The Real Reason You Still Don't Have Character Art

This is why your friends got burned. Why you're still scared. And why that ends today.

Written by Jan

This portrait took 7 years to happen.


Not 7 years to paint. The player who commissioned it had been playing her for over 7 years before finally getting art.


Seven. Years. Of describing the same features. Of correcting people about the wrong armor. Of saying "no, she looks tired, not angry" every single session.


When I asked her why she waited so long, she replied:


"Honestly? I watched two friends get burned. One got ghosted after paying half upfront, one got art that looked nothing like her character. After that, I just... couldn't pull the trigger."


Last month, I surveyed 127 of my previous clients. They'd all waited an average of 5 years before their first commission.

Not because of money, they'd spent hundreds on dice and rulebooks.


Not because they couldn't find artists, there are plenty online.

 

But because the commission system turned what should be magical—seeing your character come to life—into a high-stakes gamble with terrible odds.

You know the drill: find an artist on X or Instagram, craft the perfect DM, hit send… wait… nothing.

Go on Reddit. Make a post on r/starvingartists, and within an hour, your inbox explodes with 47 messages. 

Except:

Half are using stolen portfolios.

A quarter quote $30 then mysteriously need $300 after three emails.

The rest want 50% deposit upfront through PayPal Friends & Family.

And you know what that means...

Once you send that deposit, you're gambling. 

Maybe you get art. Maybe you get ghosted. Maybe you get something that looks nothing like your character.

 

So you open ChatGPT instead. 

 

Type "blue-skinned tiefling with black horns, brown cloak, with a scar across her left eye" 

 

Get something that's 60% right and save it anyways.

Another Friday night. Another session with placeholder art that isn't your character.


And here's what nobody tells you: 

This isn't your fault.

The entire commission economy runs on asymmetric information. 

 

Artists hold all the cards. 

You hold all the risk.

 

Think about what you're actually being asked to do:

Send money to a stranger on the internet.

Hope they're legit

Hope they understand your vision.

Hope they don't charge you for each round of revisions

Hope they don't vanish.

Hope their "style" translates to your specific character.

Hope they deliver on time.

Hope you like it.

That's not a transaction.

 

That's a prayer.

the average online commissioning experience

Artists need deposits; that's reasonable. They've been burned by clients who ghost after receiving sketches. 

 

But you've also read the horror stories. 

The artist who suddenly stopped replying after months of excuses. 

The one who just sent you someone else's art from Google. 

The one who was "definitely working on it" while stalling you indefinitely

Every commission feels like standing at a roulette table, except the dealer won't even tell you the odds.

The Cost of the Gamble

You've already paid more than money.


Count the hours you've spent comparing portfolios. 

 

Crafting the perfect character description. 

 

Checking Discord every morning for updates that never come. 

 

Writing follow-up messages that walk the line between "friendly reminder" and "desperate pleading."
 

The mental load is exhausting. 

 

The anxiety compounds. You start second-guessing everything. 

 

Should you message again? 

Are you being annoying? 

Did they even start? 

Should you just accept the loss and move on?
 

One player told me she spent three months "managing" a commission. Three months of anxiety for one piece of art. She could have learned to draw in that time.

Meanwhile, that placeholder image you're using: the one that's "close enough", is doing actual damage to your game.

When "Close Enough" Becomes Never Enough

Every time you place that placeholder on the board, you're accepting a compromise.

 

Every time another player references the wrong details from that placeholder, your actual character gets buried deeper. 

 

Every time the DM describes your character based on that generic image instead of your actual vision, a piece of your creation dies.

You've noticed it. 

 

The disconnect between the character in your head and the one everyone else sees. The way you have to keep correcting people. 

 

"No, her scar is on the left eye." 

"The sword is curved, not straight." 

"She's supposed to look tired, not angry."

 

Your character exists in two versions: the real one in your mind, and the ghost everyone else interacts with.

And after years of this, you start to wonder if maybe the problem is you. 

 

Maybe you're being too picky. 

 

Maybe you should just accept that this is how it works.

 

But what if it didn't have to work this way?

Imagine This Instead

You pay upfront: but it's fully refundable if you're not happy. 

 

Not "store credit." 

Not "partial refund minus artist time."

 

You get a polished first draft in two weeks. Not a rough sketch you have to imagine into completion. 

 

A real portrait you can judge properly.

You work directly with the artist. No middlemen. No confusion. No broken telephone through three different messaging platforms.


You get unlimited revisions. Not "two rounds included, then $20 per change." Actual revisions until it's right.


This isn't fantasy. This is what happens when someone finally says:

 

"The old system is broken. Let's build something that actually works."

The Safer Way to Commission

I've been where you are.


I watched my own friends lose hundreds to commission scams. I saw talented players give up after their fifth ghosting. 

 

I witnessed the resignation as people accepted that "close enough" placeholders would have to do.


The breaking point came when my DM tried commissioning our whole party. Three artists ghosted him. One delivered garbage. $400 vanished.


That's when I realized: nobody was going to fix this. 

 

The system worked fine for artists who could pick and choose clients. It worked fine for commissioners with endless money to gamble.


But for regular players who just wanted their character to exist? We were on our own.


So I built something different.

👋 I'm Jan, and I run FondlyFramed.

 

Here’s how I remove the risk:

Refund on the first polished draft if you don’t love it. No kill fee.

Two-week timeline for that first draft, guaranteed.

Unlimited edits until it’s right.

Direct access to me throughout.

My Ultimate Character Blueprint so you never have to “be the art director.” 

