"I’d recently completed a commission for an absolutely lovely client, whose sketch is shown in that original tweet. Not only had they provided that sketch—which by itself was great—but they also wrote multiple paragraphs describing exactly what they wanted in the illustration, as well as a clear-cut character profile (including build, age, and personality). I know that not all artists like text blocks, but I love them," Syd shared with Bored Panda just how dedicated her client was in describing every aspect of the illustration.
"Anyways, I’d seen quite a few tweets by professional artists over the past year raving about how much they love it when clients draw them a little doodle. It had been a while since I’d seen one of those, and my commission had just wrapped up, so I figured that I should put out another PSA; even if only a few folks saw it, it’d still be useful information," she said.
Syd definitely wasn't expecting her thread to reach the levels of popularity that it did, but she was nonetheless pleasantly surprised. "I noticed that the quote tweets were filled with artists saying, 'I love it when clients do this!' and clients or prospective clients saying, 'I hadn’t thought to do this!' or, 'I do this and my artist loves me!.' I definitely didn’t expect so many artists to join in and post their own 'Client sketch vs. finished product' tweets, but I thought it was fabulous. It was great fun to scroll through the comments and the quote tweets."
I was truly curious to get Syd's take on what she'd like every client to know before they commission any work of art from a professional. In short, the more effort a client puts in, the more they go into detail about what they want, the happier they're bound to be with the end result.
"They should definitely know that Pinterest boards and mood boards are awesome; it’s often easier for artists, who are visual people, to glean mood and aesthetic from a collection of images bunched together than from even the most well-written verbal description. I personally adore descriptions—sometimes clients will send pages of detail about their character’s backstories and personality, and I just eat them up. But gosh, there’s so much value in having visual references—for me, the more the merrier," Syd said.
"I’ll also add that we as artists are very grateful for our clients; I’m lucky to work with folks who are very invested in the commissions I make for them, and offer clear feedback and kind words throughout the entire process. It’s just a delight to do what I do, and I think it’s good for clients to know that we really appreciate them and the work they put in," the illustrator shared just how grateful she is for the people she works with.
Art has been a core part of Syd's life since her early childhood (and mirrors my own fascination with drawing very closely). "I’ve been drawing, as the cliché goes since I could hold a pencil (I have memories of making scribbles with crayons and markers during Pre-K, or at around age 4 or 5). I always just found it fun to doodle."
However, it wasn't until she 13 that she began to really focus on improving her art. "I started really pushing myself to get better at art, however, at around freshman year of high school. I became invested in studying people’s faces, then their bodies, then animals, and plants, and weapons, and clothing, and so on. It was explosive. I’d never actually drawn studies from references, and I eventually had to pull myself away from only doing studies in order to apply what I knew to personal art," she revealed to Bored Panda her dedication.
For Syd, art isn't just a way to earn money or have fun, however. It's also a deeply spiritual experience. "To this day, I still think that drawing and painting is inherently fun. Now that I’m able to make art essentially full-time, I do also find that making art is a form of meditation or prayer for me. I’ll note that I’m not an exceptionally spiritual or religious person, but when I paint, I often have the title of the piece (which is selected beforehand, most of the time) repeating in my head over and over again, like a chant, throughout the whole 10-20 hour painting process. I don’t get that experience from anything else," the artist explained.
"My style, if I have one, has gradually been informed by an intent to convey meaning and heightened emotion through art that feels both dream-like and grounded in reality. I think my art also has a certain look to it that someone can only get if they start from words—which carry something that pictures can’t—and work from there. For that reason, I think my recent pieces are most effective when they’re paired with their titles," the artist gave us a glimpse into the inner workings of her artistic mind. "A note about these titles: I have hundreds of phrases or individual words from poems, books, and songs that I hold on to (some of which I’ve kept for years) until I can make a piece that does them justice."
Syd shares online that she’s an illustrator who “is delighted by fun color palettes.” Her work has a certain dream-like quality that I personally enjoy very much. As someone who’s always had trouble with using and blending colors digitally, I can appreciate a master at work.
The illustrator pointed out that there’s no pressure for clients to sketch anything out; though if they do, it’s greatly appreciated, no matter how simple it might be.
“I’ll add the caveat that clients totally don’t have to feel pressured to do this if they want me to go nuts with artistic interpretation (which I also love). If you’ve got a very clear-cut vision of what you want in an illustration though, don’t be afraid to make a small doodle!!” Syd wrote on Twitter.
She added that she sometimes does commissions and that you should check in her social media account bios whether they’re open. If you do have an art piece in mind, send her a quick email for a chat. Though keep in mind that the amount you’ll have to pay can vary greatly.
“This illustration was $1400USD—it was priced as a non-commercial half-body piece,” Syd said, referring to the finished goblin duelist piece. “My prices shift around, so this might be different in the coming weeks/months.”
The illustrator’s thread got more than 104.5k likes in less than two days and inspired other artists to share how vital a good relationship with clients is. A bit of back and forth is essential to keep everyone happy. At the end of the day, communication is what helps paintbrushes (whether digital or analog) express our imaginations on paper in more detail.
