Contacting the artist

When messaging an artist, confirm the following:

Whether they accept commissions. Some artists draw manga and illustrations, but only accept illustration work. Sometimes artists forget to update their commission statuses or are busy. It’s good to verify before proceeding.
Whether they will draw the commission idea. This is especially applicable for commissioning fetish-related content.
Whether they are okay with you sharing the finished work on your social networks. Some artists are bound by corporate compliance rules that prevent them from publicizing that they worked on a commission.
Estimated cost. If the artist has a price list then this is usually not an issue.
Delivery date. Keep in mind that estimating completion dates is notoriously difficult, so don’t be too surprised if the delivery date slips. In addition, unexpected things can come up that cause delays. I’m looking at you, COVID-19.
Payment method. PayPal is commonly used, but not all artists accept it. When using PayPal, do not pick Friends and Family because that prevents PayPal from providing a refund in case the commission falls through.

If the artist does not respond after a week, send a follow up message. If the artist does not respond after two weeks, they are likely unable to accept the commission.