AD10 & How to Commission an Illustrator at a Convention

Anime Detour 2010 is over now and I'm pretty happy with the turnout! I gave away 99 bookmarks (Dragon was the unhappy remainder) and over sweet characters buttons. So, if you see someone sporting them, or perhaps saving their spot in a good book, point at them with at least one finger and say "AVAST!" Or, if you are more keen on confusing people, you can try "What ARRRRR ya doin'?!" I also still have some buttons left over, so they may become Twitter/Facebook giveaway prizes.

Also, special thanks to the Harajuku District (link?) for featuring my artwork in their room party as well as posting subtle but positively placed Derelict Heaven wanted posters throughout the hotel. I will be collecting any convention photos that have such wanted posters in the background, so if you have any good ones, please link 'em here or email 'em to me!

This was my first convention attending as an artist in ye olde artiste's alley. A goodly time was enjoyed, near and far. I come to you now saying thank you to everyone who commissioned me, and if you want to post a link where you may or may not have posted your commission, here is a great place to do it. Right at the bottom there, where it says "comment!" Because I didn't have a copier, I wasn't able to make any copies and I like to show off.

I also have to say that for the most part, the people who commissioned me this weekend were all remarkably well prepared and I don't believe I had a terribly difficult time with anything, nor any dissatisfied customers. There were a couple, however, that left me a little wanting for information, so now I will also extend the following friendly tips for those of you who are considering commissioning an artist at a convention in the local or distal future!

5 Tips for Commissioning at a Con

1. Have references on hand. This was invaluable. And by that I mean completely worth it. Not everyone knows in advance if they want to commission someone, but if you decide you do, it's always a REAL help for the artist if you have references. Even if you don't have any art you drew yourself (or art someone else drew), you can even bring references of characters who have similar clothes, hairstyle, etc.

2. Try to describe your character in three words. Angsty, sad, pensive. Happy, cheerful, adamant. You know, like that. This is super helpful in getting the character to look right. Too much information gets confusing, but I'd say three really good words is just right.

3. Give details that will affect the image. If your character has a bionic arm, and that's really important, say so. Please don't, however, tell me about their siblings or love interest if they aren't going to be in the picture and if the backstory doesn't affect how the image is going to turn out. I got a LOT of commissions this weekend and keeping all the info straight can get really difficult, especially when I'm scrambling to take notes for later references. If the color blue is really important theme, say so. If the color blue is your character's favorite color, but they are wearing a black and white tuxedo, it is a little extraneous.

4. Make references to other shows that I can relate to. It's super helpful if you can tell me about similar things that I know about, so I can draw from the same inspiration.

5. Speak clearly, write legibly, and don't forget to leave your contact information. Really. V. important.

That's it! Quite simple, really! It's a splendid time guaranteed for all, and it comes highly recommended by both artist and commissioners. As things went over so well, I fully plan to attend next year, with probably more prints and definitely a computer so I can work digitally as well. Again, thanks to everyone who showed up, took free stuff, and of course, hired me to draw some crazy lines on paper.

Also, for anyone who stumbles over here from the internets, yes, I take commissions year-round, not just at conventions. If you just didn't get enough over the weekend, hit me up on email and let's chat :)

(For more information on my thoughts about commissioning, check out my previous blog posts How to Write an Amazing Commission Request and the slightly more jaded 5 Ways to Keep Your Illustrator from Hating You.)