I always try to be approachable and professional. Though I can rub people the wrong way because I am pretty blunt with my mannerisms.

As for commissioners, I tolerate them till they act like straight up dicks.

Yesss, I think professionalism is definitely key! You don't have to be friendly, per se, but professionalism should be a given! Same goes for commissioners!

Yeah, professionalism is key. You don't wanna be THAT GUY who acts like their art is a gift from god and you better worship the ground they walk on lol

Both of you have pretty amazing art though.. Maybe it is a gift from god ;P

The demeanor of the artist I'm commissioning is very important to me. I don't care if they're selling the best art on the internet, I'd take someone with less quality art who is professional in how they handle their artwork over someone who isn't. I've never had to deal with such a case, but if I were to run into an artist that acted as you described, I'd blacklist them in my personal list once the artwork paid for is completed.

I do have a friend irl who was posted to A_B. She disappeared off the internet due to some ridiculous drama, and refuses to look at her old email because of the almost guaranteed flaming. So I posted on her old art profiles with an old unused email of mine for people to contact. With a third person involved, she doesn't have to worry about getting hate mail mixed in with those actually concerned about the commissions she owed them.

I've only commissioned a couple artists, ever, and both of them were already friends of mine. So the first question, I cannot answer...

The second question, I can!

If a commissioner's attitude isn't your cup of tea, do you consider turning down their offer?

Depends on how their attitude bothers me.
If they're just what my husband likes to refer to as an "abrasive personality", then I just shrug and do business with them as professionally as I can. So long as they're not being rude to me or ridiculously critical, I don't see a reason why I should deny them the commission they want to purchase from me. However, if they're being particularly rude about how the process is going, or if nothing I produce ever seems to satisfy them, even though they should have already realized how I draw things before paying me for any work, I may reconsider. The only time I will completely deny a commissioner without having tried to conduct business with them first is in the case of a WELL KNOWN scammer. Otherwise, I do try to work with everyone on a professional, business level, if I can.

Most of my commissioners have been good folks who haven't been rude, impatient, or otherwise unpleasant. I've had one that had me refusing to do commissions for over a year, and even now I still feel nervous about opening up for commissions, because he was THAT bad. He ordered something that was a little out of my range, and I explained that it was outside my usual comfort zone, but I would most definitely try to do it for him. I tried and tried and looked for all kinds of references for this unusual pose he had asked for, but I couldn't come up with anything and I never found a proper reference. When I asked him if there was anything I could possible do for him instead, or perhaps if he was truly set on that one pose and nothing else, could I refund him his payment, he exploded on me, calling me a scammer, a liar, a cheat, and threatening me with whatever he thought might stir me, I guess. When I then said that I would like to give him a refund and cancel the commission due to his inappropriate response to me, he REFUSED the refund, saying he was sure he'd never get it (it was a money order, so I would have to mail one to him, and as I had moved very soon after receiving the payment, I had lost the envelope he'd sent the original in). He then wrote up a few journals about me calling me a scammer and telling people not to buy from me. I eventually did get his address... somehow. I don't know how anymore. I think a friend somehow got him to give it to them. I sent the money order ASAP as soon as I had the address, but whoa. He was a mess!

I won't commission someone who is rude or nasty, as art just isn't something I NEED enough that I would want to expose myself to their attitude.

Similarly, I'm not so desperate that I'll take money from nasty commissioners. Fortunately, I've only had to turn people down a couple of times. Most are perfectly nice people. I do avoid people who are nice but otherwise nitpicky though, you don't tend to get paid enough to put up with it.

I think the worst experience I ever had with a commissioner was when I was supposed to make them a Furcadia portrait. They were difficult, passive-aggressive, insulting, demanding, and when I showed them the flat colours of the portrait for them to approve they were like I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO PAY FOR THATTTTT... (even though it was exactly what they asked for and they had approved the sketch) and were clearly hoping I would make it even cheaper than it already was just to get their money. I told them then and there that I was canceling the commission (I hadn't been paid yet) and to have a nice day. I got a nasty note back where they claimed they'd already sent the money order (BS) and just generally pitching a fit. They didn't get anything in the end, and they seemed pretty mad about it. Another was a girl who stopped replying when it was time to pay and put the stolen, unpaid sketch up on her website. I put her and the other one on AB back in the day, I believe, and I only take payment upfront now. It's worked fabulously to weed out the jerks.

The worst I've ever had commissioning an artist.. I've had a few. The problem is almost ALWAYS lack of communication. They'll give me a deadline, miss it, not tell me what's up, ignore me when I ask them (and I'm patient, I try to wait a month between messages, depending on what it is), and are just generally evasive.. until they find out I'm a moderator of artists_beware, then they're suddenly more responsive. There's a fairly popular artist here on FA that I commissioned a long time ago for a bunch of different things, and she tended to just flat-out ignore what I'd ask her to do (like I asked for a specific theme for an icon for my boyfriend's birthday, but got a generic happy smiley icon instead), not pay attention to the character refs, be uncommunicative and then later she posted a journal asking for criticism of her business practices.. I answered honestly but still politely, one of her whiteknights freaked out at me that I would dare say anything negative because good artists can do no wrong, and then the artist herself deleted the journal. It was pretty clear she hadn't expected anyone to actually voice any complaints, she'd been enjoying the mindless slobbering up until then. It was pretty silly. Don't ask for criticism if all you want are buttpats.

