This is a subpage of Wikipedia:Donated artwork. It is a draft letter addressed to art colleges to help find artist willing to create and donate portraits of notable people who have a Wikipedia article but no available image. Please feel free to modify this draft. If you use it to send out mail yourself, you need to at least change the highlighted portions.

Sample email 1 edit

Dear NAME,

Hello. I am a Wikipedian. I am writing to individuals at your organization to offer them an opportunity for exposure.

A number of high-traffic Wikipedia articles on famous individuals lack images. This is often because no image with an appropriate copyright status has yet been found. An original, realistic art work is a welcome alternative.

You are encouraged to create a portrait in the medium of your choice (even a simple pencil sketch). You can then upload it, or have a Wikipedian upload it for you, to Wikimedia Commons under a compatible license. It will then become available for use in Wikipedia articles and other media.

The benefit to the artist may be significant in terms of exposure as many of these articles receive a large number of page visits. Typically, works hosted on Wikimedia Commons are by policy credited to the creator. Works hosted on Wikimedia Commons are available for reuse – including for commercial purposes (such as newspaper articles etc) and to create derivatives from, subject to the terms of the license being met.

It is extremely important that the piece is original, such as a composite image based on more than one image, and but must not appear copied from any particular image. This is to prevent any copyright infringement.

Please circulate this letter to those it may concern.

For more information, please visit the main artists' page at English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Donated_artwork/Artists'_welcome_page

For a list of articles needing images, please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Donated_artwork/List_of_articles_needing_images. Please be sure to read the instructions section carefully.

I can be reached for further information and assistance at the return email address. Alternately, you may post publicly at either of the following:

My Wikipedia user talk page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:USERNAME

The Wikipedia Donated artwork talk page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Donated_artwork/Artists'_welcome_page

Sincerely,

NAME

Sample email 2 edit

Subject: Portraits for Wikipedia articles

Dear artists,

Hello. I am a Wikipedian. I am writing to those at your organization with an opportunity for exposure.

A number of high-traffic Wikipedia articles on famous individuals lack images. This is often because no image with an appropriate copyright status has yet been found. An original, realistic art work is a welcome alternative.

You are encouraged to create a portrait in the medium of your choice (even a simple pencil sketch). You can then upload it, or have a Wikipedian upload it for you, to Wikimedia Commons under a compatible license. It will then become available for use in Wikipedia articles and other media.

The benefit to the artists may be significant in terms of exposure as many of these articles receive a large number of page visits. Typically, works hosted on Wikimedia Commons are by policy credited to the creator. Works hosted on Wikimedia Commons are available for reuse – including for commercial purposes (such as newspaper articles etc) and to create derivatives from, subject to the terms of the license being met.

It is extremely important that the piece is original, such as a composite image based on more than one image, and but must not appear copied from any particular image. This is to prevent any copyright infringement.

Please feel free to circulate this letter to those it may concern.

For further information, please visit the main artists' page at English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Donated_artwork/Artists'_welcome_page

For a list of articles needing images, please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Donated_artwork/List_of_articles_needing_images. Please be sure to read the instructions section carefully.

I can be reached for more details and assistance at the return e-mail address. Alternately, you can post publicly at either of the following:

Sincerely,

Anna Frodesiak