Changes

contact and getting paid. Usually it all begins with a phone call or an email. The client asks “Do you do that sort of thing?” I reply “of course I do.” Deadlines and budget are next to be agreed upon. Both can vary. Before settling on either, I ask “how much

do you want to spend?” From their reply I can gauge if it’s the kind of job I want to do or pass on. Some potential client’s concept of what they want and what it should be worth are disproportionately out of line with each other and you may have to educate them gently. However, in most cases, I find that when you let the client set the budget at first contact, they usually offer a greater amount than expected. I’m always sure to remind them that my work is guaranteed. Meaning I will do anything it takes to make sure they are happy. For instance, I let them know that they will see and direct each stage of the production so that in the end they get exactly what they wanted. This always makes a client happy. I always tell the client, “I’m not going to sell you something you don’t want to buy.” If you are confident, they will be confident in hiring you. In this case, Shawn contacted me to paint him and six of his best buddies commemorating his bachelor party in the Florida Keys. He wanted me to create one, make copies and give them all a framed caricature at his wedding. So for an 11”x 14” full-color caricature of seven guys, a boat, some Florida lobsters a touch of type and a two-week deadline, we agreed on a price. I asked and he supplied me digital photos and some Facebook contacts to use as reference. He also did a little stick figure sketch for me with notes on it showing me basically what he was thinking. If a composition is complicated and the client already has a vision, I ask them to do a quick, simple stick figure drawing to help get me on the same track. This really helps a lot. He was able to make composition notes and give me some back story on body situations. For instance, one guy got badly sunburned the first day while another was sick the whole time and another was always making everybody drink rum shots.

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