Stinkerpants

The Short Version

1. You contact me and say, "Hey! I want you to do a custom drawing for me!"
2. I respond and we chat a bit about what you're looking for.  I send you a contract via email.
3. You mail me the contract and deposit.  You can save 5% on your envelope cost if you choose the color/size now.
4. I send you a bunch of questions about your design idea, and create a rough sketch for you.
5. In about four weeks from the date I received your deposit, you'll get your final drawing.
6. You love your final drawing, but you have a few small changes to make (like hair color, etc).
7. I make the changes (up to three versions) and you love the finished drawing!
8. I send the drawing to print and send you an invoice.
9. Printing takes about a week & a half, and I mail your product when I receive your final payment!
10. You get your awesome finished product and you are very happy. :)

The Full Version

Looking to have something custom drawn, just for you?  Awesome!  I’m sure that you will love the finished product, and so will all of your family and friends!

I’ll answer a few of the most commonly asked questions right here, and a bunch are also answered on the Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have any more questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask me!

At the Beginning…

The first thing you’ll want to do is contact me. We’ll start talking about what you’re looking for–your ideas for the drawing and the overall feel of the piece. If you don’t have any ideas, don’t worry! I have a handy-dandy questionnaire, which is super helpful for brainstorming. We will come up with an idea you love.

We will also decide on the size and layout for your piece(s).  If you’re not familiar with stationery sizes, you might find the sizes listed at the bottom of my Paper and Printing Options page helpful.

Once we’ve determined what you’re looking for, I’ll email you a copy of the contract.  Once I receive your contract and deposit, we begin the…

Sketch Phase

I will then take all of your information and compact it into a rough draft. Once you see the initial sketch, I am happy to hear your suggestions regarding accuracy, composition, color and layout. I will work with you to create as many sketches as you need to make it perfect. Many people choose to give a few stipulations (such as subject matter and color schemes) and tell me to run with the ideas.

At this point, I’ll need some photos of you and any specific scenery you’d like included.  Generally, people send 3 or 4 good pictures of themselves.  What defines “good”?  Well, I’m glad you asked!

“Not so good” photos obscure your face somehow.  The most common problem I see are photos taken at an angle.  Unfortunately, most people seem to take their photos at an angle!  The best photos are taken straight-on, so I can see the shape of your face.  Below, you can see examples of good and not-so-good photos:

It’s also good to make sure that your face isn’t obscured by sunglasses (but if you have glasses you wear all the time and would like them included, I’ll need photos of you in them!), hats or hair.  If you have any questions about what I’m looking for in a photo, please ask!

Once you’ve approved the sketch and provided your photos, I move on to the next stage.

First Draft

In about four weeks, I will have a first draft for you. This is a completed version of the piece, meant to be changed very little. Most people are totally wild over the first draft, but have a couple of minor changes. Minor changes, such as hair color, clothing color or font preference, are done free of charge–up to three revisions. Major revisions, such as the re-drawing of a piece (for example, the last panel in this piece was re-drawn) will likely send us into overtime and require an additional fee. Don’t worry, though–this rarely happens. Most issues are resolved in the sketch phase.

Final Proof

If you notice, there have been some minor changes from the first draft to the final draft: their hair colors have been darkened slightly, and his shirt has been changed on the first panel. The third drawing was completely redone, which sent us into overtime–but this isn’t common!

Once the revisions are done on the drafts, you will be sent the final proof for approval. During this phase, you’ll double-check that everything is perfect and that the piece is typo-free…then it’s off to the printer!  I’ll send you an invoice, and you’ll send off your final payment.

Finished Product

When it’s finished, I will pick up your finished product directly from the printer and make sure that everything looks fabulous. Then, I ship it to you via priority mail!

And that’s it!  Every single detail of the process.  Sound like something you’d like to do?  Send me an email, and we can chat about your completely custom drawing!