If it was free they have no right to say anything about it. But even if they paid for it, they should know the quality in which you work at and not expect way better (not saying youre bad at it) than you already do. Unless its something big like wrong fur color or unique markings are forgotten or messed up I don't think they have the right to say something bad.

Thats just the way I see it. And I usually would just keep it to myself if it were a small problem.

From an artist POV : iif someone doesnt like free art it sucks for them! Unless I've done something horribly wrong/easily fixed they can tak eor leave it. It's nice to have it liked, but some people are just too fussy. For paid art, as far as I'm concerned if they dont say anything is wrong then nothing is wrong.

From the other side : If I recieve gift/cheap art then honestly I wont be bothered even if it turns out horrible. An artist has taken the time to draw me something and I should appreciate that. Completely different attitude for commissions mind.

well personally, i will never ever tell an artist i dont like what theyve drawn for me, unless i paid for it. in which case i will ask them to alter things if they are innacurate, but never ask to have something changed that has come out wrong due to lack of...skill? as far as im concerned if they put honest effort into it im happy. but like rabid said, if it was free, dont be ingrateful by critisizing it.
heres where the hypocracy comes in...as an artist, if i get the sense someone didnt like the art, but they didnt actually come out and say it, i agonize over it. "what could be wrong? is it this? is it this?" if i feel i could have honestly done better, i will usually offer gift art. but if ive done the best i can, and after all they didnt actually come out and say they didnt like it, then i just shrug and move on. and on that note there is nothing i hate more than a client who nit picks absoulutely EVERYTHING. I have specfic ppl who i refuse to work with no matter how much they offer for just this reason.

Yeah, it's the agonising part I get completely eaten up by....because if I don't know what's wrong and I offer to redraw it then...how do I know I won't repeat the same mistake? FOREVER!

Argh!

And yeah there are levels of pickiness that are just insane. I pretty much don't care what people do with my characters so long as they keep their pants on....

weeeeel....... you know me - i will say what im thinking (usually before i have thought about what the other person will think about my comments lol!)

so ya - if i get a pice of art if i like it i say i like it and WHY i like it and if i don't like something about a piece of art i paid for i will talk to the artist and request a redraw (but it has to be some thing horrifically bad for me to do that)
If its a piece of art i have gotten for free that i dont like im not gonna rage cos its art and i didnt pay for it and im more than appreciative of someone drawing me even if im not 100% keen on it.

Basic principal being - if im paying for it i want it to be right but if its free im more willing to accept little bits that are not what i expected.
THAT SAID..... i do appreciate that all artists are different and i like artists to do their 'thing' and not be stuck to "i say what you draw and i will rage at you if you produce anything other than my vision!" I like it when artists exercise their ....umm.... artistic licence and do things im not expecting :)

Probably not much help but .... meh you have read it and cannot un read it! mwhahaha

Here's my take on it -- buying art is like buying any other hand-made craft. Results are variable, and that's to be expected. I try to put an effort into making sure the artist is in a good mood when it comes time to do my piece. If they're stressed and overworked, I try to encourage them to wait (I've waited multiple years for some pieces, no lie). If they're in the dumps, I try to be a cheery customer. If they're poor, I try to tip them or offer a bonus or something. It doesn't always work, and I know I sometimes rub artists the wrong way, so I'm tolerant of quality variations. If there's an error in it, particularly something I previously covered, I might ask for a correction, but I'll try to be as nice about it as possible -- what artist enjoys doing art when they're being yelled at? What artist does better work under such strains? Very few.

I don't really have any art that I'm unhappy with. I do have some art that is better than other pieces, but satisfaction in quality is a matter relative to the artist being commissioned, not relative to other artists, of course. That said, some pieces tickle my fancy more than others, even from the same artist. I have two pics from Firefeathers, and one of them I like more than the other. It's only natural. :)

I think if you're getting a hint that someone's unhappy, but they're saying all the right things, it could be that you're just projecting, or perhaps interpreting them too strongly. It may also be that they're not as happy as they could be, but still more than satisfied. Additionally, consider the context of other customers -- you may have gotten two or three customers who were blissful with your results, and really really happy .. which makes the next customer who's simply less exuberant seem instead like they're dissatisfied.

Just some thoughts. :)

If you've asked them if they don't like something, that's the best you can do.

Trust me, you've run into some fairly nice people if they've not told you they don't like their feebie. I've done some favors for friends, and the reaction they've given me, to give to the artist... it's mind boggling, and, as a middle man, I respectfully decline most of the time.

Well, you know, if you're paying for art you communicate to the artist if there are parts you want changing and they usually comply pretty well.
But by commissioning an artist you're giving them the right to their own artistic interpretation of your character or whatever, and usually I quite enjoy getting to see other people's take on the character I've created.
Sure, there are pieces I like more than others that I have done but that's usually down to how much of a likeness they manage to keep from the original character, but on the other hand I do love every piece I have done because like I said, I enjoy seeing other people's interpretation.
And at the end of the day, isn't that what art is? An individual's personal interpretation of something?

quietly draft and redraft your suicide note in perfectly formatted LaTeX

This this this this this.

Seriously though, it's hard to say. I've had a couple of free bits of art by request, and I'm pretty damn pleased with them. I know I was going to pester you for similar also, and I'm not doing it because it's free, it's because I like you and your art style.

I imagine it's a different situation if someone's all IMMA DRAW UR CHARACTER out of the blue. If they do that, and (in your words) you kind of don't really like it much, I think you are within rights to get 'em to take it down or whatever.

Not that I, for one, will ever be popular enough to have to worry about this.

I know I can insensitive and rude at times, especially on the internet but I say fuck 'em.

Don't care one jot if they like it or not, furry commissioners are a pain in the arse sometimes about what you do and don't do with their prized fursonas. Whats worse is that they don't often pay much! You get what you pay for, basically.

Alright, fine. If you really must know, there are several things wrong in the picture you did as your half of our trade of art a couple of years ago. But I haven't mentioned it up to now because my half of the trade was just as flawed in other ways.

Haha, as if I'd care about trades I did half-heartedly two years ago. That would be crazy!