Commissions:
When commissioning someone to draw a picture don't believe that this person can draw only one type art because of the examples that you might see. For example: an Animal arts. If the seller says Animal art only thing draw than it's a good chance they only draw animals. However, it doesn't hurt to ask.   A lot of my art work I list on ebay is usually drawings of women, because sexy women get the most attention. I draw men, women, animal, landscape etc. So always ask.

Sometime someone may see a picture and think I would like it if it was in Manga or European style. If you want something done in a different or abstract art form then you should ask the artist can he or she do it. Not all artist can switch styles but a few can.

Color:
Just because you see a picture or an example in black and white doesn't mean that the artist does do color art work as well. It takes a lot of time and energy to color something, so ask if the art will color your commission. Some time there is an extra fee, color supplies are not cheap. The same goes for  any larger size paper, or some other special feature that you may want. Ask if there using markers, water color, pastel
etc.

Nudity:
Also some artist are offend by nudity? Some artist may even draw nude women but do not draw naked guys and vise versa. It's important to ask before you place a bidding or buy something.

Perspective:
Another good tip is an artist can't mind read. So if you tell him or her to draw a beautiful woman for example and the buyer doesn't like it, then the buyer should have gave a good example of what he or she thinks is beautiful. Every person doesn't find the same thing beautiful or attractive.  It's difference in tastes not artistic skills.

Description:
When you describe something you want drawn for you should be descriptive but not to descriptive. Two pages of info is to much info. And always give clear example photos. You just want the art to see it in his mind. When you take a page Description something then you are usually just repeating the same thing in different words.

Shipping:
Check to see if the artist is willing to combine shipping. And it doesn't hurt to ask for a deal on a second item that you want, but offering them next to nothing for something that take a lot of energy and time to do is offensive.

Shipping cost for any picture size 11 x 14 should be between four dollars and six if shipped with in the states. Any thing that is shipped over sea is usually eight of ten dollars. Why? Price of art tubes or boxes to ship item in pay a bigger fact. Or at least it should be unless you want damage goods.

Hate Mail:
  Also when you buy something from an artist and then you get an email from someone that say that person is a horrible person and horrible artist, do not believe it. So people actually take emails form strangers to be total facts and that disturbing. I had a rival artist try to ruin me by lying to every person that bought something from me. Always  get the facts. Hate mail may come from rival artist or that one person that the artist couldn't please. Be smart, be aware.

Pricing and comparing: Beware Of socalled Professional and Pro Artist
  If your paying nearly a hundred dollars for a sketch, from some artist you never heard of? Then your payed to much. It time to look for another artist.   Many artist like to label themselves Professionals or Pro Artist. Don't fall for the people that say they are professionals or so called Pro. All to often it is a Self-proclaimed title. If these Self-proclaimed artists were professionals artitsas they claimed then they wouldn't be on ebay. Why a professional artist be on ebay selling  stuff for five, then and fifth-teen dollare when he or she is earning thoudsand of dollar offine? So called "Professionals" don't have to label there ebay ads as Professional artist. If the artist was true as professional as he or she claim to be then they would be well know. There pictures would be in well know galleries, not on ebay selling there pictures for ten or twenty dollars.  Artist that label themselves Professional and Pro ARtist are just doing it for a few extra hits hoping to entrap that one person that will see there ad.

update:

Recently I had an email from one of the so called professionals. In his mind he thinks he big, but barely having any bids in his acutions state something else completelt different.  Lesson one, Professionals and pros wouldn't take the time  to send another artist hate mail. Even if they read this guide and it was complete full of it, then then would just laugh and move on. That's what most do. Sending some one hate mail over this guide or another ebayer guide just show how small you really are.

      Also if someone say that there Stan Lee or something, don't believe them and pay a fortune. Contact Marvel or someone to find out if the guy is really Stan Lee.  Pro artists are usually known by name and there work and commissions  go for a lot of money, usually in the hundred of dollars and higher. Always be careful because people on line are often not who they are pretending to be.

Website:                                                                                                                                                                                                             Website re meaningless. Some website show som good examples,but all to often the artist or the web site doean't have time to up day it constantly with new work. A good reasons why some artist do not have web sites is becasue people steal from their website. Artist usual find there works on some other website or some person on ebay selling bootleg prints of their work. No html code in the page can stop a good theif. Most Html code have no effecte in different browser, even thought majority or beginner and junior web designers think they do.

Feedback:

  Check Feedback to get an idea of who your dealing with.

Questions:
Asking question do not make you stupid. They get you the best info and sometime the best deals.

But there are some Bad questions I have discovered. Exampe: I had at least four people so far send me a paragraph worth of questions. That's basically to much. What worst is that once you do answer there some time page long worth or question then they still do not buy anything. You soon discover that is was some one else on another account fishing for info for what ever  reason.  If you send some one a paragragh or page of questions and it goes unanswer then you know why. If you have to ask that many questions they this artist is not the one for you.

Stupid Questions for the Artist:                                                                                                                                                       A bad question that most artist get from buyers that order a commission is, "Are you finshed yet?" Asking someone if they finished the picture the same day or week that they order it is stupid. Rome was not build in a day and neither will your art be drawn in a day.(And even if it could, then why would you want a rush job.)  Emailing artist over and over repeatedly asking if your  picture is done yet is foolish. There is no need that any artist should have to show you every moment then draw something. The time an energy they use email the buyer and scanning each set of their work could be used to completing the actual drawing. If you need to ask a question like that it should be done after some serious time passed Good work takes time.

Second favor stupid question. Can I get a deal. I had one person do this so much it is in sane. He would buy anything. He would just watch and wait until the auction end and then ask can I get a deal, then complain about the five dollars shipping and handling. Avoid a person like this at all cost. 

Questions not to ask and statements not to say:

I real like your art but I can't bring myself to bid on it.? Why would any one even waist an email to even say that?

Can I get so very high resolution scans of your picture and can I get a perview of your stuff before you put it up for acution? Why would I give you the means to make and sell prints of my art? duh!!

Contacting the Artist:                                                                                                                            Do not instant message an artist unless he say it's ok to or if his or her instant message info is listed in the auction. All to often many people believe they are being clever because they can figure out an AOL user instant Message Tag by the user email. If the artist says contact him by email, then he mean email, not anything else. All to often you are probably  disturbing them at the worst possible time.

Well, that's it. Hope it was helpful and Good Luck