Design Vortex
Custom Projects · by inquiry

Bespoke illustration on demand.

Book covers, indie game assets, merch design, concept art. If it needs painting and we’ve got the bandwidth, we’ll quote it honestly.

QuoteStarting price
By scopeTurnaround
By scopeResolution
30+Pieces delivered
Featured · Custom Projects
What's included

Six things in every commission

Bespoke scoping

A real conversation about what you need — not a checklist. We scope to your actual project.

Commercial licensing built in

For books, merch, games and streaming, we bake the license into the quote up front.

Retainer arrangements

Long-term collaborations get monthly retainer rates with priority in our queue.

NDA on request

Comfortable signing NDAs for pre-launch indie games, unannounced books, and similar.

Multiple revision rounds

Negotiated up front based on scope. We won’t cap revisions on a $5k brief at two rounds.

Source files included

Layered PSDs delivered with every custom commission — no separate charge.

Pricing tiers

Three levels, your call

Same care across all three — the differences are scope, finish, and what's included.

Small
one bespoke piece
From $500single illustration
  • 1 illustration · negotiated brief
  • Commercial license included
  • Layered PSD delivered
  • Negotiated revisions
Most popular
Project
multi-piece engagement
From $2kmulti-piece scope
  • 3–10 pieces in matching style
  • Style guide deliverable
  • NDA on request
  • Priority queue placement
Retainer
ongoing collaboration
From $4k/momonthly retainer
  • Dedicated monthly slots
  • Best per-piece rate
  • Direct artist access
  • Priority on all requests
Recent custom projects

Pieces from the last quarter

Painterly

Indie game cover · The Hollow

Project · Mar 2026
Painterly

Novel cover · Saltbound

Small · Feb 2026
Painterly

Merch line · 5 designs

Project · Jan 2026
About this service

Custom Projects, specifically

Common questions about the custom projectsprocess — what's possible, what isn't, and where the limits land.

See full FAQ

Book covers, indie video game key art, tabletop game illustrations, merch designs, concept art for personal projects, large-format prints — anything that needs painting and isn’t covered by our standard services.

Ready to commission a custom project?

Three minutes to brief. Quote within 48 hours. First sketch within a week.