Art commission terms of service template

Describe your available subjects and the kinds of requests you decline. These boundaries can concern subject matter, technical limitations, third-party rights, or your own comfort. Give the client a way to check an uncertain request before paying. You do not need to justify every artistic boundary, but you should avoid accepting a brief whose essential requirements fall outside your stated service.

List the commission formats you actually offer and distinguish them from requests that require a custom scope. Explain how reference images are used, including whether you accept fan art or work involving someone else's characters. Permission and platform rules can affect those requests, so do not promise that every requested subject is lawful to reproduce commercially. Keep the agreed brief with the terms when you accept a commission.

Choose a payment arrangement that fits the production process and explain when work begins. An upfront payment, a booking payment followed by a balance, and stage-based invoicing each need clear triggers. State the currency and payment method in the individual quote. Tell the client which payment secures a place and which approval authorizes the next part of the work.

Do not leave usage permissions disconnected from payment. Explain when the agreed license becomes effective and whether final files are delivered after the balance is settled. If a payment fails or a stage is disputed, define a communication route before pausing the commission. Have refund and late-payment conditions checked against the rules that apply to you. A general terms page should describe the process; the accepted quote records the particular commission.

Explain whether commissions enter a queue, use scheduled production slots, or receive an individually agreed start date. Distinguish time waiting for production from time spent making the artwork. Describe how you communicate progress without promising constant updates. Tell the client what they must provide before their place can be confirmed and where changes to the schedule will be announced.

State how delayed feedback affects the work and how long an unanswered approval can remain open under your reviewed policy. If your availability changes, communicate directly rather than assuming the client will notice a public post. Avoid guaranteeing an exact completion date when essential references or decisions are missing. Keep any deadline you accept in the specific commission record so it is not confused with a general estimate on your profile.

Define personal permission using the uses you actually allow, and explain which requests need a commercial license. A profile picture, a private print, a monetized channel asset, and a product image can involve different arrangements. Discuss those uses before you quote instead of treating commercial permission as an afterthought when the artwork is already in production.

Include relevant restrictions in clear language. If your terms prohibit stock resale, token minting, or training-data use, explain that those activities are outside the permission granted. Do not imply that a restriction is automatically enforceable everywhere; obtain advice about the wording and practical protection. Clarify whether credit is required and whether cropping or other alterations are allowed. Give the client a way to request expanded permission later.

Map cancellation conditions to the work completed and the obligations you agreed. Explain how a client gives notice, what happens to paid amounts, and whether unfinished material may be used. Include a procedure for your own cancellation or inability to deliver. Review the policy for applicable consumer rules rather than assuming that a custom digital file can never give rise to a refund.

Keep a distinction between dissatisfaction with a newly requested direction and a failure to deliver the accepted brief. Use the recorded approvals to discuss concerns, but do not treat approval as a waiver of every possible right. If the scope changes, confirm the revised terms instead of quietly replacing the original agreement. A workable cancellation process should let both parties understand the outcome without relying on public arguments or platform comments.

Tell the client whether your normal process includes livestreams, work-in-progress posts, and portfolio publication. Discuss privacy before taking on sensitive or unreleased material. If you offer a private commission option, define what it prevents and whether any time limit applies. Do not assume that a client's silence authorizes publication of information that the brief identifies as confidential.

Record the client's own posting permissions too, including required credit and any restriction on sharing preview files. Avoid promising permission for third-party references you do not own. Confirm what happens when a launch date moves or the client requests privacy after production has started. Check these choices when assembling the final handoff message. The terms should support a respectful creative process while leaving authorship and artistic decisions with the artist.