Summary
- Commissions start with a 50% non-refundable deposit, which reserves your slot and covers the sketch stage.
- The remaining 50% is due before we deliver your final high-resolution files.
- Two rounds of revisions are included at the sketch stage and one round at the colour stage. Extra revisions are billed hourly, and we always confirm the cost first.
- Drawing lessons can be rescheduled free of charge up to 24 hours before they start.
- We deliver digital files only, so there are no physical returns or shipping refunds.
- If we cannot complete your project, we refund whatever you have paid for work we have not delivered.
We want commissioning artwork or booking lessons with Rizoron to feel clear and fair from the start. This Refund, Cancellation & Revision Policy explains how payments are scheduled, what is included in each stage, what happens if you need to cancel or change plans, and how refunds are handled.
This policy forms part of our Terms of Service. If your written quote sets out different terms for a particular project, the quote applies to that project. If you have questions before you commit, send them through our Ask page or email [email protected]. We are always happy to talk things through before you pay anything.
1. Why we work this way
Every commission is custom work made specifically for you. Once we have started, the time spent sketching, designing and painting cannot be resold to anyone else, and an illustration of your character, your portrait or your book cover has no value to another client. When we accept your commission, we also reserve a slot in our schedule and turn other work away.
The deposit and stage-based structure protect both sides: you only pay the balance when you are happy with the finished artwork, and we are fairly paid for the work we have already done. The revision rounds give you clear, generous opportunities to shape the artwork while keeping projects on schedule.
2. Payment schedule for commissions
All prices are quoted in US dollars (USD) unless we agree otherwise. Payments are made against an invoice using methods such as PayPal or bank transfer. We do not store card details.
| Payment | Amount | When it is due | What it covers | Refundable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 50% of the quoted price | After you accept the quote, before work begins | Reserving your slot, planning and the sketch stage (including two revision rounds) | No, except where we cancel (see section 6) or where the law requires it |
| Balance | Remaining 50% | When the artwork is complete, before final high-resolution files are delivered | Colour and rendering stage (including one revision round), final files and your licence | Only paid once the artwork is finished and approved; see section 5 |
| Extra revisions or scope changes | Our hourly rate, confirmed in advance | As invoiced, usually with the balance | Changes beyond the included rounds or outside the agreed brief | No, once the agreed work has been carried out |
Work starts once the deposit has cleared. Your licence to use the artwork begins when the balance has been paid in full.
3. Revisions
Revisions are part of how we make sure the artwork fits your vision. A revision round is one set of consolidated feedback — ideally a single email listing all the changes you would like — which we address together before sending an updated version.
| Stage | Included revisions | Good time to change |
|---|---|---|
| Sketch | 2 rounds | Composition, pose, expression, layout, outfit, major design choices |
| Colour and rendering | 1 round | Colour adjustments, lighting, small details, finishing touches |
| Any stage, beyond the included rounds | Billed hourly | Further refinements, once we have confirmed the estimated cost with you |
3.1 What counts as an extra revision
- Additional rounds after the included ones have been used.
- Changes to the composition, pose or design after you have approved the sketch. Because the colour stage is built on the approved sketch, structural changes at this point can mean redoing a large part of the work.
- Changes that go beyond the original brief, such as adding a character, a background or a new element that was not part of the quote. These are treated as a change of scope and quoted separately.
3.2 What does not count
If something in the artwork does not match the brief we agreed — for example, a detail from your reference sheet has been missed — we will correct it free of charge, and it will not use up a revision round.
4. If you cancel a commission
We understand that plans change. You can cancel a commission at any time by emailing [email protected]. What happens depends on how far the project has progressed:
| When you cancel | What you pay | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Before paying the deposit | Nothing | — |
| After paying the deposit, during the sketch stage | The deposit is retained | Any sketches completed so far, for personal reference only |
| After approving the sketch, during the colour stage | The deposit is retained. Work completed at the colour stage may be invoiced in proportion to the progress made, up to the full balance, as stated in your quote | The approved sketch and, if you pay for the colour work completed, the artwork in its current state |
| After the artwork is complete, but before paying the balance | The deposit is retained. The balance is not charged, but you do not receive final files or a licence | No final files or licence |
| After paying the balance and receiving final files | No refund, as the work has been fully delivered | Final files and your licence |
Copyright in all sketches and artwork remains with the studio. Unless you have paid in full and received a licence, cancelled work may not be used, completed by another artist or published by you. We may finish or reuse unused concepts from a cancelled project only where they do not identify you or reproduce your own characters, likeness or confidential materials.
