Commission request form
Size, medium, subject, budget, deadline and reference uploads in one brief, with your terms agreed before they submit.
Artist commission software: requests, deposits & shop
Artists: commissions without the back and forth. Paint more, chase less.
Commission requests arrive in DMs, deposits come by bank transfer whenever people remember and clients keep asking how it's going. We build commission, shop and waitlist systems for artists that all work together. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for artist commission software that handles the briefs, the deposits and the shop?
An art practice is really three jobs: making the work, running commissions and selling what's finished. Most artists run the commission side through Instagram messages, email threads and a banking app. Prints sit on Etsy, originals get sold by DM and the website is a lovely gallery of things nobody can actually buy.
Wollopit builds custom software around how you work. Clients fill in a proper brief with references attached, pay a deposit to lock in their slot and see progress photos without messaging you every week. Prints and originals sell from your own website with shipping worked out at checkout. We connect the tools you already like and look after the lot on our own servers, so you can get back to the easel.
01The problems
What we hear from artists
Does your art practice have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most artists we talk to are brilliant at the work and worn out by the admin around it. One busy commission round is usually all it takes to see the cracks.
- The problemCommission requests buried in DMsSomeone wants a portrait of their dog. The size, budget, deadline and photos are spread across three Instagram messages and an email.How we fix itA commission request form that asks for size, medium, subject, budget, deadline and references up front. Every request lands in one list.
- The problemReference photos go missingThe good photo of the dog was in a Messenger thread from March. Now you're scrolling for it at 11pm.How we fix itReferences stay attached to each commission with the brief and your notes. Open one page and start painting.
- The problemChasing deposits by bank transferYou send your bank details, wait, check the account, send a reminder and still start the piece unpaid.How we fix itDeposits paid by card when the client books their slot. The balance is invoiced automatically when the piece is finished.
- The problem"How's it going?" messagesClients message every week asking for a sneak peek. You stop painting to take photos and reply to each one.How we fix itPost a progress photo to their commission page once. They get an email or SMS and can see every stage so far.
- The problemOverbooked, then emptyCommissions open, forty requests arrive in a day and then nothing comes in for two months.How we fix itOpen, close or waitlist commissions with a slot limit. Waitlisted clients get first dibs when a slot frees up.
- The problemRevisions that never endThe client wants the background changed again. Then the eyes. Nobody agreed how many changes were included.How we fix itSign-off points at sketch and colour stages, with included revisions spelled out and extras quoted before you touch the brush.
- The problemDoing the pricing maths every timeEvery enquiry means working it out again for size, number of figures, background and framing.How we fix itA price guide built into the form so clients see a ballpark first. You tweak it and send the quote in one click.
- The problemPrints sold somewhere elsePrints on Etsy, originals on Instagram and a website that doesn't sell anything.How we fix itA shop on your own website for prints, originals and gift cards with stock and edition numbers tracked.
- The problemOriginals lost to slow repliesSomeone asks if a piece is still available. You reply two days later and they've moved on.How we fix itAvailable works listed with size, price and a buy or reserve button. Sold pieces show as sold with no awkward emails.
- The problemShipping is a guessing gameWorking out postage for a framed A2 piece, hunting for a tube and writing the label by hand.How we fix itShipping worked out by size at checkout with labels printed through Australia Post or Sendle.
- The problemWorkshops run through the group chatPainting classes booked by DM, paid by transfer and nobody remembers what to bring.How we fix itBookable workshops with tickets, a materials list and reminders sent the day before.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for artists. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Deposits & invoices
Card deposits to lock in a slot, staged payments for big pieces and the final balance invoiced on completion.
Client progress pages
A private page for each commission with progress photos, notes and the expected finish date.
Waitlist & slot manager
Open, close or waitlist commissions, cap the number of slots and invite waitlisted clients in order.
Sign-offs & revisions
Sketch and colour approvals in one click, with included revisions counted and extras quoted.
Price guide & quotes
Your pricing rules for size, figures, backgrounds and framing, turned into ballpark prices and one-click quotes.
Print shop
Prints in every size and paper, limited editions numbered automatically and print-on-demand connections if you'd rather not hold stock.
Originals gallery
Available works with size, medium and price, a reserve option and pieces marked sold the moment they sell.
Certificates of authenticity
Certificates generated for each original and limited edition, signed and sent with the order.
Shipping & packing
Postage by size and format at checkout, local pickup and labels through Australia Post or Sendle.
