I commissioned a custom illustration for my mother's birthday and the whole process came down to how well we communicated before the first sketch. I had a reference photo, a vague idea about the color palette, and a hard deadline. Lola asked the right questions early: which family members to include, whether the style should lean playful or formal, and how much background detail I wanted. That saved us both from a round of revisions later.
The setup was straightforward. She sent a short brief to confirm the scope, then a rough layout within three days. The only hiccup was the file format for the final delivery. I assumed I would get a print-ready PDF, but the default was a high-resolution PNG. A quick email sorted it out, and she re-exported the file the same evening. If I had mentioned the print size upfront, it would have been a non-issue.
What stood out was the honest timeline. She told me the piece would take ten days, not seven, and it arrived on day nine. That kind of realistic planning matters when you are working around a specific date. The illustration itself was lovely, but the clear communication around setup and delivery is why I would book again.
If you are considering a similar commission, think about the final use before you start. Knowing whether you need a digital file for social media or a print-ready version changes the conversation from the beginning. That small decision made the whole experience smoother.