For illustrators
Contracts for illustrators
A UK illustrator needs a signed commission contract before sketches start: scope, licenceA licence is permission to use work in an agreed way, without taking ownership away from the person who made it.More in the glossary (use, territory, duration, exclusivity), revisions, depositA deposit is money paid up front, before the main work or the final invoice.More in the glossary, kill feeA kill fee is a payment due to a creator or supplier when a client cancels a project before it is finished.More in the glossary and credit. Commissioning illustration does not transfer copyright. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes you first owner; s.90(3) requires a written, signed assignmentAssignment is the transfer of rights under a contract to someone else, such as the right to be paid. In England and Wales a legal assignment of a debt must be in writing, absolute, and notified, under the Law of Property Act 1925 s.136. Duties do not pass by assignment; moving duties takes a novation.More in the glossary. Lex drafts that on one shared link.
Last updated 3 November 2026
Draft this with Lex
Free for the other sideLex drafts it in Plain English beside the legal wording. Share one link; both sides agree and sign.
Templates illustrators use most
Which clauses decide an illustrator contract?
Five lines decide most illustration jobs: who owns the artwork, the licence (use, territory, duration, exclusivity), how many sketch and revision rounds are included, the kill fee, and the deposit. Write them in a graphic design contract or freelancer agreement before first sketches. Lex puts them on one paper the client signs from a link.
| Clause | What it does | Typical freelance line |
|---|---|---|
| IP and licence | Who owns the finals, sketches and libraries. | Licence of named uses on full payment; assignment only if written, signed. |
| Usage rights | Where, how long, and how exclusively they can use the work. | Named channels, territory and term; exclusive or non-exclusive; wider use costs more. |
| Revisions | Caps sketch rounds so “until we like it” is not the deal. | Two sketch rounds plus two consolidated rounds on the finals; extras quoted first. |
| Kill fee | Money due if the client cancels. | Work done plus a set percentage of the remaining fee. |
| Deposit | Money before work starts. | 30–50% on signature; work does not start until it lands. |
What contract does an illustrator need?
Start from a graphic design contract or a freelancer agreement. There is no illustrator-only template yet; those two are the closest papers. They fix deliverables, sketch and revision rounds, the fee, the deposit, cancellation, and whether the client gets a licence or an assignment of copyright. Repeat clients often sit under a services agreement plus a statement of work. Lex drafts from one sentence; the client signs from one link.
Who owns commissioned illustration under UK copyright law?
You do, unless you assign it. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 s.11 makes the author the first owner of copyright in a freelance artistic work. Commissioning the drawing does not move that. Section 90(3) says an assignment is not effective unless it is in writing, signed. Paying an invoice does not move ownership. Write a licence or an assignment on full payment, and keep libraries licensed. See who owns freelance work.
Should you licence, grant an exclusive licence, or assign?
Licence unless they are paying for ownership. A licence names use, territory, duration and whether it is exclusive. An exclusive licence still leaves copyright with you; they just get that use to themselves for the term. An assignment moves copyright, in writing, signed, usually on full payment. A US “work for hireWork for hire is a phrase, common on US-style papers, meaning the client is treated as the author and owner of the work from the start.More in the glossary” heading does not do that work in England and Wales. See IP licence vs assignment and usage rights and credit.
How should revisions, sketches and new work be written?
Name the medium, dimensions and how many sketch rounds sit before colour. Two sketch rounds plus two consolidated rounds on the finals is a usual starting point. A round is one packed set of comments, not a drip of Slack notes. Extra rounds, a new pose, or a second application are quoted first. Silence is read as “until we like it”. The revision limit is the line that stops that.
What should the kill fee and deposit say?
A deposit of 30–50% on signature, with work paused until it lands. A kill fee if they cancel: work done plus a set share of the remaining fee. There is no default UK right to keep a deposit; both sides have to agree it. Write the sums in the paper. See client cancels: can you keep the deposit?.
How should credit, moral rights and portfolio use work?
Assert the right to be identified as author if you want a byline — CDPA 1988 ss.77–78. moral rightsMoral rights are the author’s personal rights in a copyright work: to be identified as author, and not to have the work subjected to derogatory treatment. In the UK they sit in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 ss.77–80. They cannot be assigned. They can be waived in writing, signed by the person giving them up, under s.87.More in the glossary cannot be assigned; they can be waived in writing, signed (s.87). Write the credit line, any limited waiverA waiver is a choice not to enforce a right this time, without rewriting the contract. Accepting late work once does not, by itself, kill a time-is-of-the-essence clause if a no-waiver line is present. Waiver is not a variation: Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB [2018] UKSC 24 still requires the agreed method for a change of terms.More in the glossary, and a portfolio licence after launch. See moral rights and publicity and portfolio use. If they publish unpaid work, see client using work without paying.
Frequently asked questions
What contract does an illustrator need?
A commission contract covering scope, licence (use, territory, duration, exclusivity), sketch and revision rounds, deposit, kill fee and credit. There is no illustrator-only template yet; start from the graphic design contract or the freelancer agreement.
Does commissioning illustration transfer copyright to the client?
No. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes you the first owner of a freelance artistic work. The client gets only the licence the contract grants, unless you assign copyright in writing, signed, under s.90(3).
Do I own the work until I am paid?
Yes, unless you already assigned copyright in writing, signed. Paying an invoice does not move ownership. Write assignment or licence on full payment, and that unpaid work stays yours.
What is the difference between an exclusive licence and an assignment?
An exclusive licence is permission for named uses; you keep copyright and cannot license those same uses elsewhere for the term. An assignment transfers copyright, in writing, signed. Wider, longer or exclusive use costs more.
Can I keep the deposit if the client cancels?
Only if both sides agreed a deposit or kill fee. There is no default UK right to keep money described as a deposit after the fact. Write the sum, when it is due, and what happens on cancellation.
Can my client sign without creating an account?
Yes. You share one link, the client reads the agreement in Plain English, agrees and signs. It is free for them.
Sources
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, ss.4 and 11Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.90Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, ss.77, 80 and 87Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
Related
Clauses
Guides
The legal wording governsLast reviewed 3 November 2026Pending lawyer review