I really want to open commissions as a way to earn extra money on the side, but I'm not sure if this kind of quality is something people would be willing to pay for or if I should keep developing my skills. Here are a couple of examples of my recent work:
What do you think, people of Notebook?
I think so dude! Ofc you should always keep developing your skills! But this is a great starting point for commissions!
If you want some criticism on your art, I'd suggest sharpening the nose and side profile a bit :3
Could I commission you? I love your art style
I mean I'd pay for that. Keep in mind people (like me) would love to see their OC's in different people's art styles. And the people with OC's that don't particularly draw that much, would absolutely LOVE to see their OC's drawn
I think so dude! Ofc you should always keep developing your skills! But this is a great starting point for commissions!
If you want some criticism on your art, I'd suggest sharpening the nose and side profile a bit :3
@fromunderhill I absolutely appreciate the advice and criticism! Thank you so much for the feedback.
Could I commission you? I love your art style
@JillyB88 I am not at all prepared for an actual professional commission in terms of pricing or even setting up a PayPal, but I've seen some of your art around and I'd love to do an exchange if you're willing? Either way, thank you for the interest!!
I mean I'd pay for that. Keep in mind people (like me) would love to see their OC's in different people's art styles. And the people with OC's that don't particularly draw that much, would absolutely LOVE to see their OC's drawn
@AloeVera Thank you for taking the time to offer some input! I think I'm going to give it a try once I sort out my work and school schedule!
@Wish I would love to do an art trade! Do you have an Instagram or other social media I could follow?
@Wish Short answer, yes I would. But if you want clearer parameters… According to Crowne Prince's ranking system on YouTube, the higher the rank of the following qualities the better (but saleable art is around Level 4)
Level 0 - Art that doesn't exist, because the person who would be an artist is too much of a perfectionist or is too afraid of being judged to even make any art at all
Level 1 - An odd phenomenon that people brave enough to be beginners would go all-out with backgrounds and everything…usually after getting a sense of what needs to be worked on, artists focus on that, so in a way levelling-up from here would visually be taking a step back. This level is characterized by composition, anatomy, and perspective being all over the place or very off, "no line-confidence" in that the shapes are rather loose and not on purpose; if digital art then the tell is pixellated edges and gaps, and if traditional then the tell is short and heavy lines like somebody's trying to handwrite an image instead of draw it and then finalize it by thickening the lines to look awfully scratchy.
Level 2 - Linework is better than Level 1 but not as confident as Level 3. The concept of shading may have been discovered, but executed in a haphazard way. The compositions have no focus. While anatomy and shape are improved, they can still appear boxy and stiff. Level 3 artists can still do Level 2 work if they want to do something fast and quick, with simple and undefined shapes or anatomy.
Level 3 - Confident and smooth linework, improved composition and sense of visual hierarchy. Visual balance can still be a pitfall or flaw in Level 3, as some things that ought to be symmetrical simply aren't. Anatomy can be pretty good in proportion, but the poses and expressions can still appear stiff and inorganic.
Level 4 - This is where profit can generally be made. Lines can still be stylized, so maybe they can look scribbly or have varying thickness, but that's a style choice rather than lack of confidence. Anatomy is good and the poses and expressions look natural. Concept and composition all work together.
Level 5 - Every stroke of whatever art medium was used to make a Level 5 image was intentional and executed with a finesse that comes from decades of experience and at least a good long moment of sustainable inspiration/motivation. I suppose you can skip right to this if you can make your way into some Atelier classes, but not everybody who wants a professional visual for something is out to buy Atelier realism.
I like to look at Michele Clapton's fashion illustrations, she made the costumes for Game of Thrones, and the concept art for those are not what I would call good anatomy…which is fine, really, because that's not the medium they're paying her for; she makes some very beautiful costumes, her medium is really the fabric itself. Drawing is simply a way to get people to understand what's in her mind, what she plans to do, so that it will suit the director's creative vision.
So, the needs of a writer who is commissioning an artist to (for example) design a capsule wardrobe for their main character, is going to be very different from the needs of a writer who is commissioning an artist to make their book cover. To me, the book cover would need to look good enough on its own for somebody to pick up the book and buy it so I really want a Level 4 that's almost 5; but for wardrobe design, I just want somebody else who knows more about fashion to put their idea in my head, so they can scribble out a Level 2 something without shading and I'd still pay for it if it helps me imagine the scene better (or even if it doesn't; If I tell an artist to take time out of their lives and put in the effort to make me a thing, then I better pay for it after they've done the thing even if it doesn't do anything for me that I wanted it to.)