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Communicating with Art Customers
Communicating with art customers can be a tricky thing. As artists we might assume that everyone else (non-artists) understands what we’re talking about or what’s to be expected. When it comes to commissions, making that assumption can lead to sticky situations.
Frankly, there are a lot of people out there who are astonished that they actually have to pay for artwork. They don’t view your skill and expertise as valuable. They acknowledge that art is something you like to do and because you like doing it, you should do it for free. Little do they know that long before the Renaissance period (14th-17th century) artists had patrons. Patrons who, yep, you guessed it…PAID THEM for their work.
That alone should tell you that it’s up to you to educate them.
If you’re putting yourself out there to create artwork for people, eventually you’ll end up communicating with art customers. For a lot of these people, they’ve never been an art customer before. It doesn’t hurt to speak in layman’s terms so that they understand. Spell it out for them. They need to know that the materials you use cost money. The skills that you have are unique to you. Your time is valuable and so is the effort you put into each project. If they have a better understanding, you eliminate most, if not all misunderstandings and…
