For illustrators
An illustration fee without a licence is half a quote.
Commissions arrive as a brief and a question: 'how much for an illustration?' The honest answer depends on where it will be used, for how long, and whether the client wants exclusivity — and that's the part most quotes skip. Then a book cover becomes a poster campaign, or an editorial spot ends up on merchandise, and the original price doesn't reflect any of it.
ApeiroCraft sends the commission as a link with the creation fee and the usage licence as separate sections, plus sketch and colour stages, revision limits and a kill fee. You see when it's opened and reopened, the client signs in the browser, and the deposit is invoiced from the accepted proposal in one click.
Where illustration commissions go wrong.
Usage creep
Artwork licensed for one use turns up on packaging, merchandise or advertising. If the licence wasn't written down, there's nothing to invoice against.
Changes at the final stage
The client approves the sketch, then asks for a different composition at colour. Without sign-off stages, a redraw costs you days and the fee stays the same.
The project that's cancelled
A publisher or agency pulls the project after sketches. Without a kill fee, the work you've already done is unpaid.
From brief to final art, signed at every stage.
Fee and licence as separate lines
Price the creation of the work and the rights to use it separately, so the client sees what extra usage would cost before they ask for it.
See when the art director has read it
The link records each open and re-open. A proposal reopened just before a client's deadline is a nudge to confirm the schedule.
Signed before the first sketch
The signature records name, email, IP address and a UTC timestamp, and can't be changed after signing — the licence and stages are on record.
Deposit, then the balance
Convert the accepted proposal to a draft invoice, set it to the deposit and send with your payment link. Convert again for the balance on delivery of final art.
What an illustration proposal has to include.
Illustrators are often paid for the drawing and quietly lose the licence. These sections fix that.
Usage licence
If it's left vague
The client assumes they can use the work anywhere, forever.
With ApeiroCraft
State the media, territory, duration and print run or audience, and that other uses are licensed separately.
Exclusivity and ownership
If it's left vague
The client believes they own the copyright and you can't show the work.
With ApeiroCraft
Say whether the licence is exclusive, who holds the copyright, and your right to show the work in your portfolio.
Stages and approvals
If it's left vague
The composition changes after colour has started.
With ApeiroCraft
List stages — thumbnails, sketch, colour, final — and that each approval closes that stage.
Revisions
If it's left vague
Small tweaks never end.
With ApeiroCraft
State revisions per stage and the rate for changes after approval.
Kill fee and deadlines
If it's left vague
A cancelled project after sketches pays nothing.
With ApeiroCraft
Give a kill fee by stage reached and say deadlines move if feedback is late.
- Invoice in the client's currency — set per invoice.
- Notes per client for brief references and style decisions.
- Free plan: 3 proposals and 3 invoices sent a month.
Common questions.
How do illustrators usually price commissions?
Commonly as a creation fee plus a usage licence, where the licence depends on media, territory, duration and exclusivity. Some price per piece with a standard licence included, some use a day rate for the creation part, and publishing work is sometimes an advance against royalties. A deposit and a kill fee are common. ApeiroCraft doesn't set prices; it lays out whichever structure you use.
What does a commission proposal look like in practice?
An editorial-style illustration for a client's annual report: a brief summary; stages of three thumbnails, one sketch, colour and final; one round of changes per stage; a licence for the printed and online report for a stated period, non-exclusive; packaging or advertising use licensed separately; a kill fee after sketch; deposit and balance on delivery. The art director opens it twice, signs, and you send the deposit invoice.
When is ApeiroCraft not the right fit for an illustrator?
If you sell prints or digital downloads to the public, you need a shop, not proposal software. If your work comes mainly through an agent who handles contracts, you may not need it at all. ApeiroCraft is for direct commissions where you write the terms.
Can I offer an exclusive licence as an option?
Yes. Show the non-exclusive and exclusive licences as separate lines with their prices. When the client confirms which they want, adjust the invoice before sending.
Is there a template?
The graphic design proposal template is the closest: it lists each deliverable with its format, revision limits per item and pricing per piece. Add a licensing section and your stages.
License the art, not just the drawing.
Write your licence and stage terms once, then reuse them on every commission.
Start freeStill deciding? Talk to the founder
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