lots of peeps have been asking me how to hire japanese or other overseas artists, so though I'd write a guide!!! I'm speaking with personal experience from hiring esteemed japanese artist shiono_0303, who did the key artwork for ikimashou! 

Things to note before hiring

First off, make sure your knowledge of Japanese or other language is at least passable, so that you can communicate details better and such. You should also be prepared to spend lots of money and wait a long time if your artist is popular! I spent tens of thousands of yen for the key artwork, and so should you! art is priceless!

But shiono isn't your style? No worries, there are plenty of other websites to pick from, such as coconala! You can pick from a wide range of artstyles and price points! You can also try browsing twitter or pixiv, and following your favorite artists to get recommendations for your favorite artstyle. Just make sure your artist of choice is available for comms before contacting them! Try not to use skeb.jp as their terms prohibit commercial work without prior agreement. Always contact the artist directly.

Be prepared for disappointment

Oftentimes it is hard to communicate with artists, or perhaps they are too busy or popular to lay eyes on a feeble vn dev like you and I. You'll probably be rejected a few times if you choose to pick one from twitter or pixiv, so keep alternative artists in mind! My advice is to see if they have had western clients in the past or dabble in the western anime sphere, and to have examples of your project, and past work handy, to make yourself seem more official.

Note: This doesn't really apply to coconala users as the people on there are specifically looking for work and would likely be less picky on their clients. It also supports english and paypal payment, yippee.

Be prepared to wait a while

Often times your artist might have a bit of a waitlist. (I had to wait 8 months for my slot with shiono). If you're in a rush, try finding alternative artists with a similar artstyle. 

Be aware of the language barrier...

You can solve this by using chatgpt or other translation apps to help out, but it still helps to have a general knowledge of Japanese. Be sure to maintain politeness throughout your conversation.

Have plenty of references at hand 

An image is worth a 1000 words! If you can show it, show it, don't talk about it! Especially with the language barrier. If you need pose references, I suggest blender or perhaps Koikatsu if you have it.

Not all artstyles are in demand

I am speaking on behalf of those looking for moe artstyles, which are very common in the Japanese artist world. You'll probably find at least 2-4 with the same or simular artstyle. If you are seeking a  more generalized, anime artstyle, you can still find plenty if you search hard enough. It sounds odd but the more generic your artstyle is, the more artists you'll find who do it! 

Consider hiring locally

Often times you just aren't prepared for the big guns. Don't forget that you can always pick a smaller artist to do the work! But if you want more eyes on your project, I'd still recommend a more renowned guy to do the key artworks. The loyal and hardworking 53C did the below artwork!

And  those are all the tips I have for now! Feel free to post in comments and I will try to answer it in this list.