When doing comms/requests, what's your process for interpreting characters into your style?

[Glossolalia]

If the reference art is anything but super realistic, sometimes I find myself second guessing which changes are acceptable to make when translating it into my style (Is their snout canonically really tiny, or does that artist just happen to draw all snouts smaller than I do? I don't usually draw my own characters with pupils, but the reference has pupils- should I assume they know from my examples that I stylize eyes in this way?)

I know the obvious solution is to ask, but it isn't practical to ask about every single feature. When do you use your own judgement, and when do you ask for clarification?

 

[fernshiine]

I haven't ever really had to ask for clarification with this, but I see your point.

With eyes, it depends on how many, um, colors and details there are, I guess.

If it is a chibi with only one color, I use that color for the base eye and darken it to make the pupil if it's pale or bright color. If it is darker, then I use it as the pupil. For my own character I had to do that since when I got her she had been a chibi. Other than that, though, I haven't had this problem. And I just use normal lineart color for the nose, I guess, since my nose style isn't really one that can be colored and detailed.

 

[friskydingo]

Last time I did a commission I pretty much copied the style, but it wasn't too far off from mine. I think just asking is the proper solution and showing a preliminary sketch. Make it clear that it's okay to ask for corrections. It sucks to have a client that you have a sense that something isn't working for them and they're too shy to tell you. I want you to be so thrilled with it you're squealing with joy and my feelings won't get hurt. Just say what you want different. That's my policy.