How to Actually Get Art Commissions

Say you're an artist who decided to either start freelancing or you begin to think: "okay I think I'm ready to start taking commissions now." And after 1-2 months of having made your announcement, you got your commissions open you now realize something: No one’s asking to commission you. Panic starts setting in and all that. So what are you supposed to do? Well I'll tell you what you don't do: You beg or underprice your work. And what you have to do is this: You reposition. In this article I'll talk about what this means and to get the first set of clients knocking at your digital door.

A lot of advice starts with "price your work like this or that (and hell, my previous article was about that as well)", but I realized that if no one is asking, your inbox is empty, and no one is commenting, then you have a completely different boss to beat. You can't get commissions if no one knows you exist. You're a band on an empty stage.

Visibility > Talent (At First)

Let’s be real here: the internet doesn’t reward quiet skill. It rewards visibility. You can be incredibly talented but if no one sees your work, you’re not even in the starting line of the race. Visibility is the first gate. (btw, DM me if you catch the reference). Skill comes second. You’re not trying to be the “best artist.” You’re here to be seen by the people who would hire you. And this isn't to say that you need more than, say, 100k followers or anything like that (I think I'm sitting on around 16k followers on Twitter myself last I checked). You can make it out there with 1k followers on any social media, but I'll talk about this on a different article in the future.

Most artists tend to stay visible because:

• They post inconsistently

• They only share finished pieces

• They avoid fan art or trending content

• They don’t explain what they offer

• Their bios or commission info are vague or missing

Example:

One of the best real-world examples is the artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau and his long-running Pepper Project a consistent series centered on an original character. He started back in 2004 on DeviantArt, back when the website was THE hub for artists. He shared this alongside fan art and eventually landed official work with Marvel and DC Comics. But it all started by creating work in his voice, repeatedly, over time. Read the interview here: https://www.sideshow.com/blog/meet-pepper/

Artgerm isn’t the only one — but he is proof that consistency and identity can make your work both desirable and recognizable.

If your work is beautiful but you’re not getting engagement or inquiries, the issue probably isn’t quality it’s positioning. "But what is this positioning you mentioned twice already?" Positioning is how people understand your work at a glance. Not just how it looks, but who it is for and why does it exist. If your profile, portfolio, and posts don’t communicate this clearly, clients will scroll past you, even if your work is amazing.

Your Funnel (Whether You Know It or Not)

A conversion funnel is a marketing and product term representing a potential customer's journey from first becoming aware of your product or service to eventually becoming a paying customer. Getting your first commission is a process. Even if it feels spontaneous, the pattern tends to be:

1. Attraction - Someone sees your art and thinks, “Damn, I want that.”

2. Exploration - They visit your profile, click around, check your vibe.

3. Clarity - They find out if you’re open for commissions, what kind of work you offer, and how much it costs.

4. Conversion - They send a DM, and you talk your talk.

If you’re missing even one of these steps, your funnel is leaking. Yes that's a play on words.

Here's a list with 3 ways you can trigger demand for commissions:

• Make the Kind of Work People Want to Own

  I don't mean you gotta sell out. What I mean is:

  
  

  ○ Show that you can draw characters in dynamic scenes

  ○ Create fan art to show you understand appeal

  ○ Post work that sparks ideas in others (“I want this, but for my OC”)

  
  

  I've said before that you need to go viral first to be able to get commissioned, but I've realized that going viral is only an exponential value applied to this.

  
  

• Use the Right Captioning & Callouts

  Don't always post without commenting. Say something like this along with your post:

  
  

  ○ “Commissions open, DM me for info”

  ○ “Looking to draw a few more characters this month”

  
  

  Show you're available. People aren’t mind readers. Don't make EVERY post like this though. You may actually run the risk of feeling too salesperson-like. Balance, honesty and transparency are key.

  
  

• Display the Work You Want to Get Hired For

  Your portfolio isn’t proof of what you’ve done it’s bait for what you want to do next. Want to get hired for splashy full illustrations with drama and lighting? Then post more of those. Stop leading with your old $25 bust commissions.

What if you're still getting no DMs? Then it’s time to take initiative. No, I don't mean to “cold pitch” to randoms, but to show up in spaces where your work is needed. Join niche Discord servers (e.g. TTRPG, Vtuber, indie game dev communities). You can also answer commission request threads on Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram. Reinforce your fundamentals and post about it. People love to see someone on a path to greatness. Commission demand is earned, not owed. If no one’s asking to hire you, that’s not a failure. It’s a signal. Clarify your voice, focus your work, and improve your visibility.

Do you agree with me? Maybe you think I said something incorrectly? Leave a comment. I'm always open to make updates to my information when something is brought up. Let's talk about it.