I try not to consciously take an artist's disposition into account, since it's just supposed to be a business transaction, but I know that if I'm treated with respect and courtesy, I will definitely be a repeat customer.

There is only one artist I can think of who I would NOT ever do business with because of how she treated a customer. And even then, it was disrespectful on a business person level too, so I'm unsure of where my feelings of her character stop and of her business practices start.

Do you take an artist's disposition into account before deciding to commission them?
Absolutely. I don't want to give my money to someone who will act disdainful towards me or who may seem... unapproachable. The latter is especially a red flag because what if I have to poke them for an update or ask for changes?
When I commission an artist I don't expect them to be my friend.
What I expect is to be treated professionally, with respect and like they appreciate my business. Friendliness is a bonus too but like I said, I don't mistake that for friendship. Though, if a friendship develops organically from it then that's incredibly awesome, and I have experienced it a few times. ^^
Customer service is a vital part of the commissioning experience, and imo it's part of what the customer is paying for, as well as the end product.

Artists, too! If a commissioner's attitude isn't your cup of tea, do you consider turning down their offer?
Absolutely. If I get bad vibes or their attitude rubs me the wrong way I find it's better to not enter into a financial arrangement. Trust your instincts on this. If someone seems impossible to please, is insulting or deliberately abrasive you don't have to tolerate that whatsoever.

Do you folks have any similar tales? No names, please! This post is not for mudslinging!
Not really. I've had a few bad situations, all but one of which ended up on A_B and ended up being resolved as a result. So I don't consider them 'horror stories', perhaps just misunderstandings or a failure in communication, which happens. I bear no will will towards those people at all.

I, personally, try to be as courteous as possible to all of my customers, though I will most certainly draw the line when it comes to those "tire kicking" types who want to go on about a possible commission idea, then disclose near the end that they had never planned to pay for said commission. The same is true for those people who want to get buddy-buddy in hopes of landing some free art. I, like most people I know, just don't have the time to spend hours discussing things with people that will never come to fruition, y'know?

Similarly, I try to look for people who are courteous to their customers and can communicate well. That's so essential in this business.

I've never commissioned anyone, but I can say attitude has a lot to do with the process for me. I like making people happy, whether they're paying me, or I'm doing gift art, or whatever. I've blocked a couple people for whining that my prices are too high (they're not) and insisting I "price match" with other artists. If you want to haggle with me, haggle. Don't bitch. I'll negotiate or work out a payment plan or whatever works best, but snarking at me that you want my art but I'm "too expensive" is the quickest way to get on my grumpy side. I try to be open and friendly, though I do prefer some professional distance. It's not always necessary. Sometimes I'll really hit it off with a commissioner, and they'll become a friend. Sometimes not. I try to be careful about what I take on so I don't get too overwhelmed and fall into the trap of not finishing things. I don't always remember to post updates, but I try really hard to at least respond if poked, and to split my time fairly between commissioned art, personal art, and gift art. I know there's not much that's more frustrating than seeing someone post tons of new pics that have nothing to do with commissioned art they owe. I don't want to be one of those artists.

As a commissioner, yes I do pay attention to an artist's attitude. Repeat business is as dependent on attitude as results, perhaps a little more so. As an example, I have this pic of Molly and Krin in swimsuits, with Molly holding a beach ball, and how wonderful the artist was to work with and how well she listened to a few suggestions I had ensured my scrambling for her most recent opening of flat CG slots.

on both accounts, i definitely take personality into consideration. i mean, i probably wouldn't be like 'no, i'm never commissioning/accepting a commission from so and so -just- because they're annoying', etc., but it would make me much less likely to do so. more so commissioning someone than being commissioned by someone.

I tend to go after their personality, I tend to avoid ones that I know I wont get along with, which often folks find it weird that I avoid artist that are generally nice to their commissioners but tend have a bad personality themselves. If I cant get along with said artist even if they put on the nice attitude for just commissioners I cant work with them.

I don't really commission that much, but I definitely agree with commissioning.... well, "okay" people. They don't need to be spectacularly supersweet or superfriendly, but I wouldn't want to give my money for someone who is abusive and pain to work with it, regardless the quality of their art. They don't even need to be abusive towards me personally - I just plain don't want to give money for someone who thinks it's edgy and cool to be, pardon my language, a total dick. My tolerance to this is rather high, not like "oh not this person had a bad day never commission!!", but there are several people who I would never ever commission because their overall attitude, even if they probably could handle the customer service part okay-ishly.


I've never had problems with commissioners. I don't do much commissions either (I'm lucky if I get one a month!) but everyone I've worked with has been nice; I hope they feel the same about me. Honestly my bigges problem so far has been how one commissioner simply stopped replying me after I sent the penultimate version of the piece for them so they could tell me if they want changes before I'd do finishing touches, and they just... vanished. They'd paid in advance so I didn't exactly lose anything, and after a month (I'd said I'd try to finish in a month at most) I simply sent the fully finished piece. I googled his e-mail and saw he'd been active on other sites so I don't really know what's up with that :I but yeah, it's been fairly easy for me.

