Commissioning a custom watercolour illustration for your business is a creative and unique way to showcase your brand’s personality and connect with customers. In an increasingly digital world with the use of AI created visuals growing, handcrafted illustrations are a way to really stand out, helping your brand feel more human, relatable, and memorable.
Our brains process images 60,000 times faster than text - this figure is apparently a myth, but there is truth in the concept, and our brains are more likely to remember visuals than words. By using custom illustrations, you can instantly grab attention, communicate your brand's story in a visually engaging way, and connect on another level with your audience.
Whether you're new to commissioning illustrations or are exploring creative ways to tell your brand story, this blog post will guide you through the benefits of bespoke illustration, the step-by-step process of commissioning an illustration, and ideas on how you can use them to make your business shine.
Benefits of using bespoke watercolour illustration for your business
Differentiate Your Brand with Unique, Handcrafted Visuals: A custom watercolour illustration helps your brand stand out. The intricate, hand-drawn elements reflect the care and attention that went into creating it, giving your brand an edge over competitors with more generic imagery or photos.
Enhance Storytelling and Emotional Connection: Watercolour illustrations allow you to visually tell your brand’s story in a more engaging way. Whether it’s an illustrated shopfront, product, or map, these visuals evoke emotion and can communicate values like craftsmanship, tradition, or innovation, helping to build more personal, deeper connections with your audience.
Increase Engagement on Social Media and Marketing Platforms: Bespoke illustrations stand out in social media or marketing emails. When you use custom artwork in your posts, websites, or newsletters, it grabs the attention of your audience with something unexpected that becomes recognisable. It can also encourage engagement and things like process videos or videos of how you use your illustrations can be a great addition to your brand story.
Personalise Your Brand’s Identity: Bespoke illustrations are a great way to add a personal touch to your branding. Whether it’s creating a unique, illustrated logo or product design, watercolour illustrations can make your brand feel more intimate and relatable, helping customers feel a genuine connection to your business.
Attract a Broader Audience and Build Trust: High-quality, bespoke illustrations elevate your brand’s image and build trust with your audience. A business that invests in custom artwork signals professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail, attracting clients who value these traits. This is especially important for creative or luxury brands looking to expand their client base.
Command Higher Fees with Bespoke, High-Value Artwork: A bespoke watercolour illustration adds a layer of exclusivity and craftsmanship to your brand. Customers who value originality and artistic quality are often willing to pay a premium for products or services that feature tailored artwork, increasing the perceived value of your offerings. Especially if you bring in the option of having personalised elements for them, this is a great idea for events or product launches.
The process of commissioning a bespoke watercolour illustration
1. Establish an illustration brief
We map out the brief, discussing what you are trying to achieve or what you want to capture. You can bring all the ideas and imagery for me to work from, or I can or it can be a more collaborative approach which is often a wonderful way to marry our expertise together.
It is helpful at this point to have all the information you need to provide. This might be photos, brand colours, maps. Sometimes I will source some, but the move I get from you, the more it will be just what you are looking for.
The best way to do this is on a call to talk through clearly so we fully understand each other. If it’s a simple project it could be done via email as long as communication is clear.
2. Clarify the Usage for Licensing Illustration
We clarify where, how and what you’re going to use the illustration(s) to establish the licence requirements. Licensing can sound intimidating or confusing if you haven’t come across it before but it’s quite simple once you understand the concept.
When you commission an artwork you are buying a licence to use it, not the work itself. So defining the usage is important to establish a fee. I will need to know:
Territory - Where the artwork is going to be used e.g. Worldwide / UK / Europe / USA
Duration - How long do you need it for e.g. 1 year / 2 years / 5 years
Usage - Where will it be used e.g. website and social media marketing / printed magazine / on a product
Client - Who will be using it e.g. small business / publication
Licensing Example
If you commission an illustration for an internal document that only your 50 staff will see and is only going to be used for one year. This is a very different scenario to commissioning an illustration that will be part of a global marketing campaign for a large multinational company which will run for 10 years.
You can understand that the impact, reach and value of the latter is far greater and therefore the fee is calculated accordingly.
Sometimes it is not until we discuss licensing the watercolour illustration that you will start to consider more carefully where and how the illustration will be used. It can be difficult if you haven’t actually decided yet, but it is always possible to revisit, extend or add to the licence for an additional fee to reflect the requirements.
3. Agree a Fee for the Bespoke Illustration
Based on the illustration brief and the licensing requirements, we discuss and agree a fee. There might be some negotiation here and with bespoke illustrations it is possible to adjust the brief slightly to fit a budget (e.g. level of detail, size, licensing usage or duration).
