As an artist myself, I’m constantly asked to provide art and design services to clients. I’ve worked on everything from a Facebook page header image to a full blown web site design, as well as business logos, book covers, and character sketches for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

I’m here to give you the insider’s scoop on what makes a good client, how to communicate your expectations, and how we can work together effectively to get the job done!

Art Club Artists – What You Should Expect As A Client: a blog about the role of an artist, payment plans and expectations for clients

I work in the fine art field, and I think it is important for people to understand what to expect as a client.

There are a lot of ways that you can use an artist, so it’s important to know what you are getting into and what you should expect as a client. There are a lot of horror stories about artists and clients who did not understand the relationship between them. This article will discuss the nature of being a client, payment plans and expectations for clients.

Treat your artist like your doctor or lawyer

Artists don’t just do art for the hell of it. It is their business, so treat them like any other professional you hire. If you wouldn’t be casual with your lawyer or doctor, don’t be casual with an artist. The best way to avoid problems is to treat them with respect by understanding their role as an artist and what they need from a client.

As an artist, I am often approached by new and first time art club members. They are excited to be in the club and are looking forward to working with me. This is when I like to sit down with them and explain what it is that they should expect from the experience.

‘What do you mean?’ some will ask. ‘I thought this was just for fun?’

‘Well, yes, but there are some things you should know before you join.’

I think it’s safe to say that most artists have a love/hate relationship with their clients. You want to get paid well, but you don’t want to feel like you’re being taken advantage of or that you deserve more than you’re getting.

Trying to sort out these feelings and expectations is really hard. I’ve been an artist for many years now, and even I struggle with it sometimes. I know what I want to earn (a lot) and how much time I’m willing to put in for it (a lot), but the business end of things still baffles me.

How do clients figure out how much they should pay? Should they pay by the hour? The project? The value of the final product? How do they decide if their artist is worth it? What are some things that clients can keep in mind when working with artists? And what are some things that artists should keep in mind as well, both for themselves and in dealing with their clients?

“How do I find a good artist?”

It’s a pretty common question. People want to get art done, but they don’t know where to start looking.

I’ve talked with hundreds of artists over the past few years, and I’ve gotten a pretty good sense of who’s looking for work and who isn’t. My organization is still small, but it’s growing every day. It’s been my goal from the beginning to maintain a friendly atmosphere where artists strive to be as professional as possible while giving clients what they need: an understanding of what they’re paying for and plenty of time to make sure they’re getting exactly what they want.

Tone:professional

The first thing to know is that artists are not corporate drones. In general, artists are not organized by a hierarchy, and there is no one to complain to if you get a bad painting. If you’re looking for an artist that can produce exactly what you want, this may be a problem. Most artists are free thinkers that express themselves through their work, and they can’t be compelled to produce cookie cutter art.

TIP: Find out how the artist works and what they produce before hiring them.

The greatest thing about being a professional artist is that after so many years of having to listen to so many people tell you how great your work is and how you should be a famous artist, you can finally get paid to do what you love. 

I think one of the things that scares most people away from pursuing their dream of being a professional artist is the perceived financial risk, or the feeling that they are not worthy of actually getting paid for making art.

That’s funny because artists have been getting paid for their work since the beginning of time. The idea that artists should have to give it away for free comes from the idea that we live in a capitalist society where everything has a price, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say I don’t think every piece of art is worth $10,000.

And even if it was, there are plenty of examples throughout history when artists have been paid extremely well for their work. Would you rather be paid $100,000 or $1?

If you want to be an artist who gets paid for your work, here are my 7 Tips on How To Be A Professional Artist: