How to Manage Art Commissions from Brief to Delivery

A client sends three reference photos, asks for a different background, then adds: “Actually, could you include our other dog?” You are happy to discuss it. But which version of the commission are you now working on, and does the original price still cover it?

To manage art commissions, give each accepted job one written brief, clear review points, a payment record, and a next action. Keep that summary current as the conversation changes. You should be able to open a commission and know what to make without reconstructing the agreement from a month of messages.

The workflow below is a suggested starting point for an independent artist taking private commissions. The templates and examples are illustrative, not accounts of WISMO customers.

Turn the conversation into a brief

Before putting a commission into your working queue, send back a compact summary of what you understand the client wants. A reference image is useful, but it does not tell you whether the client wants its composition, palette, level of detail, or all three.

Artquest’s guidance on commissioning briefs identifies scope, technical constraints, budget, deliverables and key dates as elements to settle. Its context is public art, where projects can be much larger than a portrait ordered through Instagram. The useful principle for a small commission is the same: make the requested work specific enough that both parties can discuss it.

For your own brief, translate “a family portrait” into something you can deliver: how many people, which reference, what size, whether there is a background, and whether the client receives a physical piece or digital files.

Copy and adapt this intake template into your usual messages or document:

COMMISSION SUMMARY
Client name and preferred contact:
Artwork / subject:
Medium:
Dimensions and units / digital file specifications:
Reference files and agreed version:
Details to include:
Details excluded:
Intended use:
What the client receives:
Price and currency:
Payment amounts and due points:
Preview date:
Included revision rounds and their scope:
Client feedback needed by:
Final delivery date and method:
Next action, owner and date:

Please confirm this summary or tell me what needs changing.

This is a working brief, not a replacement for your commission terms. Keep any separate agreement about usage, cancellation or other terms with the original correspondence. In the order record, save enough context to find the confirmed version quickly.

Give revisions a place in the schedule

“Revisions included” leaves a lot open. Does it mean adjusting the sketch before painting, changing colours after a preview, or restarting a finished portrait?

Describe the checkpoint as well as the number of rounds. For example, you might offer one round of composition changes at the sketch stage, followed by a colour preview. That is an example of a workflow, not a recommended limit for every artist.

When sending a preview, name the version and explain what feedback you need:

Here’s sketch v2. Please check the pose, the two subjects and the background layout, then send any changes together in one reply by 14 September. Once we confirm the sketch, I’ll move to colour. If you’d like to change the composition after that, we’ll discuss the extra work and timing first.

Keep the reply that confirms the version. Your working note might read: “Sketch v2 confirmed by email on 14 September; proceed with colour.” Retain the email itself too. A summary helps you work; the original message preserves the conversation.

If feedback is ambiguous, ask about the specific detail before continuing. “Looks lovely” may express enthusiasm without answering whether the client wants the background changed.

Make waiting visible

An unfinished commission can be waiting for you, waiting for a reference photo, or waiting for the client’s response. Those need different next actions.

Use a small set of stages that match your actual process. A possible sequence is New, Awaiting References, Sketching, Awaiting Feedback, Creating Final Artwork, Ready to Deliver, Completed. You can rename the intermediate order stages in WISMO, and customers see those names on their tracking page.

Pair the stage with a concrete next action in your working notes:

Current stage	Next action
Awaiting References	Client to send a clearer photo by 12 September
Sketching	Send sketch v1 on 14 September
Awaiting Feedback	Check for the client’s consolidated reply on 16 September
Creating Final Artwork	Finish the background before the next preview

Choose how you will check those dates: a daily review of open commissions or your existing calendar is enough to start. Writing a date inside a note does not create an automatic reminder.

If a reference arrives late, revisit the delivery date with the client. Do not silently move it and assume they will notice.

Track the money separately from the artwork

A finished painting can still have an outstanding balance. An upfront payment can arrive before you have enough information to begin. Keep production progress and payment progress separate.

For an illustrative EUR 240 commission, you might have agreed EUR 80 upfront and EUR 160 at the final checkpoint. Record each payment when received, including its date and method. The example describes a payment split, not a deposit percentage you should copy.

WISMO records payments collected elsewhere; it does not collect money from the client. After receiving a bank transfer or another payment, add it to the order so the remaining balance reflects what actually arrived. Do not mark a promised payment as received.

For the broader question of choosing an upfront amount, see the custom-order deposit guide.

Share progress at meaningful points

Decide when you will update the client while agreeing the brief. Sketch ready, feedback received, final work underway and ready to deliver are useful moments because each tells the client something has changed.

An update can be short:

Your sketch is confirmed and I’ve started the final colour work. The next preview is due on 20 September. You can check the current stage here: [tracking link].

If the date changes, explain what happens next:

I need two more days to finish the background. I can deliver on 24 September instead of 22 September. Please let me know whether that still works for your gift date.

WISMO’s customer tracking page shows your current stage and published updates without requiring the client to install an app or sign up. Photo attachments to updates are a Pro feature. Approval requests and replies still belong in your messages or email: the page has no approval workflow.

Keep private working notes in the internal notes field. Timeline updates are customer-visible, so check what you are publishing before adding reference details or a preview.

Close the commission with a deliberate handover

Before marking the job completed, check the deliverables against the confirmed brief. For digital work, verify the agreed files and delivery destination. For physical work, confirm the collection arrangement or shipping details, and record the actual handover.

Check the payment record at the same time. Follow the payment schedule you agreed rather than treating “artwork finished” as proof that everything is settled.

Keep your reference files, original approvals and final artwork in your existing file storage. WISMO holds the order’s progress and payment record; it is not a versioned artwork archive.

For your next commission, start by sending the brief above. If you want the confirmed job, payments and customer updates together on your phone, WISMO can hold that working record; commission tracking for artists shows how it fits a commission queue. The small business order management guide covers the wider routine once you have several jobs underway.