Get First Art Commission

Proof required

Submit a link to your publicly published portfolio containing six to twelve finished pieces. Each piece must be titled, and you must include a one-paragraph artist statement explaining what style and type of commissions you are prepared to take.

What gets checked

• All pieces are finished and representative of the work you would deliver to a client — not learning experiments or unfinished studies
• The portfolio has a coherent style or medium focus — it demonstrates what you offer, not the full range of everything you have ever made
• The artist statement is specific about what commissions you accept — 'digital portraits in semi-realistic style' passes; 'various art' does not

Common mistakes

• Including every piece ever made regardless of quality — an unfocused portfolio signals to clients that you do not understand what you offer
• Publishing without an artist statement — clients cannot commission work from a portfolio with no context about what the artist does

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Open the portfolio cold — does it communicate what the artist offers within 10 seconds?
• Check that all pieces are finished — are there sketches or studies that should not be there?
• Read the artist statement: could a client form a commission request from it, or is it too vague?

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Proof required

Submit: your commission price list with three or more commission types and their rates with a brief rationale for your pricing; evidence of at least five outreach attempts (screenshots, listing posts, or direct messages); and a written commission agreement showing confirmed scope, price, revision terms, and timeline.

What gets checked

• Pricing is grounded in market research — cite at least two comparable artists' rates you used to benchmark
• Five or more genuine outreach attempts are documented — not five messages to the same platform thread
• The written agreement specifies scope, price, revision terms, and timeline — not just 'we agreed on a price'

Common mistakes

• Underpricing dramatically below market rate just to get the first commission — this establishes a precedent clients will expect you to maintain
• Pitching without a portfolio link — clients cannot commission work they cannot evaluate

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Ask how the candidate arrived at their price — is there a market comparison?
• Count the outreach attempts — are they genuinely diverse, or all in one place?
• Check the written agreement — does it specify revision limits and timeline, or just price?

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Proof required

Submit: the final delivered commission image or file; a record of the delivery communication showing client approval; payment confirmation (payment receipt, bank notification, or equivalent with the commission amount visible); and a brief retrospective (200–300 words) on what you would do differently next time.

What gets checked

• Final delivered work matches the scope agreed in the commission agreement
• Payment confirmation is real and shows the agreed amount — not a promise of payment
• Retrospective identifies at least one specific thing to improve next time — not 'it went well'

Common mistakes

• Delivering work without getting written client approval — verbal approval is not documented
• Completing the work but not pursuing payment — the commission proof requires both delivery and payment

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm the delivered work is visible and matches the agreed commission scope
• Check payment confirmation — is the amount consistent with the agreed price?
• Read the retrospective: does it name a specific improvement, or is it generic praise for the experience?
• Ask: 'would you work with this client again?' — the answer reveals the real texture of the experience

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