Doing NSFW art commissions is more than just drawing a picture for a client—it’s a relationship. After more than three years of drawing NSFW art commissions, over half of my clients are repeat customers. Anyone else can draw a picture for them, so what makes them come back to me specifically?
This article covers some best practices for satisfying your clients while encouraging them to come back for more.
NSFW Art Commissions & Professionalism
I have over ten years of retail experience and five years of being an artist alley seller under my belt. This section is the biggest because I’ve found these points have had the greatest impact on my client relationships. Many new artists lack a degree of professionalism that could be hurting their chances at getting clients.
Act Professional Towards Your Clients and Your Audience
You don’t have to talk in a customer service voice all the time, but it helps if you act respectfully to your clients and keep drama off of your primary profile. People can see how you act towards others; if you’re rude to others on social media, a potential client may not want to work with you if they think you’ll be hard to work with.
And *anyone* could be a client! Part of why social media is the best way to obtain clients is because it’s public, but you need to remember that it’s *public*. It’s as if you’re standing behind a lemonade stand on a busy street—if you’re stirring up drama over someone’s headcanon, no one’s going to come over to buy a lemonade. Have some manners when talking to clients in DMs and emails, and in general, be nice. It goes a long way.
Respect the Transaction
The attached Twitter/X post depicts a client who forgot about a commission they ordered. The artist surprised them three months later with the art. While the comic was received with mixed reactions, there are many callout posts about artists who accept commissions and the payment, and then ghost the client. The client usually has to try to get a refund or initiate a chargeback through their bank, and post about the experience to warn others.
Never forget that a commission is a transaction between two parties. You received money to draw something for the client. If you don’t draw it, you don’t deserve that money and it’s theft—give it back. If you take payment upfront, that client is trusting you to deliver on the promise you made upon receiving it. Deliver the art in a timely manner and keep the client informed of any delays.
Clear Communication
Communication is the key to any healthy relationship, whether it’s personal and professional. Clients don’t like being left in the dark. If you experience delays, tell them! If you have a question about a detail or how something looks, ask them! Clients appreciate the updates about their art and it builds trust. If they trust you, they’ll feel safe giving you more of their money.
Check-Ins with Work in Progress Updates
On-site commissions at conventions were fun, but it came with a downside. Since the client was also a convention attendee, there was almost no chance of communicating about their commission. This sometimes led to unfortunate surprises when they came to pick up their commission only to find that it wasn’t what they expected. I’ve had similar experiences when buying commissions myself. Character details were missing or the result was not the same quality as the examples.
This experience can leave a bad taste in a client’s mouth, and if they don’t like the art, they won’t come back for more. My solution is to have a WIP check-in at major stages of the commission. I send a WIP of the sketch, the lines with flat colors applied, and when I deliver the finished art, I leave myself prepared for any final minor adjustments. At each check-in, I ask the client for their approval, and I won’t move forward until I hear back from them. This ensures that critical character details aren’t forgotten, funky anatomy is fixed, and the client likes the commission at the end.
Setting Up Your NSFW Art Commissions for Success
Why do so many artists have a slot system? What about a waitlist? Here are some pointers on how to set up your commissions in a way that benefits both you and your clients.
Commission Slots
Slot systems are a popular commission structure, and for good reason. Having clearly defined availability is a great way to manage your work-life balance. I know it takes a certain number of hours to complete a drawing, so I use that to determine how much time I want to spend drawing for others. A predetermined amount of time designated for commission work helps prevent burnout, because I leave myself free time to draw for myself, play games, or work on other projects.
A slot system is also an easy way to keep clients informed about your commission availability, especially if you use a public kanban board like Trello. I’ll link mine as an example. Potential clients can see how many slots are available, while current clients can check on the status of their commission. Having a limited number of commission slots also tells your clients that your time is valuable. If they want a commission, they should snag a slot before they run out!
To Waitlist or Not Waitlist
Waitlists are another common feature seen in an artist’s commission set-up, especially if they have a large, active following. It usually means that the artist’s workload is smaller than the demand for commissions; they can’t take everyone at once. Clients are added to a waitlist instead, and they have priority when commissions are available again. Sometimes, the client pays a partial payment or even the full payment. It varies per artist.
Whether you use one or not is up to you. If you’re just starting out and the demand for your commissions is low, you may not need to advertise it at all. It’s something to keep in mind in case it happens, and you can always detail it on your policies page. I don’t have one myself, because the type and quantity of my commission slots varies per month. I do sometimes make an exception for regular clients, however, because I enjoy working with them and they’ve always made good on their payments.
Have Clear Policies Available Upfront
Your terms and conditions—or “commission policies”—should always be readily available for clients. This doubles as good customer service and benefits both you and the client. Commission terms will be covered in a future article. For now, you should have a page, a post thread, or a document that is publicly available. Ideally it should be something you can link whenever you post commission information, on commission forms, and for ultimate coverage, on invoices.
Get the Commission Itself!
How are clients going to claim a commission? This method is also up to the artist’s preference, but is also dictated by what platform(s) they are advertising commissions on. Twitter/X, for example, has the least reliable messaging system out of anything I’ve ever used. I also don’t get notified for all replies on posts, so clients may get missed that way as well. Other platforms are more reliable, but if you’re using more than one platform, consider using commission forms. They’re an efficient way of gathering inquiries from multiple platforms with a single link, and the responses are organized in one spot.
I personally use Google Forms because it’s free, but there are other tools, I’m sure. The attached image shows a sample of my form, which collects a brief overview of the client’s desired art. Their form will immediately tell me if it’s something I’ll be willing or able to draw, who I’m drawing, and how to contact them.
When in Doubt, Research Other NSFW Artists!
There are dozens of commission set-ups. What works for me may not work for you. It can take some trial and error to find the right system; I’ve been refining my own process ever since I started. See what other artists do and give it a shot. If it sticks, keep with it, and if it doesn’t, make changes or try something else.
In the end, what matters is that someone wants to pay you to draw something for them. Make it easy for them to pay you, treat them well, and they may come back for more art!