5. If you are not happy with the artwork
Please tell us early. If something does not feel right at the sketch stage, that is exactly what the revision rounds are for, and it is much easier to adjust a sketch than a finished painting. We would always rather hear your honest feedback than have you quietly disappointed.
Because you only pay the balance once the artwork is complete, you can review the finished preview before paying. If, after using the included revisions, you decide not to proceed, you can cancel at that point under section 4: the deposit is retained, the balance is not charged, and no final files or licence are delivered.
We do not offer refunds based on a change of taste once the artwork matches the approved sketch and brief, as art is subjective and the work has been carried out as agreed.
6. If we need to cancel
We very rarely cancel a project, but it can happen — for example, because of serious illness, an emergency, or if it becomes clear we cannot deliver what you need. If we have to cancel for reasons on our side:
- if we have not yet delivered the sketch stage, we will refund your deposit in full;
- if we have delivered the sketch stage, we will refund any payments for work we have not delivered; and
- we will offer you the work completed so far, where that is useful to you.
We may also end a project if a client is abusive, asks for content we do not create, or breaches our Terms of Service — for example, by providing materials they do not have the right to use. In those cases the deposit is retained, and we will refund any payment for stages we have not started.
7. Paused and inactive projects
Life gets busy, and a short pause is no problem — just let us know. If we have sent you a sketch or preview and have not heard from you for 90 days despite reminders, we may treat the project as inactive and close it. In that case it is treated as cancelled at the stage it had reached (see section 4). If you get in touch later, we will do our best to restart, but this depends on our schedule and may require a new quote.
Similarly, if the balance invoice remains unpaid for 90 days after the finished artwork was sent to you, we may close the project and the deposit is retained.
8. Drawing lessons
Our online drawing lessons and mentoring are paid in advance. The rules for changes are simple:
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| You reschedule 24 hours or more before the lesson starts | Free of charge — we will find a new time together |
| You cancel or reschedule less than 24 hours before | The lesson may be treated as taken. We will try to help in genuine emergencies |
| You do not attend (no-show) | The lesson is treated as taken |
| You join late | The lesson ends at the scheduled time |
| We need to cancel or reschedule | We will offer a new time, or refund that lesson if no suitable time can be found |
| A technical problem on our side cuts a lesson short | We will reschedule the missed time or refund it in proportion |
To reschedule, email [email protected]. The 24-hour window is measured from the scheduled start time in the time zone we agreed when booking.
9. Digital delivery — no returns or shipping
All commissions are delivered as digital files, such as high-resolution PNG, JPG or other formats agreed in your quote. We do not ship physical goods by default, so there is nothing to return and no shipping charges to refund.
If something is wrong with a delivered file — for example, it is corrupted, the wrong size or in the wrong format compared with your quote — tell us within 14 days of delivery and we will fix it and re-send it at no charge.
If your project involves physical items — for instance, button badges produced from our designs — printing, manufacturing and shipping are normally arranged by you with your chosen supplier, and are not covered by this policy unless your quote expressly says we will handle them.
10. How refunds are paid
When a refund is due under this policy, we will:
- confirm the amount with you by email;
- send it using the same method you paid with, where possible (for example, back to the same PayPal account or bank account); and
- issue it within 14 days of confirming the refund.
We refund the amount we received. Fees charged by payment providers or banks, and differences caused by currency exchange rates, may not be recoverable and may mean the amount you receive differs slightly from what you originally paid.
10.1 Payment disputes
If you have a problem with a payment, please contact us before opening a dispute or chargeback with your bank or payment provider. We will respond promptly and try to resolve it fairly. Opening a dispute pauses the project, and any licence to use the artwork is suspended until the dispute is resolved.
11. Your statutory rights
Nothing in this policy affects rights you have as a consumer under the laws of the country where you live, and where those laws give you more protection, they take priority. For example, consumers in the EU and UK may have a right to cancel some distance contracts within 14 days. That right usually does not apply to goods or digital content made to your personal specifications, and for services it is affected once work has begun at your request. Where a cancellation right does apply, you may still need to pay for work carried out at your request before you cancelled, in proportion to what has been done.
If you are unsure how these rules apply to you, a consumer advice service in your country can help. This policy is general information about how we work, not legal advice.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time, and the “last updated” date at the top of this page will show when. Each project is governed by the version in force when you accepted your quote, unless we both agree otherwise in writing.
13. Questions and contact
If you have any questions about payments, revisions, cancellations or refunds, please email [email protected] or get in touch through our Ask page. You may also find answers in our commissions FAQ. For how we handle your personal information during a project, see our Privacy Policy.