NIA VAL
Welcome
A love for story telling and fiction that breathes
BIONia is a Costa Rican artist fascinated by fantasy and mythology. Blessed to grow up surrounded by people who valued, encouraged and nurtured their creativity, they got to explore different creative means of expression since childhood. They developed a voracious appetite for fantasy literature where they found refuge and company away from the instability and isolation of their then house.
Later on they chose to study a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting at the University of Costa Rica and since then they’ve worked as a freelance illustrator and video editor, concept artist, as well as an art teacher, and small business owner.
ARTIST STATEMENTI chase the spaces between fantasy and the ordinary, where wonder and magic exist. It is there that I find the comfort and strength necessary to live. Just as fantasy stories saved me, I wish to bring others the same joy, comfort, shelter, and courage with my art. In my personal artworks I transform memories, traumas, and emotions into creations that channel my need for escapism and imagination to survive.
My mediums range from fine art painting and clay sculpting to illustration, portraiture, concept art, and more.
©️Nia Val. All rights reserved
COMMISSION PROCESS
1: idea
It all starts with a commission inquiry you've sent with an idea in mind. I'll respond with an estimated price, timeline, and questions.
* In the case of traditional (physical) artworks, I’ll also need your information for international shipping unless you reside in Costa Rica.You can then pay a deposit to secure your spot in my queue, by which you confirm you’ve read the terms of service.
2: sketching
When it's your turn, I’ll start by sending you sketch options for your review. This is the only stage of the process where making big changes is allowed without any extra fee (like changing the character or background). The goal here is to refine the sketch and base colors until you’re satisfied, to prepare for the rendering stage. You won’t be able to change your mind later and ask for changes for free, so be sure.At this time, the payment invoice will be sent.
3: cooking
Once we’ve arrived at a final sketch and base colors, I’ll start rendering.
Every big progress point will be sent over as an update so you can give feedback.
*In the case of certain traditional techniques like watercolor, only one mid process update will be sent, as no changes can be done or corrected with watercolor.
4: serving
After final refinements, I deliver the final art via email / Google Drive. You receive 4k resolution digital artwork and a lower version for public post.
If it’s a physical traditional artwork, it is delivered in person if possible or shipped to your location.
TERMS OF SERVICE
✦LIMITED SLOTS
There’s a limited amount of commission slots available each month. You may check the ko-fi, or vgen page for this and choose to secure your slot by paying a 50$ flat deposit (this 50$ deposit is entirely optional).✦I RETAIN THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE IF
If your inquiry asks for the following or anything else I might not be comfortable drawing, I will not work on it.
-NSFW (overtly sexual depictions)
-Heavy gore
-Real life celebrities, famous people
-Problematic media that promotes hate, discrimination, etc.What is not included in that list and I will work on? For example:
-Something lightly suggestive (not all nudity is inherently sexual)
-Light gore
-Mechas
-Scifi theme
-Etc✦PAYMENT
-Upfront payment via PayPal invoices only if you are not a Costa Rican resident.
For Costa Rican residents, you can pay with a direct bank deposit or Simpe.
Full price paid upfront, (not including additional fees from mid-process changes).-Prices listed are base prices and may increase depending on complexity (details, props, characters, background, etc.). Check prices and additional fees list.-Payments are non-refundable once the commission has been accepted and started.-(optional) Deposit-based commissions: A 50$ non-refundable flat deposit to secure the slot.✦ ESTIMATED WORK TIME
Finishing a commission may take from 2 weeks to 2 months after the sketch has been approved, depending on the complexity and workload at the moment.In the case of oil and watercolor paintings, it may take more than 2 months depending on size and current workload.
(Progress can be tracked on Trello Board.)✦ REVISIONS
Revisions are allowed during the sketch stage.
Once the sketch is approved, only minor adjustments can be made.Major changes after approval will require an additional fee (for example, changing the background from a city to a forest, or adding an entirely new character into a group pose).✦ COPYRIGHT AND USAGE
Copyright retained by me, the artist, for any commissioned artwork.I reserve the right to display the commissioned artwork in my portfolio, website, or social media for promotional purposes.In the case that I want to make products using the commissioned artwork, I’ll discuss with you whether you feel comfortable with it (particularly in cases where the shows a real person’s face, or an oc created by the commissioner, or a character from the commissioner’s book).-You (the client/commissioner):
Can use the copyrighted artwork for personal use only unless stated otherwise in a licensing agreement.Can use the art to promote yourself (for example, if you’re a writer and want to promote yourself book with the commissioned artwork), with proper credit given to the artist.You retain the rights to your original character(s), but not to the artwork itself.You are NOT allowed to use the commissioned artwork for NFTs, AI training, generating, or scraping, or any other form of blockchain-related projects. You are NOT allowed to use any image from the process nor the final product to train and/or generate AI images.✦COMMERCIAL USE AND LICENSING
If you want to use the artwork with commercial purposes, a licensing agreement is a requirement. A licensing agreement contract will be drafted by me according to what we agree upon and will be signed by both me (the artist) and the client.
Take into account licensing will greatly increase costs.✦ FINAL NOTES
By commissioning me, you agree to these terms.
If you have any questions, concerns, or special requests, feel free to ask before we start.
©️Nia Val. All rights reserved
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
Send an email to [email protected] with all relevant information regarding your proposal or commission.
(Listed below are required details for your commission inquiry)Subject COMMISSION - (Your name)
1. Type of commission: whether it’s a portrait, book cover, mural, character illustration, etc
2. Number of characters:
3. Character appearance and information: their name, a short description of who they are, and their personality. Character's visual references (artworks, photos, in-game screenshots, inspo, etc.)
4. General idea for the art: mood, scene description, and preferred pose (if any).
5. Background: preferred color for simple background (if any) or description for detailed background
6. Context: state clearly whether this is for a personal project, personal purchase, a gift, an editorial job, etc.
6. PayPal email address:
7. Social handles:*If any other information is beneficial for the commission that is not listed above, feel free to include it.
*If you’re interested in licensing an artwork, please state it clearly in your email as it will change the price.By sending this email you confirm you’ve read and understood the Terms of Service.
INTERESTED IN BUYING A PHYSICAL ARTWORK
If you’re interested in buying one of the physical artworks you’ve seen, please send an inquiry to the email [email protected] with your information. I’ll respond with the artwork’s information and pricing.
If you do not reside in Costa Rica, please add information pertinent for the shipping of the artwork (name, country, city, zip code, address, etc).
If you live in Costa Rica, you can choose mail delivery or in person delivery.
Shipping will be included in the final pricing.
©️Nia Val. All rights reserved