Open your commission queue with a professional intake process. This illustration commission form gathers the style, concept description, intended use, complexity tier, file format requirements, commercial licensing needs, and budget — so every commission starts with shared expectations and ends without surprises.
Illustration commissions are deeply personal creative collaborations — but without a structured intake process, they're also a common source of misaligned expectations, licensing disputes, and underpriced work. A well-designed commission request form protects both the artist and the client by documenting intent, scope, and rights before a single sketch is made.
This template is built around the questions that actually determine illustration pricing and scope: the style (a minimal vector icon is a very different project from a detailed painterly scene), the complexity, the intended use (personal vs. commercial vs. merchandise), and which file formats are needed. The commercial license radio is particularly important — illustrators who skip this conversation often discover mid-project that a client plans to use their work on merchandise, which typically requires a higher fee.
formformform makes it easy for illustrators to embed this form on their portfolio website or link to it from social media and ArtStation. Every submission arrives instantly by email, and the dashboard keeps a complete record of every commission request — ready to turn into a quote, contract, or project kickoff.
Captures character age range, personality traits, clothing style, and diversity representation preferences for picture book protagonists.
Gathers couple reference photos, background scene preference, delivery format for printing, and rush wedding date timeline.
Documents channel theme, emote slot count, expression types, and overlay integration needs for livestreaming brand assets.
Collects high-resolution pet photos, background preference, art style, and framing or print size for personalized animal portraits.
Gathers subject matter, placement body area, size estimate, black-and-grey vs. color preference, and flash sheet vs. custom art designation.
Captures genre, synopsis, protagonist description, mood reference, and publisher trim size for fiction and nonfiction book covers.
Documents product category (fabric, wallpaper, wrapping paper), repeat tile format, color palette count, and commercial licensing territory.
Gathers article topic, publication tone, photo vs. spot illustration format, and print resolution requirements for journalism and magazine work.
Captures world-building context, character class or role, color palette restrictions, and deliverable format (PSD, turnaround sheets) for game development.
Documents collection theme, trait rarity tier, blockchain platform, and commercial rights structure for generative or 1/1 NFT artwork.
Collects brand values to personify, industry context, mascot use cases (web, print, merchandise), and style preference for branded character design.
Gathers family photo references, seasonal theme, personalization text, and quantity for custom holiday greeting card artwork.
Documents product type (t-shirt, tote, mug), print area dimensions, color count restrictions, and POD platform for commercial merchandise artwork.
Click 'Use this template' to open the form in your free formformform account with all commission fields pre-configured.
Update the illustration style dropdown to reflect the styles you actually offer — add or remove styles as needed.
Adjust the budget ranges to match your actual commission pricing tiers.
Add a file upload field so clients can attach reference images alongside their written description.
Publish the form and add the link to your portfolio's 'Commissions' page, social media bio, and any open commission announcements.
Review each submission and respond with a quote and estimated start date within 48 hours.
it directly affects your pricing and license terms. Commercial use commissions are typically priced higher than personal commissions, and catching this upfront prevents awkward renegotiations.
clients often don't know how to self-assess complexity. Giving them defined tiers (simple, medium, detailed) helps them understand what they're selecting and why pricing differs.
clients often realize they need a vector SVG after you've already delivered a PNG. Requiring a format selection at intake prevents this common last-minute request.
clients who can share visual references give you far more useful direction than lengthy written descriptions alone. Even Pinterest board links are valuable.
after someone submits, use formformform's customizable confirmation message to explain what commercial licensing includes and costs.
artists who enforce rigid deadlines on every commission lose potential clients with flexible timelines. Keeping it optional signals you're approachable while still capturing timeline data from those who have one.
The essentials are: art style, concept description, intended use (personal vs. commercial), complexity level, file formats needed, licensing requirements, deadline, and budget. This template covers all of them, with a dedicated commercial license question that protects your rights upfront.
For personal use, the client can display or print the work privately but not sell or commercialize it. For commercial use — advertising, packaging, merchandise, etc. — illustrators typically charge a higher fee for a broader license. This form's licensing radio button surfaces that conversation before work begins.
You can add a file upload field to let clients attach reference images directly. Alternatively, the 'reference images or links' short text field lets clients paste URLs to inspiration boards, existing art, or examples of styles they like.
After publishing, copy the iframe embed code from your formformform dashboard and paste it into your portfolio's 'Commissions' page. Or share the direct link in your social media bio or commission open announcement.
You can pause the form by toggling it to draft status in your formformform dashboard — submissions will stop without breaking the link. When you're open again, re-publish it instantly.
No. formformform supports unlimited submissions, so whether you receive 2 commission requests per month or 200, the form handles them all without any caps or fees.
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