Art Commission FAQ: The 10 Questions Collectors Ask, With Answers You Can Use

How This Artist Creates Commissions that Collectors Love 32:02

A commissioned artwork FAQ is the page that answers a collector’s worries before they say yes. What does it cost? Is the deposit refundable? How long will it take? What if I don’t like it? Answer those on one page, link it from everywhere you mention commissions, and most of the selling is done before the first message.

Here’s why it matters. The moment someone wants a custom painting, their next thought is “What if I don’t like it?” Once they can read exactly how it works, that worry has nowhere to sit.

Below are the ten questions collectors ask most. Each answer comes from the commission lessons in our Mastery Program, taught by working painters, including Dimitra Milan, a professional artist who has painted commissions for years. Under each one is a sample answer you can copy onto your own page and change to fit your numbers.

1. How much does a commission cost?

Put your prices right on the page, by size. When collectors see the number up front, the people who reach out have already said yes to it, and more of them turn into sales.

Charge a little more for a commission than for a finished original. You spend extra time making sure it’s right for one person. And it’s often a painting you wouldn’t sell as prints. In her lesson, Dimitra shared her own numbers as an example: her originals at $7 a square inch and her commissions at $8.

If you include shipping in the price, say so. It’s one less question.

Sample answer: “Commissions start at [price] for a [size] painting. Every size and price is listed below, and shipping is included.”

For the full method, see how to price art commissions.

2. Do you take a deposit, and is it refundable?

Take a deposit before you start, and make it non-refundable. That’s what tells you the collector is serious, so you never pour weeks into a painting someone walks away from.

Our teachers put the deposit itself between 15 and 30 percent of the price. Dimitra asks for 15 to 20 percent. After that, some collectors like to pay a second chunk at the halfway point. Most simply pay the rest when the painting is finished.

Write “non-refundable” in the FAQ and in your agreement. Then if anything changes halfway through, you can point to the page you both read.

Sample answer: “I ask for a [20] percent deposit to reserve your spot and start your painting. The deposit is non-refundable. The balance is due when your painting is finished.”

3. How long does a commission take?

Aim for two to three months. Collectors stay excited for about that long.

Try never to go past five or six months, because that’s a long time to ask anyone to wait. If someone needs it sooner, offer to rush it for an added fee, or talk it through with them. Either way, state your usual timeline and check that it works for their date.

Sample answer: “Most commissions take two to three months from deposit to delivery. If you need yours sooner, ask me about a rush option.”

4. How does the process work?

List the steps in order, so the collector can see the whole road before they start. Write them in your own voice. A simple version reads like this:

1. You fill out the request form.
2. We talk it through, by text, email or a short call.
3. You pay the deposit.
4. I share my reference image or a sketch before painting.
5. I send a photo at the messy middle stage.
6. I send a photo when it’s about 90 percent done.
7. You pay the balance.
8. I ship your painting.

Your steps may differ. What matters is that a nervous collector can read them in thirty seconds and feel safe.

5. What do you need from me?

A short form keeps everything for one painting in one place. Dimitra built hers in Google Forms, which is free and even has a ready-made custom artwork commission template you can edit.

Keep it short. Make the must-have fields (contact details, size) required, and ask questions that get people excited instead of long homework. Hers asks for:

• Name, email and phone number
• The size they want
• A mood or color scheme, with options like warm tones, cool blues or muted pastels (many people just pick one)
• Animals, flowers or trees they love
• Their favorite place on earth
• A song, poem or line that means something to them
• Which of your past paintings drew them to you
• The story or feeling the painting should hold
• Reference photos, if they have them
• A date they need it by

Leave out a “what’s your budget?” field. Your prices are already on the page.

6. Can I ask for changes?

This is the answer that saves you the most grief, so write it before anyone asks.

Say that a commission is a collaboration. They bring their story, and you paint it in your style. A collector who reads that before they pay is far less likely to try to direct every inch of the canvas.

Then say what changes look like. A small tweak is fine: an extra color, one flower that means a lot. A repaint isn’t. When you send the 90 percent photo, Dimitra suggests you don’t ask “Do you want anything changed?” Say something like “Here’s your painting, about 90 percent done. I can’t wait to hear what you think.” Asking invites a critique neither of you needs.

