About Using My Illustrations — What I Kindly Ask Before You Do

Hi, I'm Takako.

Lately, I’ve been seeing many posts on social media

about troubles between creators and clients, or questions from people

who want to commission illustrations.

So I made this page to share some helpful points

you might want to know *before* requesting an illustration.

I’ve tried to explain things as simply as possible.

If you’re thinking,

“I’ve never commissioned anything before, I don’t really know how it works…”

Don’t worry—you’re not alone.

🎨 There are just a few simple rules when it comes to using illustrations.

But don’t worry—they’re not difficult or scary.

To help explain,

let’s imagine it like renting a wedding dress 👗.

👗① Did you buy it? Or rent it?

→ The difference between ownership and usage rights

Let’s say you rent a wedding dress for your ceremony.

The dress is only for *your* use, on a specific day, at a specific place.

You can’t lend it to a friend or cut it up and redesign it freely, right?

🖼️ It’s the same with illustrations.

Even if you pay, you’re not buying full ownership.

You’re paying for the right to use the artwork.

The copyright stays with the artist.

👗② Lending it to someone else?

→ No use by others or for unrelated purposes

If you tell a friend, “Here, you can wear this dress too!”

even though the dress was rented just for *you*,

that would break the rental agreement, right?

🖼️ Same goes for illustrations.

They are created for your specific use.

Please don’t use them for other people’s projects or companies

without permission.

👗③ What if you alter the dress?

→ No editing or altering without asking

If you turn a wedding gown into a mini dress by cutting it up,

you’ve changed the whole design and story, right?

🖼️ Changing colors, flipping the image, or editing illustrations

without checking with me first is also not okay.

Please contact me first if you want to make changes.

👗④ Posting it on social media saying “I made this”?

→ No pretending to be the creator or misleading people

If you post the dress on Instagram with a caption like

“You can order this from my shop!”

people might get the wrong idea, right?

🖼️ The same applies to my illustrations.

Please don’t use them in a way that makes it look like you drew them,

such as in your profile image or portfolio.

This can cause misunderstandings.

👗⑤ Wearing it somewhere else without asking?

→ Extra usage (other media, regions, etc.) may cost extra

If you suddenly decide,

“I’ll wear this dress at the beach too,” or

“I want to wear it longer than planned,”

you’d probably need to update your rental agreement.

🖼️ With illustrations, it’s similar.

For example:

・You want to use an illustration made for print in a web ad

・You want to reuse an old illustration on product packaging

These would count as *additional use*, and may require

extra fees or a revised agreement.

If your plans change, please let me know anytime!

👗⑥ Still wearing the dress after the rental ends?

→ Usage beyond the agreed time requires renewal

If you agreed to rent a dress for a specific date,

but keep using it afterward,

there would be a fee or violation, right?

🖼️ With illustrations too,

there’s usually a usage period.

If you’d like to continue using it, or use it again later,

we’ll need to update the agreement.

👗⑦ Canceling after everything’s booked?

→ Once production starts, cancellations may incur a fee

If you cancel a wedding after booking the venue,

choosing the dress, and preparing the meal,

there’s usually a cancellation fee.

🖼️ Same with illustrations.

If you cancel after I’ve already started work,

there will be a fee based on the progress made.

Even the parts you don’t see take time and energy.

Of course, I’ll try to be flexible if something unavoidable happens,

but please contact me as soon as you can.

👗⑧ Changing your mind again and again

→ Too many rough sketch revisions may cost extra

Trying on five dresses and then picking the first one again

…isn’t uncommon, but usually the number of fittings is limited.

🖼️ With illustrations, the rough sketch = fitting.

The more changes, the more time it takes.

If the direction changes multiple times,

additional fees may apply.

Basically: “Two revisions are free, more than that = extra charge.”

👗⑨ “Hold that dress for me” …and never show up

→ Please avoid long holds or ghosting

If someone says “Save that dress for me” and disappears,

the shop can’t lend it to anyone else, right?

🖼️ Same goes for illustration requests.

I may be holding that time slot and turning down other clients for you.

If you disappear or cancel suddenly,

a cancellation fee might apply.

→ Illustrations are also part of my work.

If people keep saying “I changed my mind, sorry,”

it’s hard to keep the business running.

🖼️ I’d be really grateful

if you could understand that even the *communication* has value.

👰‍♀️⑩ “The wedding budget & rental fee” =

How illustration fees relate to usage

Wearing a fancy dress in a private garden wedding

is not the same as wearing it at a grand hotel event, right?

The rental price would be different.

🖼️ Likewise,

Using an illustration on your personal blog

vs. using it in a nationwide corporate campaign

is a totally different scale.

If you tell me *where and how* you want to use it from the start,

I can offer suggestions that fit your budget.

👰‍♀️⑪ “I probably can’t afford this…” is not true!

Even if your budget is small,

a small garden wedding can still be beautiful and heartfelt.

🖼️ The same is true for illustrations.

If you tell me your budget,

I’ll do my best to suggest what’s possible within it.

A smaller budget doesn’t mean lower quality.

👰‍♀️⑫ Being honest about budget = smoother communication

If you told a wedding planner

“I don’t really have a budget, just do whatever,”

wouldn’t that feel a bit uncertain?

🖼️ Same with illustration work.

If you’re worried about cost,

please feel free to let me know your budget first.

Then I can propose something that fits,

or let you know honestly if it’s not possible.

👰‍♀️Wrapping up

So yes, there are a few rules when requesting illustrations,

but they’re not strange or scary at all.

If you can just share things like

“I want to use it like this,” or “I like this kind of vibe,”

that’s more than enough!

I’ll listen closely,

and we can work together to make something special.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

▶ Contact → CONTACT

And if you’re already thinking about a request,

▶ Please also check [How I Work & What to Expect]

for a smooth process.