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F.A.Q. Main
Image Use
Commissions
Tech Info
General
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| Commissions FAQ |
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If you're interested in ordering a custom character portrait for RPGs or related uses, please read this FAQ very carefully BEFORE you contact me to place an order. This page contains not only ordering details, but my current Base Pricelist and some important copyright details as well. Requests for commission work involving a written Work-for-Hire contract can be sent here. If you do not see the answer to your specific question listed here, please be sure to review the other pages in the FAQ before emailing me, as you may yet find your answer there. |
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As of April 10, 2006 the commission queue is currently closed, but may reopen in the very near future. Please click here to contact me for details on availability, or check the studio news for latest updates. |
What kinds of work do you do?Many of my commissions have been in custom RPG character portraits and illustrations for published game systems. But I also create original prints, custom maps, heraldry, and web graphics, as well as custom logos for commercial and non-profit organizations.
For samples of my art, click here to visit the gallery. If you have a project you think I might be ideal for, contact me! |
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Do you take commissions from Non-Profit Organizations? Yes, I do! If you are a non-profit organization, I may be able to create logos and illustrations for you for a much-reduced rate, or even for free / tax-credit exchange. If this applies to you, send me an inquiry as listed above and I'll gladly discuss options. To see samples of some of my previous designs for charitable causes, click here. |
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My game company is "Non-Profit" right now - will you work for credit? There is a difference between a non-profit organization (such as a charity) and a company that just hasn't turned a profit yet. I have done projects in the past for print credit alone, usually in collaboration with other artists, but honestly I simply cannot afford to do so very often or I'd quickly be out of business. Still, feel free to send me the concept request. Even if I'm unable to take on the project myself, I may be able to recommend someone who can. It never hurts to ask. |
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What payment methods do you accept? Unless prior written Net-payment arrangements have been made, character portraits and custom orders are to be paid up front and in full. At this time, I accept personal checks (US customers only), US and international money orders in $USD by snail mail, and major credit cards through PayPal. I can also accept payment by Western Union from international clients if advance arrangements are made, though PayPal is still the preferred option at this time. |
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Simply put, I do - unless we've made a prior contractual agreement, in writing, that specifically states I created the image for you as Work-for-Hire, which grants you all print and exclusive use rights. Important note for RPG / Custom Character portraits: When you purchase a custom character portrait, the fee you pay (either as a JPG/digital delivery or mounted print) grants you a custom-made illustration and First Print rights, meaning you receive the first print of that image. But the copyright for the artwork remains mine, and its corresponding original does too unless you've purchased that original from me. Please note that purchasing the original does not automatically transfer exclusive ownership of the art to you - only a written contract as mentioned above will do that. The reason I do this is that if it's a great image, I'd like to give it a place of honor in my gallery, and possibly sell prints if the subject is general enough and it does not involve previously copyrighted or trademarked characters. No material compensation, monetary or otherwise, will be offered, implied or given if I display the picture (I have to say that, or the legal department gets twitchy), but I will happily acknowledge the inspiration and include a link to you if you so choose. If you want exclusive use rights to the artwork (with no further prints sold), then you would need say so up front, and purchase it as work-for-hire at the "Originals" price. This is why the fee for an original piece is considerably higher than for a print. For more details about Work-For-Hire contracts, see What is a "Work-For-Hire" contract, and do I need one? below, and for further copyright questions contact me. |
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What is your turnaround time? I would love to say every order has been churned out at lightning speed, but honestly that isn't always the case. I have been able to complete some orders in as little as 72 hours for web graphics and digital deliveries, while other projects with multiple individual images have taken up to several weeks. The length of time it takes for me to complete a painting depends entirely on the detail level of the content, the medium and format chosen, if there are any pending deadlines, and how many other projects I may already have in the queue at the time of purchase. This is specifically why I advise all potential clients to contact me first and see what my availability is before they order. |
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What is your policy on remakes and alterations? I always send working prototypes of your portrait before final delivery, so we both can know if I'm on the right track with your concept. This is the "speak now or forever hold your peace" phase. If you want any changes made at that time, I will do so then send another prototype for review. Acceptable changes include corrections to clothing, weaponry or items that were initially included in the description first sent to me. Please do not send me additional requests asking for new items or scenes in the portait
