When you’re first starting out, finding art commissions can be a big challenge. While the beginning may feel like an exciting endeavor, in reality it can be quite the opposite. So whether the thought of putting yourself out there intimidates you, or you’re worried that your hard work will never come to fruition, here are five steps you can take to help quell your worries:

1. Find a Niche

As with all businesses (that’s right, you’re in business!), focus on determining where there are gaps in the current digital art market so you can understand where your talents are most needed. Defining your market can save you a lot of time and stress, and hopefully lead you to success much earlier. 

You’ll want to identify your target audience based on the genre of digital art you’d like to specialize in. Maybe it’s digital painting and character creations, or perhaps you’re into stylized or realistic pieces. Regardless of the niche, identifying an area of focus can help you draw in clients who share mutual interests and set you up for referrals. 

Also, while it’s important to define a niche when figuring out how to get art commissions, make sure you don’t limit yourself in the process. Just because you’re focusing on a particular style doesn’t mean you’re limited in your output.

Remember, your work can always take multiple digital forms. For example, while you may focus on character creation, you can offer your skills through different mediums such as 2D prints and 2D and 3D assets, or even develop video tutorials. Expanding your list of digital products while maintaining a specific niche can help you secure a diverse but stable client base.

2. Perfect Your Portfolio

Now that you’ve chosen a niche, you can begin to tailor your portfolio to it. It doesn’t happen overnight, so give yourself time. Here are our top tips for upping your portfolio game:

• Ensure your niche is clear. You’ll want to sell your expertise with ease, so make your area of focus evident in your portfolio.
• Have confidence in each and every piece. If there’s one or two pieces in your portfolio that you’re unsure of, set them aside so you can return to them later.
• Make your portfolio accessible. For personal commissions, you’ll want a portfolio that can be accessed by anybody, anywhere. Whether you choose to create your own website or link to your social media account, always provide a direct link that’s easy to navigate.

3. Connect with Your Community

In today’s world, the most obvious form of connectivity is social media. Particularly for digital artists whose medium already aligns with these platforms, it can be a powerful marketing tool for self-promotion. Nowadays, you may find that many of your clients come directly from your following, which is why it’s important to invest time into building your footprint in parallel with your portfolio.

While the power of social media is immense, so are more classic word-of-mouth methods. That’s why networking with other creatives—both beginners and professionals—can be just as fruitful as trying to establish a solid social media base on your own. Never be afraid to fall back on old-school ways of networking, such as events, workshops, exhibitions, and conferences. There’s a reason they work!

4. Focus on the Customer

Although you may never see your clients face-to-face, don’t forget that they are real people and value quality interactions. In fact, the lack of physical connection can make gaining customers’ trust that much harder. 

That’s why it’s important to humanize the digital process as much as possible. Introduce yourself and your background, share how and why you got into digital art, and convey how much their support would mean to you so your clients have no doubt that their contribution is going towards a great person making great art. 

Equally important is focusing on creating a clear and open professional relationship with your customer. Establish a speedy response time, let them check in throughout the process, and be open to feedback. Finally, after you deliver the piece to the client, don’t forget to ask for a testimonial or review. Nothing will demystify a digital commission more than another customer raving about their positive experience with you!

5. Look Around You

Growing your business often means looking inwards while you’re focusing outward on your next success. Even if your work takes off, never stop improving and learning! Take some time every day to brush up on old skills, and experiment with new ones so that you can continue expanding your reach and aiming for higher peaks in the digital world.

Remember, you don’t have to do this alone! Platforms such as Cubebrush offer spaces to promote your work through your own marketplace, allowing you to have access to a vast community of artists and clients while also maintaining control of your income stream.

When you’re exploring how to get art commissions for your digital art business, Cubebrush has your back!