Illustrations and graphics add immense value to your publications. They help to communicate ideas clearly and concisely, often better than words alone. They draw attention to your work and help people remember it. We live in a visual world and journals are increasingly requesting the submission of a graphical abstract alongside the body of the article. However, creating high-quality illustrations requires a lot of work, consideration from the artist, and communication with the client. Many scientists approach commissioning an illustration as an afterthought and don’t fully appreciate what is involved or what "usage" and "contracts" mean. Indeed most artists are still getting to grips with this! This presentation is intended to explain what is involved in commissioning an illustration, what "usage" is, where the value lies, and what contracts are. Foremost, it will guide you on some important things to consider if you are thinking about commissioning some art to bring your science to life.