Private Commission FAQ:

How do I pay?
I accept cash, check, or Paypal. My Paypal e-mail is snowfrost(at)gmail(dot)com. I take payment upfront and begin work as soon as that payment clears. If your order is $100 or more, I am happy to work with you on a payment plan. Usually half up front and the other half once I am past the drawing stage, but this can be looked at on a case by case basis if a split payment doesn't work for you. 

Is there any tax on top of the commission rate?
Nope! Sales tax is built in to the prices you see on my rate sheets. :)

Do you offer discounts?
I do! You can get some really good deals if you are a patron--I offer up to 10% discounts on commission prices, depending on the tier. If your project is a large one, that can be pretty significant. 

The best deal would be if you are looking for a speedpaint commission. Prices are normally $80+ for those, but at the "Die Hard Fan" tier you get an automatic $30 off! And you can cancel your subscription right after ordering the commission if you like--though you will be eligible for another speedpaint every 3 months at that tier, which is still a discount long term. So that is definitely the best value if you like getting personal commissions of characters, animals, etc: check out my Patreon page if you are interested.

Outside of patreon, I am not offering discounts at this time, but I will post on my twitter or instagram when I run special promotions.

I commissioned you and then saw you posting/streaming some other art/sketches/etc online. What gives? Are you not working on my piece?
In order to not get burnt out on your project and maintain my sanity, I tend to jump between client work and personal work throughout my work week. This allows me to keep the creativity flowing and give you the best product possible. Unfortunately, being my best creative self isn't something I can just clock-in/clock-out of like at a normal job. A lot of mental and emotional energy gets poured into each piece, so creating space in my schedule for a variety of projects keeps my creative energy high. Which is very good for your project, I promise. :)

How long will it take you to finish my commission?
This depends on a number of factors: my current workload, personal life hiccups, and the complexity of your project. Generally you can expect your piece within a month of sending payment and any image references. I will communicate with you up front and throughout the project if that estimate differs or might change for any reason. Please do not e-mail me every few days asking for updates, This will stress me out and the quality of your commission may suffer for it if I feel rushed.

But I need this piece done really soon!
Okay, no worries! Let me know that up front/ASAP. I can bump you up on my task list and pour every minute of my time between now and your deadline into getting this piece done for you. Please note that this accommodation comes with a 30% fee ($5 minimum) of whatever your initial quote for the art comes to. If you need something super complex done in less than a week this fee % will be increased on a case-by-case basis.

Is there anything you won't draw?
Yes. I will not draw anything that would garner more than a PG-13 rating. This is a non-negotiable, especially when it comes to romantic interactions (in other words, nothing sexual in nature). I don't mind a little violence or blood in an image as those things can make for great action and storytelling, but I draw the line at illustrating excessive gore, mutilation, or torture. Political commentary, vulgar or offensive language/gestures, real life occult rituals/symbols, and anything promoting violence, hate, or discrimination against people/groups are all things I will decline to illustrate for you. 

Will you illustrate my book or book cover?
I'd love to! Illustrating books full time is my dream and if you're serious about your project, I'm happy to work with you! Shoot me an e-mail so we can talk details and I'll give you a quote. Please come knowing how you will be publishing it, what your budget range is, how many images you'll need from me, your ideal deadline, and a manuscript or very in-depth synopsis for me to review. It is also helpful for me to know which images of mine made you think I could do the project, but that is not required, it just gives me an idea of the style you are envisioning. For more info on what to expect when contracting an illustrator for a book, check out this awesome article: [click] (I know it says "children's book," but it applies to all types of book illustration, I promise.)

How does copyright of my commission work?
If you're talking about book work or any kind of licensed work, I have contracts that spell this out clearly which we will both discuss and sign before I work on your project.
However, for your basic personal commission, the legality essentially works like this: The image and character(s) (if owned by you) is yours to use online or print for personal use as long as my signature remains intact, if applicable. If there is no signature, then credit to me must be given for the artwork should you choose to re-post it. The artwork itself, however, belongs to me. Claiming the artwork as your own or printing it for sale in any format is not permitted unless we have a contractual licensing agreement. I reserve the right to re-post, edit, or print the work if I choose to do so. I will never claim your character is mine and all intellectual property depicted in the piece that belongs to you (personal character, story, character design, etc) is still yours.

See the bottom of this page to read the complete terms of agreement.

Can I cancel the commission and get a refund?
Unfortunately, no. Once a payment is made, I consider that the "kill fee" if the project is cancelled. This usually only applies to a series of illustrations or book deals and is standard in illustration contracts (including mine). I've never had anyone cancel a one-off personal commission, but just in case, be aware that if you do pay me for a commission and then later while I'm working on it decide that you don't want it any more, be aware that I will not refund you. If you are concerned about potentially needing to cancel, I do offer split payments for orders over $100. In that case, the kill fee would just be whatever was agreed upon to be paid up front.

The reason for this no refunds rule is that if I say "yes" to your commission, I am also saying "no" to work from other clients. Yes, I have a wait list. But there is no guarantee that those waiting will still be willing or able to commission me once I get to them. Therefore, I have potentially missed out on a client in saying yes to your project that you decided to cancel. I rely on my art to make my living, so every job is an important financial safety net. Loosing a job is a critical blow to that safety net. Thanks for understanding. :) However; if something comes up in my schedule that requires me to pause commission work for some reason I will reach out to all affected clients about whether or not they are willing to wait for their commission. If you are unwilling to wait, I may offer a half or full refund depending on how far along I am on your piece.

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