At this point it is also important to agree an outline schedule for the project as this can affect the fee. This illustration timeline can be anything from a couple of weeks to months or even up to a year.
I will always try to work back from the completion date you have in mind and break down how the time is best spent, allowing time for feedback and comments to be incorporated into the illustration piece.
I usually allow two rounds of comments in this process, but this depends on the project, timeline and fee and will be discussed to suit your commission. It doesn't usually include site visits or meetings, unless the project requires it and that will be factored into the costs and timeline.
4. Commissioner Agreement
A commissioner agreement or contract is put together. This is a document that will clarify the agreed brief, licence, fee and outline schedule for the bespoke illustration. Both parties will sign this prior to any work commencing.
5. The Initial Sketch illustration
Now we can get started on the best part - creating your bespoke watercolour illustration!
First I will sketch out a draft, or this might be a couple of draft sketches, depending on what has been agreed. This will be a fairly rough sketch to get the composition right. (If it is a simple project I may not need to create this rough sketch and can start from the more detailed sketch stage instead)
6. The Detailed Sketch
Once the initial sketch is approved, I will move on to creating a more detailed sketch.
This will be the final sketch of the finished piece, so it is a critical stage. Once I add ink and watercolour it is much harder to make changes, so working the sketch up in more detail gives you a good draft version of the final illustration.
If there are any comments, I will update the sketch and send it back for approval prior to the next stage commencing. It is important that this phase is signed off before proceeding.
7. Bringing it to Life with Ink Watercolour
I draw the design out, over the approved pencil marks with a fine line black ink, picking out more of the detail as I go. Once drawn, I rub out the pencil marks, so only the thin ink lines remain, ready for colour.
Next I layer up colour and tone to bring your watercolour illustration to life. This part is my favourite and it’s wonderful to see a piece coming to life. I continue adding depth and colour until I am happy with the outcome and ready to send it to you for final approval.
8. Digitise the Watercolour Illustration
I scan the illustration at high resolution and tweak the file to look just like the original. I convert the file to the correct size and format ready to send over via email.
If you have any print requirements or have requested the original illustration, this would be picked up here too.
9. Issue the Invoice
Once the final file has been sent I issue my invoice via email for payment.
10. Illustrations out in the Wild
Now you have your beautiful bespoke watercolour illustrations to use and are delighted by all the compliments from people enjoying these.
I will send a final email with a form to collect some feedback from you, which is incredibly helpful to move my business and processes forward.
It is important to note that your bespoke watercolour illustration does not include:
Full copyright of artwork, ever!
Licence to do anything with the artwork other than what has been agreed and signed.
Amendments and comments beyond those agreement (but these can be added in for an additional fee)
Digitally created artwork. The beauty of my work is that everything I create is carefully crafted by hand.
Site visits or site meetings are not included, unless pre-discussed and built into the agreement.
Original artwork. Usually I keep hold of this, unless otherwise agreed (it is often that it’s not required by a business, but sometimes you might want the original to frame for yourself or a premises, which is absolutely fine, just to be pre-agreed)
Using your Bespoke Watercolour Illustration
There are so many exciting ways that illustration can be used to surprise and delight your customers. From building illustrations, bespoke shop fronts, interior portraits, illustrated maps, seasonal illustrations, menus, and even the more diagrammatic illustrations to convey a message or story.
Once you start to think about it, you start to see more ways in which illustration could slot into your business. It’s a great way to bring some visual continuity to your brand and you can get the most out of your illustration using it more than once!
Here are some ideas which I expand on in my blog post ‘10 creative ways that watercolour can add personality and delight to your business’.
Custom Watercolour Illustrated Postcards & Greetings Cards
Watercolour Illustrated Marketing Material to Make Your Brand Touch Points Sing
Watercolour Maps to Put Your Business on The Map
Watercolour Illustration for Exceptional Client Gifting
Bespoke Watercolour Illustrated Seasonal Greetings Cards
Illustrated Business Cards to Delight Your Customers
Handwritten Illustrated Menus to Enchant Diners and Tell Your Story
Handwritten Watercolour Illustrated Invitations
Live Illustration to Capture Events and Celebrations
Watercolour Workshops to create a unique experience for your clients or customers
Commission your illustration
Hopefully now you are brimming with ideas and inspiration for exciting, creative ways to bring your brand to life through watercolour illustration.
If you are ready to get in touch you can do so using the button below to email me directly. I can’t wait to help you tell your story.