Artist Release Form

Why Use an Artwork Release

Suppose a business entity, large enough to compensate for any artwork, gets interested in something you have created as an artist. In that case, they have to use the release of liability form to obtain legal proof that they can display your work for private or commercial purposes.

A person who has created a work of art (painting, film, song, dance) has a right to claim monetary compensation for their creation when they consent to a business’s use of the work for promotion or production. In this case, the form will indicate that the buyer has copyrights and that an artist has received some compensation for the piece.

If there is no artist release form, an artist can litigate a case and define the sum of money that a person who has used the piece illegally must pay as compensation. For example, if your soundtrack has been used in a film without your permission, you are encouraged to defend your rights and make a legal claim against the filmmaker for violating copyrights.

Two parties appear on the FormsPal template, and each has its own part to fill in.

• The artist: the owner of the artwork, who gives the release.
• The Releasee: the person or business named on the Releasee line, who will use the artwork.

When to Use an Artist Release Form

There are many situations when an artist release form may help you protect your rights. The form is mostly used when famous labels and big companies want to use intellectual property legally. The list includes but is not limited to the following occasions:

• A film production company uses a song or melody or any other artwork you have created in its cinematic works.
• An art gallery wants to display your painting, photograph, sculpture, or a work of any other type of art in an exhibition.
• A website or any other online platform asks you to grant consent to use one of your artworks in its article or for other purposes (for instance, for advertisement).
• A manufacturing company may wish to have their goods imprinted with your painting or sketch.
• A book or magazine publisher wants to use your photo or painting as an illustration or for commercial purposes.

There are many other situations in which an artist release form comes into play. It is always a great idea to obtain an artist’s permission if they are paid for a creative piece. It can help a company avoid legal cases in court and other confusing moments.

If you obtain the right to use another person’s intellectual property entirely for free, it is still recommended to complete the form to guarantee your copyrights’ protection. It is also worth mentioning that although after selling or giving away an artwork, the owner lets the buyer use it for established purposes, the creator still has a right to include it in their portfolio or use it for the promotion of their talent.

Artist Release Form Details

What the Artwork Release Form Includes

The FormsPal artwork release template fits on a single page and contains eight fillable fields. They fall into five distinct parts, and understanding what each part requests makes the individual blanks considerably quicker to complete.

• Art works: three lines for naming the artwork or the series of artwork the release is about.
• Releasee: one line for the party that will use the artwork.
• Signature: the line for the owner's handwritten signature.
• Owner and child lines: one line for the owner or legal guardian and one for a child, which stays empty when the owner is an adult.
• Date: the day the form is completed.

Create a free high quality Artist Release Form online now!

Create and Print Online Now

How to Fill Out the Artwork Release Form

You are welcome to use our form-building software to obtain the needed file. After you have completed the paper, print it, and keep the original document in a safe place. You can also open the downloaded PDF in the FormsPal PDF editor to type your answers. The template is one page long, so filling it out takes two steps.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Artist Release template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

1. ARTWORK RELEASE: Works and Releasee. At the top of page 1, describe the artwork or series of artwork on the Art works lines. Then enter the party that will use the artwork on the Releasee line.

   

2. Signature, printed names and date. At the bottom of page 1, sign on the Signature line, print the owner or legal guardian's name and add today's date. Use the child's line only when the owner is under 18.

   

How to Sign and Use the Artist Release

Talk the deal through with the other party before the paperwork is finished. These three steps cover the negotiation, the conditions you agree on and the signature, and they work alongside the blanks you filled in above.

1. Conduct Negotiations with the Other Party. It is the essential step to take before you, as an artist, sign the permission. You need to know to whom you grant your consent. Verify the identities of the other parties. Ask them to provide their ID cards. Provide your identification document. Proving the validity can help to instill more confidence into the parties involved.
2. Define the Conditions. As the creator of a piece, you are empowered to specify under what conditions you agree to grant permission to the other party. You can do it orally or attach an additional paper to the form.
3. Sign the Artist Release Form. Once the two parties have agreed on the terms outlined during the negotiation, the artist authorizes the document by providing their signature. Check the information you have inserted in the document before signing.

Sample Entries for an Artwork Release Form

The table below shows how a completed template could look. All of the entries are fictional, so replace them with your own information before you print the form or send it to the other party for review.

Artwork Release Examples

An artwork release appears in many everyday creative projects, from gallery exhibitions to commissioned illustrations. The three examples below demonstrate how different professionals use the same one-page template, and each of them begins with a clear description of the artwork.

• A painter lends a series of canvases to a gallery for a spring show, and lists the series title and the year on the Art works lines.
• An illustrator sends cover artwork to a publisher, and writes the title of the illustration and the medium before naming the publisher as the Releasee.
• A sculptor agrees to display a piece in a local cafe, and records the title of the piece, the material and the size.

Common Mistakes When Completing the Release

Most complications with a release originate from small gaps in the paperwork, and a careful review of the finished form catches the majority of them, so read every line one more time while keeping the other party's perspective in mind.

• A vague artwork description. Writing only "paintings" does not tell anyone which pieces the release is about.
• Spelling that differs. The Releasee line should read the same as on the other party's own paperwork.
• A missing date. Without it, nobody can tell when the paperwork was completed.
• A draft copy. Read the whole page again and keep only the final printed copy.
• Losing the finished copy. Keep one completed copy with your artwork records and hand one to the other party.

Related Release Forms

Some projects need more than one release. FormsPal also offers a photo release form for projects that include photographs, a model release form for shoots with a model and a photography copyright release form for photographers. Each of these is a free template that you can complete online, print and store alongside your artwork documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an artist release form?

It is a one-page form that lets the owner of an artwork give another party the go-ahead to use that work. In the FormsPal template, that party is called the Releasee.

Is an artist release form the same as an artwork release?

The two names describe the same kind of form. You may also see it called a graphic design release.

Can I list more than one artwork on the form?

Yes. The template has three Art works lines for describing a single piece or a series of artwork. For a series, give the series name and a short description, such as Harbor Series, ten oil paintings from 2024.

Who fills in the Signature line?

The owner of the artwork adds a handwritten signature on the Signature line and prints their name below it. The template also has a line for a child's printed name, which you fill in only when the owner is under 18.

What should I do with the finished form?

Keep a completed copy with your artwork records and give an identical copy to the other party. If you filled out the form online, print it first so that both copies are exactly the same.

Can I fill out the artwork release online?

Yes. Open the free template, type the artwork description and the Releasee into the fillable fields, and then print the completed page for signing.

How do I describe a large collection of artwork?

Give the collection a title, then add the year or period and a short description of the medium, because a line such as Studio Prints 2022 to 2024, screen prints on paper keeps the identification of the whole collection clear.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Jennifer M. Settles

Author & Attorney

With over 25 years of experience as a business and transactional attorney, Jennifer has mastered the craft of closing highly successful deals for her clients. Through her wide-ranging expertise in commercial contracts, real estate transactions, M&A and corporate law, Jennifer secures results that are second-to-none.