Hello,

If you're reading this, it is because you're either looking to hire an artist for a job or you're an artist looking to find a job. Before you go jumping into this whole transaction, I'd like to take this opportunity to lay out a few suggestions which are based upon my own knowledge and experiences as a freelance designer and artist.

Contracts
Before you start a job, you need a contract. This contract does not need to contain a ton of fine print or legal mumbo-jumbo. Instead, it only needs to describe the rules of the job, and it only needs to be in plain English (or your language of choice).

The first part of a contract is the contact information. Place both party's name, address, phone number, and any other contact info on the contract, and label them "artist" and "client."

The second part is to outline what the job actually entails. Write out what the artist is responsible for, and write out what the client is responsible for. Maybe the artist is supposed to provide drawings of a character, and the client is supposed to provide monetary compensation. Either way, both party's responsibilities need to be clearly outlined. Do not waver from these responsibilities EVER. If the client asks for you (the artist) to do some additional work not listed in the contract, write up a new contract.

The third step is to make a timeline. Figure out when certain items are due on the artist's end, and when the client is supposed to pay for those items. This doesn't need to be a complicated timeline, but it needs to at least have a due date.

The fourth step of this process is to decide whether or not the client actually owns the artwork. That's right, just because they're paying you doesn't mean they get to run away with it. Your work can be used to make a ton of money on the client's end, and they need to reimburse you (the artist) fairly. So, write out what the work is to be used for. If the client wants to use it elsewhere, then they owe you a small licensing fee. All of this is assuming you don't hand over the rights to the work entirely. Remember, this step is up to you.

The final step is for BOTH parties to sign and date the contract. Each party gets their own copy of the contract to keep. Work may begin, now.


A side note: Do not hand over artwork until you (the artist) has received payment for the work. Place watermarks or identifying symbols/lettering on all of the sample images you send, and never send final-sized documents that can be easily stolen. Once you've been paid for a certain bit of work, then it's okay to hand over the files. If any client questions this method, then their integrity is equally questionable.




Remember, this is being provided based upon my professional experience. I don't want artists to be taken advantage of, and so I suggest everybody adhere to this method in ANY transaction. Good luck with your work, and if you have any questions feel free to post them here or Note me.

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Creative Director, deviantART
The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring.
-Paul Rand

This was most helpful! Thank you very much. I have a question though... How can we spot a client who is trying to skrew us (the artist) over? And is it right for us to all have to do work and then the client decide who he/she pays based on the design or image they like best? (for example if the client wants a logo and the artists who respond make them a logo even before they are "hired")

I also notice a lot of things in this forum where the client no longer thinks portfolios are enough. They always want the artist to do the work (or some of it) first and choose from what they like from whoever posts the said work. Is this wrong or do I have an inaccurate ideal of what professional conduct is? I feel abused when I see these sort of ads. I would like to do some freelance but can never find a client who wishes to be professional with me.

Again, thanks a heap for the useful info and I hope you have to time to help answer my questions. ^_^

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If a client is starting a "contest" to try and get a bunch of people to do work, then obviously most everybody involved is going to get screwed. However, that's kind of the way those things work. Frankly, I don't do competitions or contests. GM wanted my design group to do that type of thing, and we flat out refused. I don't care what it's worth if we win, they're asking for a ton of work and thought which I could apply elsewhere.
Consider contests as evidence that the client is trying to screw you over.

As for portfolios, that is supposed to be enough. If a client doesn't want to hire you based upon your proven work, then you shouldn't work with him. Asking for samples or ideas is not acceptable; the client is supposed to pay you for those ideas.

A client will only be as professional as you present yourself. If you present yourself as an inexperienced teenager who's never done freelance work before, then you'll attract people who want to take advantage of that. However, if you mean business and speak professionally, you'll attract the right types of clients.



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Creative Director, deviantART
The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring.
-Paul Rand

lol, So I suppose offering my services to someone inexperienced and lacking in the professional manners would be good too. XD Thank you very much for all your help. I thought the portfolio was supposed to be enough. I has offered to do some work for someone and he kept pressuring me to do some of the work he wanted so that he could decide if he wanted me to finish the whole project and pay me. I thought something was really fishy and messed up (especially when he bugged me every 5 minutes about doing it) so I had to resign from the project.

Again, I really appriciate it!

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"Consider contests as evidence that the client is trying to screw you over."

Then why not just forbid this sort of ads on Deviant Art and save artists trouble if we are all completely aware of this fact.

Also, if multuple artists or clients provide evidence that the other party (whether artist or client) is constantly neglecting his/her obligations and conducts unprofessionally why doesn't Deviant Art take some necessary steps to at least warn others of these people?

Contracts are OK for US citizens and such but if someone screws me over I'm in no position finantially or geographically to take necessary measures.

Thus, Deviant Art becomes a safe environment for hustlers to exploit artists from the countries of third world.

There's got to be a way to introduce some order and "impose" some rules to protect members of this community.

To be honest, it isn't DevianArt's job to baby sit us on whether or not we are paying or giving the art. I think it is just a place for us to find eachother easier.

And artists would be awar of those facts if they read these messages... Why do work if you aren't garaunteed pay anyway? I think that dA keeps the contests because you can't get rid of these ones with out getting rid of the normal fun ones that offer subscriptions or art as prizes. And often there are differences such as one doesn't say it is is a contest. It merely expects everyone to do the work (usually the artists have no idea that they will not be paid) and then who ever they like best gets paid... but there is a higher chance that they don't even pay and will run off with work.

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It's quite difficult. There are currently no people here employed to monitor transactions, especially considering deviantART is not intended for such transactions to occur at this point. We definitely want people to be able to get work and find artists, but right now we just don't have the workforce around to be able to accommodate the things you mention.

Don't get me wrong. I would really like to be able to get some monitoring in here, but it's just not feasible at this point. This is why I offer advice and help as much as I can.

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Creative Director, deviantART
The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring.
-Paul Rand

could you just monitor if the job is still open or not. so,like, if the job is done immediatly close it.
or maybe make them announce if they have chose the artist? or what ever ther result?

sorry, for my poor english..

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ID|Inkscapers|Vbu|WDC

That'd require somebody full time just watching forum posts. We don't have those types of resources around here.

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Creative Director, deviantART
The Public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring.
-Paul Rand

Good thinking, really. This stickies were a great idea for new artists at the forum to save them the trouble.