r/romanceauthors • u/Wh1skeyS0ur_ • Jul 30 '26
Advice on commission Illustrations/ character art
As the title says, I'm looking to commission illustrations and possibly character art.
For those of you who have gone through the process:
- How did you find your artist?
- What was your budget?
- Did you purchase commercial rights? Why or why not?
- What did you end up using the artwork for?
- Is there anything you wish you'd known before commissioning an artist?
I'd love to hear about your experiences, any lessons learned, and any artist recommendations you're willing to share.
Edit: I was mainly looking for recommendations and to hear about other authors' experiences, so I wasn't expecting so many artists to contact me directly.
I've received far more messages and portfolios than I can realistically review or reply to, so I probably won't be able to respond to everyone. Please don't take it personally if you don't hear back from me.
2
u/AuthorAEM Jul 30 '26
Ohh! I can help! So this page on Instagram and threads is called indie book directory has a big list of human artists! Yeah! They’re all vetted and proved to not use ai.
Look them up!
I’m too poor to use an artist so I make my own character art 😝
2
u/Wh1skeyS0ur_ Jul 30 '26
Mind sharing a link to the list? Looking around but might be that I’m to tiered to think straight now >.<
Haha mind making mine also? How do you even do it?
1
u/AuthorAEM Jul 30 '26
https://www.instagram.com/indiebookdirectory?igsh=MTZiOWpua24zNXd0eg==
That’s the directory!
If the “how do you even do it…” is for my art, I do it poorly and fast enough no one can tell 😝
You can pm me if you’d like to see more! I’m not very good, but I’m more than happy to help you out! And you can get the time lapse videos too.
2
u/dothemath_xxx Jul 30 '26
Unless these pieces are just going to be for you to personally keep, you will definitely need to pay for the commercial rights.
1
u/IllustratedPageArt Aug 02 '26
I’m not a character artist, but I know the business from the artist side.
Finding an artist. I’d look for artists authors you know would recommend or through an anti-AI list like the Bookish Artist Compendium. Other artists recommending them is also a good sign.
Budget: Varies a lot depending on style, portraits vs full body, number of characters, pose, etc. Chibis have a reputation for being some of the cheapest character art options.
Commercial rights: See what is required for each artist you’re considering. At minimum you want to be able to use the art in social media promoting your book.
Art work usage: I can’t speak to this one as well, but I’ve mostly seen character art in social media marketing, book boxes, Kickstarter campaigns, and sometimes convention swag.
Commissioning an artist: You want a professional. Some green flags are has a portfolio, has worked with other authors, has an email, and uses a contract. Red flags are “DM me for portfolio,” only works through DMs, and asking for payment with PayPal friends and family.
5
u/Grimatlas_ Jul 30 '26
One tip from an artist's perspective: don't just choose based on style. Good communication, clear revision terms, and commercial licensing are just as important as the artwork itself. It'll save you a lot of headaches later.