Sample answer: “Your painting is my interpretation of your story, in my style. I’ll send photos along the way, and I’m happy to make a small change at the end, like adding a color or a flower that matters to you.”

7. Will it look exactly like my photo?

Tell them early that it will be your interpretation of the person.

Elli Milan and Dimitra make this point about portraits in our commissions class. Collectors don’t really want a record of someone’s face on an ordinary morning. They want the person at their best, the way they remember them. When the FAQ says “this will be my interpretation,” the collector arrives expecting that, and they’re happy with it.

That’s why Dimitra stopped calling her commissions portraits. She calls them personalized paintings.

8. How will I see progress?

Promise a few photos at set points, not a running commentary. A good rhythm is three: the reference or sketch before you begin, the messy middle stage, and the nearly finished painting.

Collectors love the middle photo. If you paint in layers, the canvas looks nothing like the finished piece yet, and seeing that raw stage makes them feel part of it. Ask for a phone number so you can text the updates.

9. How do I pay?

Name the ways you accept payment, then state when each payment is due. The deposit comes before you start. The balance comes when the painting is finished and they’ve seen the final photo.

Then add the one line our teachers repeat every time: the painting ships after the final payment clears. Too many artists ship first and wait to be paid. Don’t put yourself there.

Sample answer: “I accept [your payment methods]. The deposit is due before I start, and the balance when your painting is finished. Your painting ships as soon as the final payment clears.”

10. Do you have room for my commission right now?

If you only take a certain number of commissions a season, say so. Only list spots you really have, and only give a closing date if you’ll really keep it.

Our business lessons suggest planning commissions around the dates your collectors buy gifts: birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, the holidays. Open your spots a month or two before each one, so the people who shop early can book in time.

What else goes on the commission page?

Your FAQ sits on a dedicated commission page. Alongside the questions, add:

• Examples. Photos of past commissions, ideally hanging in the collector’s home. Starting out, paint a friend’s pet or family portrait, or use a photo of someone holding a painting they bought from you.
• One request button. Something like “Request your commission,” placed in a few spots so no one hunts for it.
• A one-page agreement. The FAQ explains, the agreement makes it official. Keep it to one simple page: names, what’s being painted, size, medium, price, deposit, timeline, progress photos and shipping. Our art commission contract guide walks through each part.

If you’re still deciding whether to take commissions at all, start with how to set up art commissions, then come back and write this page.

Why does a good FAQ make commissions easier?

Because the hardest part of a commission is trust, and the FAQ earns it before you’ve met. The collector already knows the price, the deposit, the timeline, what happens at each stage and what you’ll ask of them. All that’s left is the fun part, telling you what the painting should mean.

It gets easier as your style settles. Once people know what your paintings look like, they ask for something close to what you already paint. Some collectors end up sending nothing but a song or a feeling and trusting you to paint it. That’s where a good commission page can take you, and it starts with an afternoon writing these ten answers.

Frequently asked questions

What should a commission FAQ include?

Cover price and sizes, the deposit and whether it's refundable, how long the painting takes, the steps from first message to delivery, what you need from the collector, how changes work, payment methods, and shipping. Those are the questions that stop a collector from saying yes, so answer them before anyone has to ask.

How much deposit should an artist take for a commission?

Our commission lessons put it between 15 and 30 percent, paid before you start, and non-refundable. The balance comes when the painting is finished and the collector has seen it. Never ship before the final payment clears.

How long should a commissioned painting take?

Aim for two to three months, and try never to go past five or six. Longer than that asks a lot of a collector's patience. If someone needs it sooner, you can offer a rush option for an added fee.

Can the collector ask for changes to a commission?

Small tweaks, yes: a color added, one meaningful flower. A repaint, no. Say on your FAQ that a commission is your interpretation of their story in your style, and that you'll share a few progress photos rather than open every stage to edits.

Should I show prices on my commission page?

Yes. Prices on the page mean the people who reach out have already accepted the number, so more of them turn into commissions. List your sizes and what each one costs.