I've distilled my process from over 300+ commissions into The Ultimate Character Blueprint. It asks the targeted questions that truly matter, covering:

The three elements that must be captured

Where creative freedom is welcome

The specific mood you envision for the piece

This ensures nothing is lost in translation between your vision and the final art.

 

You can grab a copy for free on the next page. It helps clarify your vision for any artist.

How can you offer a refund guarantee?


Because I know that stomach-sinking feeling of sending a deposit to a stranger on the internet, hoping you didn't just make a huge mistake. I’m a player, and for years I saw that anxiety paralyze people in our community.

 

I built FondlyFramed on a simple, non-negotiable principle: the artist should take the risk, not the player.
 

I can offer this because my goal isn't just to sell you art; it's to give you the safe, exciting, and collaborative commission experience we all deserve.

Plus, something exclusive to FondlyFramed

What would make a portrait unmistakably yours? 

That question drove months of trials and revisions until Living Motion was ready. It adds life to the final art, and you can only get it here.

And for a limited time only, every character commission also includes a FREE Living Motion upgrade.

Subtle breathing animation

Flowing cloaks and hair

Glowing magical effects

Drops straight into Roll20 or Foundry. Your static token days are over.
 

But honestly? The animation is just a bonus. The real value is finally having art that's actually your character. 

 

The one in your head. 

 

The one you've been playing for years.

 

The one who deserves to be seen.

The Choice That's Finally Yours

Every session with placeholder art is another week of invisibility.


But now you know: that wasn't really your choice. 

 

The system forced it on you. The risk was too high. The process was too broken.


I've removed every obstacle. 

 

One price. 

One guarantee. 

One artist who gets it.


Your character has waited long enough to exist outside your head.

Real Players, Real Victories

I could tell you all day about bringing characters to life. But here's what players who've finally met their heroes face-to-face have to say:

10/10 recommend Jan!

I spent weeks looking on Reddit, getting frustrated by the lack of price disclosure and feeling nervous about getting ghosted. Then I found Jan through a Facebook ad. She brought every detail to life based on written descriptions, scattered references, and a mediocre Hero Forge image. I'm so glad I took the plunge!

-Kaitlyn G.

Verified Customer

She really gets your character

Jan understands visual storytelling takes intentional reflection. She's not a 'draw a pair of boots' artist, but a 'where have those boots been, how many miles have they seen?' kind of artist. You can't teach that kind of care and curiosity. It turned out spectacular, can't wait for my next character!

-Jayce S.

Verified Customer

Jan brought my character to life!

Honestly, I was scared at first, because I'm really picky with art. But Jan managed to gather everything I described into the picture. I nearly heard my character speaking out of it. Her eyes seemed to be alive. It was worth every bit of anxiety and doubt I had going in.

-Luzy L.

Verified Customer

Even better than Hero Forge

The Weaver has been my character for a year and a half, and I could never get them right with Hero Forge or my own drawings. Jan brought this enigmatic courtier to life perfectly. I'll definitely commission again when the campaign wraps to show how the character has changed and evolved.

-Gale S.

Verified Customer

FondlyFramed

4.9

|

324 Reviews

D&D Character Portrait

See Your Hero in 2 Weeks

Heroic Money-Back Guarantee

500+ Commissions Completed

Unlimited Revisions

Living Motion

Check Availability

Frequently Asked Questions

What does my order include?

1) A custom hand-painted portrait of your character

 

2) My Heroic Money Back Guarantee

3) Unlimited revisions until it's perfect

 

4) 2-week turnaround on your first concept

 

5) Limited Bonus: Get a Free Living Motion upgrade on your finalized portrait. (Regular Price: $50, Limit 1 per customer)

Not sure where to start or how to describe your character?

No problem at all! I'll guide you through the commission process step-by-step. Many of my clients are first-time commissioners, so you're in good company.

 

If you'd like to be extra prepared, you're welcome to grab a free Character Blueprint and fill that out with as much or as little detail as you feel comfortable with.

 

Otherwise, you can simply make a purchase, and I'll personally walk you through everything from there. My goal is to make this easy and enjoyable for you!

How does the Money‑Back Guarantee work?

After I deliver your polished concept (in around 2 weeks), you will have 3 days to decide if the art feels right. If not, just email me, I'll refund you in full.

Once I start revisions, the guarantee ends. Simple, risk‑free, and there so you can commission with confidence.(See the full Refund Policy for the fine print.)

 

I truly believe every D&D player deserves to see their hero come to life. This guarantee is just my way of making sure you feel safe jumping in.

Why should I get a character portrait?

Because right now, you're the only one who truly sees your character.

 

After 200+ hours of play, your party still forgets their name. The DM overlooks your backstory. That epic moment from last month? Already forgotten.

 

And I know that your ChatGPT placeholder isn't cutting it either.

 

A portrait changes the entire table dynamic. Suddenly, you're not "the wizard", you're Kalendra the Stormcaller. Your plot hooks get woven in. Your victories stick in everyone's memory. You go from background player to the character everyone's invested in.

 

Plus, campaigns end. Groups drift apart. But that hero who's lived in your head for years? They deserve to exist beyond your imagination.

 

A portrait isn't just art, it's proof that all those Thursday nights mattered.

 

And with Living Motion, they don't just exist, they breathe.

 

Bottom line: Your character has earned the right to be seen, remembered, and immortalized. 

 

The only question is whether it happens before your campaign ends.

 

P.S. - I seriously appreciate you taking the time to read this. As my way of saying thanks, below are hand-drawn token borders I've created, completely free.

 

Use them with any art you have. Consider it a preview of how attention to detail can elevate your hero.

→ [Get Token Borders] ←

Check Availability

Join Over 500 Players & 300+ 5-Star Reviews