Hiring the Right Artist

Your project is getting closer to completion! You’ve found several artists and have your project brief polished and shined. Perhaps you even have a short list of your favorite artists, but you don’t know which artist to hire. How do you find the right artist for your project?

Not all artists are created equal. There are many talented artists out there but all of them are different. You may find an artist does outstanding work, but his work ethic is less than stellar. Or maybe you found an artist that has great communication skills, but her work isn’t the right fit for your project. Don’t give up the right artist is out there and you can find him or her with a little help.

Consider Their Experience

There is nothing wrong with hiring young artists. In fact it is a great way to get new talent and they usually work cheaper than an artist that has been established for 20 years. If you know what you are doing, then you should seriously consider hiring a younger artist.

However, younger artist are more of a risk. If you are just starting to hire artists and don’t know your way around the art field you might want to stick with an established artist who can help mentor you along the way.

Ask to see some recent projects

Portfolios are nice, to look at but they can be deceiving. A portfolio could look great because the artist spent a semester working on it at art school. What about their art that was done in the real world under real deadlines?

Investigate their work ethic

With today’s technology, there is really no reason not to Skype or call your artist before you hire him or her. Schedule an interview or phone call with your prospective artist. Were they on time? Are there grammar errors in their emails because they rushed through? Do they use professional language or artist language?

This is really where an artist can stand out. I received a job from one of my favorite clients in large part because I was the only artist on her short list that bothered to show up for our phone interview. It sounds crazy, but simple things like a phone call can tell you a lot about your artist and how they will treat you.

Ask for references

This is a bit old fashioned but it still works. This may be a bit extreme if you aren’t looking for a long term relationship with your artist. If that’s the case you might check their website or freelance profile for testimonials.

Most freelancing sites also use a rating system and allow clients to leave feedback for each artist. Do yourself a favor and spend five minutes looking these items over before making your decision.

Artists have a stereotype of being moody, waiting for their muse, and unpredictability. Don’t give in to that. You don’t have to settle for a flaky artist. There are highly creative and professional artist who work every single day. If you do your homework and are patient, I am confident that you can find the perfect artist to help you for weeks or even years to come.