that were not initially listed in your submission form, unless you are prepared for an
extra fee. For instance, asking me to add new items, a new animal companion, or "I know I
only paid for a single character / item, but could you put him in a mountain scene with
an army in the background just this once?" Once you approve the rough prototype, I will proceed as scheduled with the finished piece, and send a final low-resolution prototype before shipping. For prints shipped by snail mail, if it has been damaged in transit simply send the poor thing back and I will replace it free of charge, up to 30 days from time of initial delivery. However, if after you receive the finished work you decide that it just wasn't the concept you wanted after all, then a new portrait can be purchased at the regular price. It is specifically to save you that extra expense that I send the rough prototypes for your approval before completion. As always, if you have any concerns about this, contact me. |
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What kinds of tools and mediums do you use? All technical questions about the tools I use can be found in the Technical Questions section. |
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What is an "RPG" character portrait? "RPG" stands for Role-Playing Game. They're played all around the world, online and off, in many different forms and genres. But one thing that remains constant in all of them is that very rarely do these games afford the player a visual representation of what their personal, custom-made character looks like. Much like an actor donning a costume for a play, a portrait of your character can greatly enhance your gaming experience, and let that character you've invested so much time in creating become far more than just a collection of statistics on a piece of paper. It's one thing to tell people you're playing a ferocious-looking barbarian, but quite another to show them that same warrior in all their glory. Character portraits are some of my favorite things to illustrate, and when commissioned to create one for a client I put as much painstaking effort into their illustration as I would for one of my own characters. |
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Will you send a sample sketch before I send payment? No. Because of the amount of commission requests I receive, and as this is my livelihood, I do not send sample prototypes for custom portraits before payment (or a contract arranging payment) is received and processed. This is for my own protection, as there unfortunately have been folks who made requests "to see what you can do before I decide to purchase anything" that only wanted a free sketch. I ended up investing precious time and resources that could have been devoted to a paying client's assignment for a project that was essentially stolen from me. If you wish to see samples of what I can do, you can visit any page in my gallery. Please note that I also will not post high, print-quality resolution versions of my JPG portraits to this or any website unless they are specifically commissioned, so that I may control the numbers of limited-edition prints that are made of my images. This protects not only my artwork, but the value of the purchaser's print as a true limited-edition as well. |
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What are the Base Prices for a custom portrait? For general commissions, the price depends on the type of work requested, the size, format and medium, and how fast you need it done. Also, whether or not you want just a single print or JPG with first print rights, or you want to buy the original art. For custom character portraits, my prices start at USD$ 30 for a single character pencil portrait in JPG format, up to USD $200 for a multi-character, full-page, full-color mounted print. Original art is priced higher. For a complete price list, please see the Custom Portrait Price Guide. |
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What does "Basic Pricing" mean? Basic Pricing is the minimum price for that specific type of portrait. I devote a great deal of effort into making sure all my client's portraits are as close to what they want as I possibly can. It's a matter of personal pride in the quality of my work, and attention to detail is important. If your portrait requires special details (custom heraldry, arcane symbols, special weaponry, etc.) it is crucial when ordering to provide me as clear a description of the details you want and a good visual reference if possible, such as a picture of the symbols, heraldry, items, or at least the direct URL of where I can find them. If you need your finished image in less than a week, (I do require a minimum of 72 hours unless there are extenuating circumstances, especially for color work) there will be an additional charge of $50 for rush delivery, to put your order to the head of the project queue. Lastly, if you purchase a single character / item print, and you suddenly decide that you want to add details (another character, an animal companion, or turn it into a full-page image with background) I will ask for additional payment to upgrade your picture from single character to the full-page version. The fee will be the difference in price between the two, depending on the type of detail you want. I do this to help deter those folks who have tried to take advantage of the fact they've paid in advance from adding items later but don't want to compensate for the extra work. This is specifically why I ask that you choose very carefully from the variety of options available and know what you're ordering at the time of purchase, to save you further expense and delays in shipping later. |
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What is a "Single (Multi) Character / Item" vs. a "Full Page" portrait?
