Commission Brief Template for Artists
What this helps you do
Agree the scope, payment, revisions, and delivery before work begins.
A commission brief turns a hopeful conversation into a shared plan. It does not need to be cold or legalistic. It needs to define the artwork, the timeline, the money, the review points, and the delivery expectations before work begins.
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Put the artwork scope, timeline, payment stages, review points, delivery, and image-use expectations in writing before work begins.
- Define what feedback is included and when major changes stop being practical.
- Treat the finished commission as a full artwork record, not a project that disappears after delivery.
What the brief should do
The brief should reduce ambiguity. It should help the client understand what they are commissioning and help you protect the integrity of the work.
A good brief is not a promise to let the client direct every decision. It is a shared record of scope, constraints, and process.
Core commission brief fields
- Client name and contact details
- Artwork type, medium, and approximate size
- Subject, theme, or purpose
- Reference images or source material
- Color, palette, or installation considerations
- Budget, price, deposit, and payment schedule
- Timeline and delivery date
- Number of review points
- Revision boundaries
- Framing, shipping, and installation expectations
- Copyright and image-use expectations
Be specific about revisions
The revision section is where many commission problems begin or end. Define when the client can give feedback and what kind of feedback is included.
For example, you might include one sketch approval and one minor adjustment after the first color study, but no major composition changes after final painting begins. The exact structure depends on your medium and process.
Set payment milestones
A common structure is a non-refundable deposit to reserve the commission, a middle payment at approval or halfway point, and a final payment before delivery. The percentages vary, but the principle is stable: do not carry all the risk yourself.
Record every payment and connect it to the commission and final artwork. This keeps pricing history clear and makes later invoicing easier.
Record the final artwork like any other work
When the commission is complete, it should become a normal artwork record with title, date, medium, dimensions, images, inventory number, sale record, certificate, and collector details if appropriate.
Commissions sometimes vanish from artists' archives because they are treated as client projects rather than artworks. That weakens your history and future portfolio options.
A simple brief opening
You can begin with plain language: This brief records the agreed direction for a commissioned artwork by the artist. It summarises the scope, timeline, payment structure, review points, and delivery plan so both sides understand the process before work begins.
Clear does not have to mean unfriendly. In practice, clarity often makes the commission feel more generous because everyone knows where they stand.
Worked example
A brief that avoids surprises
A portrait commission can state the agreed medium and size, total price, deposit, one sketch approval, one minor adjustment at the color study, target delivery month, and whether the artist may photograph the finished work. Both sides can then refer back to the same plan.
Sources and further reading
Keep commissions connected to the final artwork
Artwork Codex helps you store commission notes, images, prices, contacts, invoices, certificates, and the final artwork record in one place.
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Free plan available. Clear records make commissions easier to manage.
