How Sketchround works

For clients

Posting is free. Write what you need, your budget, your date and how the art will be used. Approved illustrators send proposals with their price, how many days they need, how many sketch rounds are included and a sample of their work.

Asking a particular illustrator. On an illustrator's page, “Ask for a proposal” sends your brief to them. You choose whether only they can see it or it also goes on the board. If they can't take it on, we tell you, and you can open the brief to everyone.

You pay when you award. You pay the illustrator's quoted price, nothing added on top — for a $450 book cover you pay $450. Sketchround holds the money; the illustrator is told it's there and starts. Our 12% comes out of the illustrator's side (see the fee, worked out).

Sketch rounds. The illustrator posts a sketch on your project page. You approve it or ask for changes in writing. The number of rounds in the proposal is included; anything beyond that, agree with the illustrator in the project thread.

Final files are released when you approve. You see a preview of the final first. When you press “Approve and release”, the full files unlock for you to download and the illustrator is paid. If you don't reply to a final for 14 days, the files are released to you and the illustrator is paid automatically. We email you a reminder 4 days before, and asking for a fix or raising a problem stops the clock.

On time, or your money back. Sketch 1 is due a third of the way into the illustrator's quoted time — at least 3 days and at most 7 after you pay. The final is due by the quoted number of days plus a week's grace; the time you take to answer sketch rounds is added on, so a slow reply never counts against the illustrator. If either is missed, your project page shows a “Cancel and refund” button: you get the full price back, and you can reopen your brief to pick from the other proposals. Nothing happens unless you press it — you're free to keep waiting.

For illustrators

Apply with your portfolio. We look at every application ourselves. Hand-made work only — no traced, stolen or AI-generated art. It's free to join.

Bring your own clients. Once you're approved, your studio has a commission link. Send it to anyone who asks you for work by DM or email: they post their brief straight to you and pay up front through Sketchround, and we hold the money until they approve the final files. Same 12% fee.

You keep 88%. Sketchround's fee is 12% of your price. We pay you when the client approves the final files, to the payout details in your profile.

Start when it's funded. After an award, wait for the “funded” email before you start. If a client goes quiet after you deliver the final, the files and your payment are released automatically after 14 days — the client is reminded before that happens.

Keep to your dates. Sketch 1 is due a third of the way into your quoted days (at least 3, at most 7 after funding), and the final by your quoted days plus a week's grace, with the client's review time added on. We remind you the day before sketch 1 is due. If either date passes, the client may cancel for a full refund and there is no payout — so if you need longer, agree a new date with the client in the project thread before it's due.

The fee, worked out

One fee of 12%, taken from the illustrator's price. Clients pay exactly the quoted price.

Licence

Unless the brief and proposal say otherwise, the illustrator keeps the copyright and may show the work in their portfolio, and the client gets a licence to use it for the purpose stated on the brief (personal, a book, commercial, or merchandise) once the final files are released. If you need full ownership, say so in the brief and agree it in the proposal.

Refunds and problems

Use “Raise a problem” on your project page. We pause the release and talk to both of you. If the illustrator can't deliver what was agreed before you approve the sketch, or misses sketch 1 or the final date (see “On time, or your money back”), you get your money back in full. After that, we decide fairly from what's on the project page. If you cancel an award before paying, nothing is charged.

Your data

Clients' surnames and emails are never shown on the board. You can change your email or password, or delete your account and data, from your account settings at any time.

Post a brief Apply as an illustrator