Single Character / Item means the portrait is of that character or item only. No background or extra details, just the featured person or items. Full Page means a portrait showing the character / items as well as scenery, usually covering the expanse of the entire page. These portraits (especially in color) are understandably more complicated to render, and as such are more expensive than the 'Single Character Only' pieces. |
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What do you mean by "work queue"?
I usually have several pieces in progress at any one time, and it would be impossible for me to take every portrait order that comes in the month all at once, or I would have no time to complete my other assignments. Because of this, I have had to limit the number of RPG character portrait orders I can accept to 5 per month. Those 5 orders make up the Work Queue - my current work-in-progress list. As I complete assignments from that, another spot opens, and those who have their names and reservations in on the waiting list are the first to fill the new spots. If the current Work Queue is full, and you wish to wait for a spot to open, you can place your order in advance and I will email you immediately when a spot opens. You do not need to send in payment to reserve your spot on the waiting list, but bear in mind that once a spot opens no work will begin on your portrait until payment is received and processed. If you have a project that absolutely, positively, has to be there asap, I will do rush orders to specific deadlines. But as previously mentioned there is an additional fee for the priority work of $50 on top of base price, payment is in advance (unless other contract arrangements have been made in writing) and I must have a minumum of 72 hours notice. As always, if you have any questions about this policy, or if you would like to inquire as to the estimated wait time if the queue is currently full, please contact me. |
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How can I order the original art for a digitally-colored portrait?
When I create a digital portrait, often I will illustrate the design by hand in either graphite or ink, then scan it and complete color painting digitally. Most times I will also do a preliminary color rough in watercolor pencil just to work out the shadings and composition. But by the time I have a finished the digital painting, the finished result may look nothing like the first rough draft, and I may also have made structural changes to the original composition. In short, the color JPG or print made from the completed digital painting often IS the original. Essentially, when you request originals for digital color art, you're purchasing all copy and print rights - complete ownership of the image. I do require a work-for-hire contract at that point as a confirmation bill of sale for both myself and the client however. If you do not already have such a contract on hand, I do have a template version available that I can tailor to the needs of your individual project. This option is of course best suited to companies and publishers who require full ownership of the image, as opposed to a client who simply wants a color portrait. If you have any questions about this or any other policy, I welcome you to contact me. |
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Is there a limit on characters or items in a group portrait?
Because these are all hand drawn, I am only one artist, and any more than that in one piece can severely clutter an image - not to mention greatly extend the time it takes to complete it. For reference, animal companions do count as separate characters in the piece, depending on their size. I put just as much effort illustrating animals as I do any other main character. Please keep this in mind for group pieces. If you have any questions about this before you place your order, contact me with the details and I will happily give you a no-obligation free quote based on your description. |
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What is a "Work-For-Hire" contract, and do I need one?
Simply put, a Work-for-Hire project involves a written contract between myself and the client that, among other things, would grant all legal ownership and copyrights of an image I create to that client, as well as future print rights. Each contract is different depending on the needs of the client, though I do usually request to at least maintain the right to display any artwork I create in my gallery and portfolios, with a notation saying the art was created by me for that client and copyrighted to them. I also may ask the right of first refusal on any later remakes or revisions of the piece, depending on the assignment. With a Work-For-Hire contract I am effectively selling my copyrights for that custom painting to the client, and it will be exclusively theirs from that point they receive it unless otherwise stipulated in the contract. For that reason, Work-for-Hire commission portraits are charged at the Originals price, though no payment will be charged until the details of the commission and the contract are carefully laid out and agreed upon right at the start by both the client and myself. Please note: a simple character portrait does NOT need to be commissioned as a Work-for-Hire contract, and in point of fact few of them are. The Originals / Work-for-Hire option is usually requested by authors and companies for situations such as a custom logo design or a character from their own novel / film that they want to maintain exclusive ties to and future print rights for. So if you're simply interested in a JPG or print portrait of your character and you don't care about maintaining copy and print rights to the artwork, then the digital delivery and print options would be all you need. Again, if at any time you have questions about placing an order, contact me and I'll be more than happy to help you. |
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Didn't find the answer to your question here? contact HeatherWind! |
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