Workshops & classes
Bookable classes with tickets, capacity limits, materials lists and reminder emails or SMS.
Collector list & emails
Past buyers and commission clients in one list, with new work and commission openings sent straight to them.
A portfolio website that sells
Hand-built, quick on mobile and easy to update, with your commission form, shop and available works built in.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole art practice, on one system.
These are the systems artists ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly handy when they're joined up.
Commission flow
From request to delivered without a single DM.
Clients fill in a proper brief with their references, pay a deposit and get their own progress page. You post photos as you go and they sign off the sketch with one click. The balance is invoiced when you mark it finished.
- Request form with reference uploads
- Your terms agreed before submitting
- Card deposits to lock in a slot
- Private progress page per client
- Progress photos with email or SMS alerts
- Sketch and colour sign-offs
- Revisions counted against the quote
- Final balance invoiced automatically
- Expected finish dates on one calendar
Waitlist & slots
Open the books when you're ready. Close them when you're full.
Set how many commissions you'll take this round and the form closes itself when they're gone. Everyone else joins the waitlist and gets first crack when the next round opens.
- Open, closed or waitlist modes
- Slot limits per round
- Different slots for different sizes
- Waitlist in the order people joined
- Automatic invites when a slot frees up
- Invites expire if not taken up
- Commission openings emailed to your list
- Banner on your website showing status
Print & originals shop
Sell your work from your own website.
Prints, originals and gift cards in a shop that looks like your work, not a marketplace. Editions are numbered for you and postage is worked out at checkout. Sold originals update everywhere straight away.
- Prints in multiple sizes and papers
- Limited editions numbered automatically
- Originals with reserve and buy options
- Certificates of authenticity
- Print-on-demand connections
- Shipping worked out by size
- Australia Post and Sendle labels
- Gift cards for commissions
- Sales straight into Xero
Workshops & collectors
Classes that fill and collectors who come back.
Painting workshops and classes with tickets, materials lists and reminders. Every buyer and commission client lands in one collector list so new work and openings go to the people most likely to buy.
- Bookable workshops and classes
- Capacity limits and waitlists
- Materials lists sent ahead
- Reminders by email or SMS
- Market and exhibition dates listed
- Collector list from every sale
- New work alerts to past buyers
- Mailchimp connection if you use it
04How it changes
Before and after
A pet portrait commission, wolloped.
Here's how one commission could change. Every art practice works a bit differently, so we map yours first.
Before
- Request arrives in Instagram DMs
- Ask three times for the size and deadline
- Reference photos lost in the thread
- Bank details sent and the deposit chased
- Client asks for an update every week
- Final payment chased before you can post it
After
- Request form with size, budget and deadline
- Reference photos attached to the brief
- Deposit paid by card to lock the slot
- Progress photos posted to their page
- Sketch signed off in one click
- Balance paid and shipping label printed
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for artists.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for artists
Built around how your art practice actually runs: commission request form, deposits & invoices and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for artists
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Art practice system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for artists
Client progress pages and waitlist & slot manager: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Stripe, Square and PayPal so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your art practice, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work alongside the shops you're happy with or replace the ones holding you back.
- Stripe
- Square
- PayPal
- Xero
- Shopify
- Squarespace
- Etsy
- Bluethumb
- Printful
- Mailchimp
- Google Calendar
- Australia Post
- Sendle
- Humanitix
- Eventbrite
- Twilio SMS
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your art practice: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We sit down with you in the studio and follow a commission from first message to posted parcel to see where the time goes.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your briefs, pricing, slots, shop, shipping, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually the commission flow first, so your next round runs smoother.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things artists ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can I close commissions when I'm booked out?
Yes. Commissions can be opened, closed or waitlisted. You can set a slot limit so the form closes itself once you're full.
Can clients approve the sketch before I start painting?
Yes. Each commission has sign-off points at the stages you choose. The client approves in one click and extra revisions can be quoted before you do them.
Can deposits be non-refundable?
Yes. You set your own terms and clients agree to them on the form before they pay.
Can I sell prints without holding stock?
Yes. We can connect your shop to a print-on-demand service so orders are printed and posted for you. Or you can sell from your own stock with editions tracked.
I already sell on Etsy or Shopify. Do I have to switch?
No. If a platform is doing its job we build around it. We can add the commission flow and waitlist on top or link your shop in. If it's holding you back we'll show you what moving would involve first.
How much does it cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
A commission form with deposits can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most artists we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got an art practice problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.