A month ago, I posted one of my rainbow commission portraits here.
The mother eventually contacted me, hesitantly, to let me know she wasn’t 100% happy with it. The only thing to do, really, was to make a new one. Because what’s the point of even doing portraits if they aren’t loved by the people who get them?
And this time, I was smart enough to send them a picture of it in process. I thought it would be so fun to open the finished product as a surprise when it arrived, but that’s only fun if you actually like the drawing!
They told me they were much, much happier with the re-do so I went ahead and finished it. They had mailed me back the original one, so I sent them the redone one.
Seeing how much better this one is than the first, I am incredibly grateful for this family for letting me know they weren’t happy with the first one. Seeing the first one again, especially compared with the new one, I’m not happy with it, either. 
And it turned out great! They sent me this photo the day they got it:
HARPER LEICH 
Loved your blog post about your rethinking commissions and really love the new version! It would be hard to imagine that the family couldn’t love this beautiful work of art. Congrats!
like anything that is done for a client, they have a vision of what they are asking you to create. the trick is to ask lots of questions, have them involved in the process. keep in mind that commissions are not presents or gifts, they are a piece of work. and sometimes they just don’t quite go right, it happens to all of us. granted my art is different, but i always do a small version with the colors i am thinking and get approval before moving to the final piece. your work is so beautiful, i am sure the best advice anyone could give you is to relax, enjoy the pieces, the experience and enjoy where you have arrived in your art and all the places it can take you. : ) i hope to commission a rainbow piece one day