In the ever-expanding world of the Internet, many sorts of business arise, opening up numerous opportunities. Some of the most popular and relevant of all are digital artists. 

Not only because organizations may ask them for a specific artwork to enlighten their image, but many others may want an artist service and request specific imagery for their social media, their YouTube channel, or just for themselves.

However, their living is made differently than a normal employee in traditional companies. Most artists will handle commission sheets with all the information and details needed to fulfill the client's request and how they get paid for their services. 

Once both parties check everything is alright and you, as an artist, accept the request, it is time to work. But how can an artist be sure everything will stay as agreed?

Everything can be handled by a well-structured commission sheet, and that's what we will be looking for. Through this article, you'll learn how a commission sheet works, all the components that integrate it, how it is done, and even some free templates to give a starting point.

It is a document that shows the artist's services, prices, and service conditions. 

A commission sheet usually has the following information:

• Project Dates: All the dates when the artist will be available to provide customer service to the client. This can be just a few hours, days, a week, or more. For bigger projects, it will require more details. 
• Specifications: The main project's requirements. The key details should be clearly stated, as they are the ones that will decide the success of the project.
• Constraints: If the project is too complex to perform or has some constraint elements that could lead the artist to losses, you should provide such details beforehand. 
• Check-In Points: Both commissioner and the artist should be in constant communication to make sure that the process goes smoothly and on the rails. Set up a communication channel to express any doubt or to talk about anything about the project.
• Payment Schedules: The dates when the payment must be made. State all the requirements for the project, like an installment, payment upfront, or at any given time during the project or when it is finished.

Let's check every section that composes a well-structured commission sheet template:

• Introduction: It provides specific artwork details from both the artist and the commissioner. Under the introduction section, all the project explanation details are set up.
• Agreement: It is the scope of work the client expects. It details what the artist can do and what they cannot. The whole project must be done under the terms and conditions written in this section. 
• Proposal: Usually, an artist provides the commissioner with an artwork proposal (a sketch drawing). If the commissioner agrees, they will ask to replicate it in the place that the client wants it.
• Rights: This means who holds the ownership of such artwork. The client could have all the rights or a percentage of them. Some agreements could have a definite time, and once it expires, they will revert back to the original author. This section could include reproduction rights, monetization rights, publishing, exhibition rights, and more. 
• Payment Terms and Conditions: All the payment terms should be clearly stated in the commission sheet, with no place for confusion. Some artists may ask for an upfront payment (usually 50% of the total), and the rest of the money will be paid after the project is finished. 
• Project Termination: This section details the terms and conditions of project termination. If, for any reason, the project must be terminated before completion, it must be done under the conditions in the agreement.

Although it is a simple document or even just a piece of paper, an artwork commission sheet is more useful than you might think, providing several benefits to artists.

It Provides Better Customer Service, Showing Professionalism

Without a proper commission sheet, an artist can easily be confused once they start to work on several projects at the same time, prioritizing some that aren’t first priority or urgent. 

For example, one can start working on a recently ordered artwork and lose focus on the one they were working on previously, which was ordered several days ago. This problem will cause customer frustration.

And how should a client trust that you aren't going to do that? A commission art sheet adds a lot of weight to it, as the customer will take it as a sign of professionalism. They feel more comfortable working with an artist who displays such a high level of professionalism that any possible "number of years of experience" won't matter.

Protects Artist’s Interests

You won't be able to protest if anything goes wrong, as no documentation will back you up. The commission sheet provides a clear definition of the conditions and terms of the service. 

It will provide information about what the artist is allowed to do and what they cannot do, as well as details about the project's pricing. And once both parties sign the document, it becomes a legal document. If a disagreement arises later that cannot be resolved between the parties, the commission template can be used in court to prove a contract had been signed previously. 

The sheet can be used to refer to an existing agreement. If an issue is not contained in the agreement, both the commissioner and the artist need to start afresh on negotiations and include the issue in the document. 

It can be used as a reference document for new customers. They may ask for your previous work. You can prove it with videos, photos, or even commission sheet examples of your other projects. 

Guarantees Payments

Once the commission art sheet is signed, it provides the artist with a guarantee that they will be paid. When the work begins, you can start budgeting for the commission as it is money you will receive. The contract will help you calculate the cost of materials and your margin well. 

If the project takes more time than was established (and if there is a genuine reason for that), the information in the commission art sheet will help you get a commission for the extra days spent.

This template has a pre-established environmental theme and marine life forms; you can use it as an example and a guide to building your template.

But you can also use pages 24 to 28, where the actual commission form is made. By just replacing some words and concepts to fit your needs, you will be able to create a well-structured template for your business.

Done by Wyland, you can download it as a Microsoft Word document for free.

Art Commission Invoice Template

Simple and professional, this invoice template has space for all the information that a commission sheet needs to have for you and your client. 

You can adjust it for any particular need and download it from the Invoicemaker website as an Excel spreadsheet or a Word file.

Commission Tracker Template

We talked about properly managing your projects; this template will help you track them. 

There are several sections for each client, where you can introduce their names, the dates, priority level, the project name, if it is paid, and any additional information or data about the artwork.

You can download it for free as an Excel spreadsheet from the NocturneNebula Tumblr page.