Confirm Project Specs

Before you start working, make sure you understand the project specifications correctly. Here are a few things I always confirm before starting a job:

• Aspect ratio or size and DPI

• File type

• File size

• Digital or print format

• Color space (RGB or CMYK)

The client should be able to provide all of this information and may also give you a template or guide to work with. For printed media in particular, it's always good to confirm margins and bleed requirements with the client so you can size your artwork appropriately. Make sure you're also working in the proper color space to ensure your colors print as accurately as possible.

Over-Communicate

For every job, I send progress shots at each stage of the process to confirm my work is going in the right direction. I always tend to over-communicate with clients to make sure I'm on the right track and won't have to go back and redo work.

Revisions

Always make sure you have a set number of revisions specified in your contract. I usually include 2-3 revisions in the initial contract and price but you can adjust this to each project. I tend to be lenient with smaller changes that don't dramatically increase my work time, but if a client requests a large revision, make sure to communicate in writing that this will count as revision #X and they have X number of revisions remaining.

Pricing Extra Revisions

Revisions can easily create scope creep, so use discretion about how often to share progress and keep track of any additional work you do. You can always ask clients for extra payment if they request more revisions than initially agreed upon. When I ask for additional funds, I can get a good estimate based on my hourly rate. For example: "This revision will add 2 hours to my original estimate, and my hourly rate is $XX, so the additional fee will be $XX and will be added to the final invoice." Again, this price can depend on the client and many other variables so you can adjust and negotiate with the client to agree on a price together. Always confirm additional fees with the client in writing before doing the work.

Final Delivery

Once you're done with the work and ready to send the final files, I usually send a low-res version to the client for final approval. I indicate in the email that this is a low-res version and that I'll send the final high-resolution deliverables once the final payment has been processed. I also attach the second invoice to this email. This method ensures you are paid the second half of the bill and the client cannot just abandon payment. It also just incentivizes the client to process the payment in a timely manner.

Once I've confirmed my payment is being sent, I send a final zip file or Dropbox/Google Drive folder with all the high-resolution deliverables. Make sure your files are properly named and organized so that it is easy for the client to access them.

With this final email, I will thank them for the opportunity to work on this project and just make sure to extend an offer to help them if they have any trouble accessing the files or they need them in another format etc.

Final Thoughts

Starting out as a freelance artist involves a big learning curve, but I hope these tools will help ease the transition and streamline your process to get off to a good start. Freelancing will become easier with time and experience, so the best advice is to just put yourself and your work out there. Remember that the art industry is deceptively small, so having a streamlined, professional practice will help you build a good reputation. The best way to establish yourself as a freelance artist is to get your name out there as someone who is reliable and easy to work with, so starting off with good tools and organization is key!

I released a Freelance Artist Starter Kit with Canva templates on all of the different documents you need to get started. The kit includes invoice, contract, and email templates that are fully customizable for you and your practice.

Thank you for reading through this Freelance Artist Guide! If you have any additional questions or topics you'd like to see covered in this guide, please let me know!