lot of artists find this to be their favorite stage, as it obviously is the most exciting one. I…do not find it exciting. XD I get bored, but really do enjoy the end result.)
One last check-in with my client. Any edits at this point have to be super minor, or they cost extra. But because of the amount of feedback I’ve already gathered, the illustration is usually good to go.
And then…it’s finished! Off to my client for the final time, and I get to enjoy another finished piece of art.
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