Your First Character Portrait: A Practical Starting Point
For a first character portrait, agree on the brief, the price and the review process before work starts. You do not need to understand art terminology to ask for those things in plain language.
Jan
2 min read
For a first character portrait, agree on the brief, the price and the review process before work starts. You do not need to understand art terminology to ask for those things in plain language.
Your first request can be small and specific. Choose the version of the character you want painted, then make sure the artist understands which details matter most.
Write down what you are ordering
Name the format, number of characters and background. Include your intended use, such as a private character sheet, a printed gift or a public project. Usage permission should be agreed rather than assumed.
FramedFantasy offers half-body, thigh-up and full-body portraits. Ask how the crop handles the hands or an important prop before choosing a format.
Send the essentials first
Give the artist a short description of the face, outfit and expression. Follow it with the details that cannot be wrong. Label each reference so its purpose is clear.
A fictional first-order note
“One thigh-up portrait of my cleric for a character sheet. Please keep the round glasses, patched purple coat and copper pendant. The reference shows the collar shape only. I would like a warm, slightly tired expression.”
Ask how you will review the image
Find out where updates arrive, how you send feedback and what happens if you need more time to look at the concept. Keep the agreement and correspondence somewhere you can find them.
When reviewing, start with the agreed essentials. Put related changes in one message and use a marked-up copy when it would help explain the location. Keep the untouched file too.
Read the boundaries before you need them
Refunds and revisions have conditions. A new outfit, a changed pose or added characters can be a new scope request even when refinements are included.
Read FramedFantasy's current refund policy and the terms of service before paying. A useful commission process makes the next step clear. You still need to understand the agreement.
Keep the first request manageable
You can commission one portrait before planning the entire party. That gives you a chance to learn how you prefer to communicate and review art.
Read the complete first-time guide for the fuller preparation checklist and questions to send the artist.
