Let’s talk about the Artistree.io platform, the basic details of how it operates, and some extra stuff that makes it stand out against competitors. If you haven’t noticed, I previously interviewed 2 artists about how they manage their commissions on their respective platforms. Xenohybrida explained VGen while Moonfaun explained Ko-Fi.

Who Are You, And What Do You Do?

I’m Jessa Otero, and I’m known as The Grey Sanctuary. I’m a freelance artist in the animation and video game industries and an entrepreneur with my own brands. My niches are slime monster girls, a sassy Boricua character, and lots of fanart. Currently, I’m using Artistree.io for commissions besides my email.

How Did You Start Doing Commissions?

I started doing them in the early, glorious, golden age of Gaia Online with pixel art. I was in awe of so many artists doing beautiful pixelated artwork and decided to give it a try. Of course, I did research, watched my favorite artists doing business, and copied them.

Do We Need A Specific Platform To Make Commissions?

If you want to begin commissions online, you need to start somewhere. I would not recommend that you depend solely on email; you need a tracking system to process your workflow and payments. You need a platform that is easy, accessible, and flexible, so this can only be achieved by experimenting or doing research. For online commissions, you need a digital footprint (a visible trajectory of your work) and a platform to process the business safely.

How Did You Discover The Platform?

I can’t remember, but it was probably on IG or Twitter. It was getting promoted a lot because they apparently planted a tree with each transaction.

What Is Artistree.io?

It is a digital art platform where the creative community focuses on illustrators, and this can also include 3D sculptors. Their objectives so far are a safe place for artists with fair pay, organized workflows, and environmental consciousness.

Is Artistree.io The Correct Platform For You?

“Correct” is not the right word. Can it be ideal or comfortable for you? That is up to you. It will truly depend on what you are looking for:

1. How aligned (mindset, belief core, or ethical aspect) is the platform with you?
2. How much are you willing to invest with the fees and restrictions?
3. What type of tribe or community do you want to be surrounded by and belong to?
4. How much can you “compete” with other artists?

For me, with a full-time job in a complex industry, it has to be a simple platform that has flexibility in the pricing (price range), no complex verification steps (like VGen’s tasks to be accepted), and not be under pressure to maintain a perfect rating just to be visible for the algorithm and enjoy perks without punishments for failures (“star seller” from Etsy).

How Do You Achieve Successful Transactions?

By having good relationships with past clients or colleagues, providing me referrals, learning to negotiate certain aspects of my business without lowering my prices, exceeding expectations, and, of course, providing a variety of services of good quality.

What Do You Offer In Your Store?

I offer a variety of services such as illustrations, YHC (Your Character in Here), character design, background design, small animations, and emotes. This includes types of styles such as semi-realistic, pixel art, or cartoony, and specific methods such as sketch, ink, grayscale, or full color. Can’t forget special add-ons.

What Type Of Payments It Accepts?

It accepts Stripe and PayPal. With Stripe, you can connect other payment processors such as Apple Pay, Cash App, and Google Pay. And with PayPal, you can connect with Venmo. Both PayPal and Stripe accept debit and credit cards.

Does It Accept Tips or Donations?

Tips are allowed as long as they are not the same or larger amount than the original price of the commission. They are available through the request form, not the invoices. Donations, on the other hand, are pretty much non-existent, but for that, I have a Patreon, PayPal donation, my store (donation section), or Ko-Fi.

Do You Have A Section For Restrictions and TOS Of Your Services?

Yes, Artistree prioritizes your own TOS section on your front page as a pop-up page to which you can provide a link to it.

Do Requirements Need To Be Fulfilled To Be Part Of Artistree?

From what I remember, since I joined a long time ago, anyone can be part of it. However, for the marketplace, there was a filter process that took a few days. From what I’m aware of, they are making sure their platform is safe from the AI tech bros. So to be part of it, you must be hand-drawn. They also have an “Artistree Human Certification” page, which, according to them, “is an AI detection platform for enterprises, studios, and creators to detect unwanted AI-generated content.”

Does It Have A Tracking and Update Progress?

Yes, in the dashboard, you have a table with different stages of the work, which the system also notifies the client of with each step. This includes Commission Requests, Awaiting Payment, Progress, Awaiting Final Approval, and Closed Commission.

Does It Have The Ability To Keep Orders Organized?

 Yes, in the workflow, you’ll be able to deal with the request forms, send invoices, and receipts on the platform. Although you can also send custom invoices off the platform and still get paid regardless, you run the risk of not being fully protected by Artistree due to fraudulent transactions or claim disputes. So it’s recommendable to work everything in their system to receive support from the staff. They will step in, investigate, and find solutions to any situation.

How Does It Work When It Comes To Selling Artworks?

Just set up your request form with your services, ToS, and images, and the client will request your services on your page. Once the client submits the details, you’ll receive a notification of the order, and the business can be dealt with via messages.

Are There Any Extra Fees For Using The Platform?

Nope, 100% of the income proceeds to the artist; of course, we can’t exclude the fees from the payment processors. However, clients get charged a service fee and payment process, depending on the amount paid, and the company used (PayPal, Stripe, etc).

Does Artistree Sell A Subscription To Promote Your Work?

No, but to be able to be part of their marketplace, you must fill out a request form to join.

Does the Platform Have Its Community?

They have their social media and also their Discord community, which is public.

Is NSFW Allowed?

They simply state there is no restriction for any type of artistic work, except for content depicting real humans as pornography. They do, however, make it obvious that all NSFW content should be censored for public display only.

Any Other Extra Stuff That We Should Know?

• Artistree only charges the client a platform fee of 6.5%.
• They plant a tree per successful transaction, according to them.
• Recently, they managed to create a browser app version of their platform.
• They accept NSFW artworks, although it doesn’t get a filter or blur to the public.
• Artistree will investigate and bring solutions for any fraudulent situation or claim dispute.
• Clients don’t need to create an account on the platform. Everything is handled with special links via email.
• The platform does not claim ownership of your content, but it is granted a license to use the art for promotions.
• In order to safeguard intellectual property, prevent any brand risk, and automate generative AI policy compliance, Artistree Human Certification assists businesses in identifying generative AI in their content pipelines.
• Their main focus, for now, is digital art only, although they are considering allowing other non-physical goods soon.
• There is a lack of a review/rating system, which may make it difficult for artists to build a consistent and positive reputation.
• Artistree will not reimburse you for fees lost due to the client lying or not providing their country accurately in the system.
• If you are not paid the correct price you entered for your commission, their system will alert them automatically and will reach out to resolve the issue.
• Although artists are responsible for collecting and reporting their taxes, Artistree.io handles VAT/GST taxes in a vast list of countries.

Comparison Table Of The 3 Platforms

NOTE: This information can be inaccurate in the future if new regulations and policies change over time, depending on the platforms. We are trying to provide the best information available with our experiences and knowledge.

If you want to see the other interviews about managing commissions in different platforms, check Xenohybrida Commissions with VGen, Moonfaun Commissions with Ko-Fi, and The Grey Sanctuary Commissions with Artistree.io.

Thank You For Reading!

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