Their disposition absolutely can make a difference. Generally my experiences commissioning others and being commissioned has been excellent. Most people have been just lovely to work with, and that is something that keeps me inspired and happy to keep doing commissions full time. While I generally try to keep things businesslike and professional, I have also made a number of good friends through both commissioners and other artists in the past.

On the other hand, a rare experience of mine that was negative was at a con. I tried to commission someone who still had the 'open' sign up. First time I approached her she told me to come back later because she was talking to her friend. Second time I came back she flat out told me she didn't feel like writing down my info and to come back later. Third time I came back she literally ignored me and turned to her friend and started talking loudly to pretend I wasn't there. At this point I decided I'd much rather invest my money with someone who -wanted- to do art and who wasn't rude and dismissive. I don't understand getting a dealer's table at a con if you don't want to do anything. So yes, in a case like that, the attitude absolutely mattered and I will not commission someone who treats their customers that way. I like to know that my money is going to someone who enjoys their work and values their clients.

As far as commissioners I've been very fortunate. In the last few years I've been doing full time commissions I've only gotten one or two trouble clients (and in fact the worst one I've ever dealt with was not even a furry). If they send off red flags and bad vibes, then yeah, I'll turn them down before starting. If I've already accepted the commission then I try my best to work through it.

I absolutely do. I find it so much easier to work with pleasurable people. I feel more motivated to get the job done when it's for a friend, or for someone that's amiable, and will enjoy the piece. It's like the difference between getting a friendly cashier and a sourly one at Publix. As for commissioning people, ditto! I'm more likely to commission them again if I had an overall good experience with them. Which is why I like commissioning friends, and friends of friends so much!

I always take the artist's disposition in account when I am looking for someone to commission. I will not work with someone who is nasty, rude, childish, or just plain unapproachable. I watch a lot of artists and there are a few I would never commission. The reason for this is because if I feel the need to critique the commission I am getting, or ask for a change, I don't want to end up with teeth marks in my ass. XD

Similarly, if a client's attitude rubs me the wrong way I will decline the commission, or, if I have already accepted and started work I will just make a note to never work with them again. I work in software QA, I deal with nastiness on a daily basis and I refuse to deal with it in my free time.

I always try to be courteous and approachable. I like to think that being nice is simply something that comes naturally to me anyway. I treat people how I would like to be treated; with respect. That doesn't mean I am a pushover, though. ;3 I stand my ground.

For me the disposition can make a huge difference, that said despite all the people who say it impacts them, there are plenty of artists and even commissioners who are nasty regularly who still get work. I've seen and heard about some appalling behaviour from various people over the years from harassment, gossiping about other people, lying about other people, undermining people to get work, stealing from a charity just to spite an artist they didn't like and yet all those people remain popular.

I'm firmly of the opinion that most people can't tell the difference between genuinely nice and genuinely nice being faked. If being a nasty person was so offputting, there would be a lot less popular people around.

Personally I struggle a bit myself, I'm autistic so often people think I'm being rude or abrupt when I'm not. I'm actually very nice (too nice if I'm honest, I have let people walk all over me too often) and customer orientated.

Absolutely. I've seen more then one artist on FA where even tho I like their work and would love a piece in their style, I will not commission just from the attitude I see in their FA profile or journals or comments ect. There is one specific example I can think of were the artist flat out said they were not friendly, and only does this, and will choose if they do that on commissions, and a fair amount of other language that just came across as "do not talk to me and do not ask me about commissions because even tho I am advertising they are open I don't actually want to talk to anyone or do any." That one specific example was remarkably jarring. There have been a few others where is has not been as obvious the artist had zero interest in talking to other people, but there was enough of a vibe that it would not be pleasant or they just don't want to be talked to I will pass on even considering them.

I do not expect every artist to become OMG BBFS 4 EVAR with me for just accepting an order from me. There have been quiet a few that I have ended up talking to socially after getting something from them, or just from conversations in comments, and some I do consider friends, and a few have even given me discounts (GIVEN me, I have never asked) because I was such a good client or turned out to be a good friend. Others have turned out to be less then good friends, and my social and business with them is over, and others have been curtious and professional and it was just business and we do not really talk socially. I will admit tho, people who come across as down to earth, reasonable, and actually respond to comments or notes like well, normal people will incline me more to order from them regardless of level of talent.

I will say this tho, regardless of personality or professionalism, one other huge factor is how LONG it takes them to finish commissions. If I hear someone has been waiting like 6 months to a year for something, I will check out the artist to see if there was a reason, and if said reason was legit. Stuff comes up and I understand that, but if someone is just lazy, then that is a large mark against them. That factor may even be the largest factor regardless of professionalism, price, or friendliness, because you can be awesome, cheep, and the nicest person in the word but if I wait a year for a sketch, its not worth it.

Short and simple: If a client rubs me the wrong way - I turn down a commission. And on the flipside, if an artist gets an attitude with me without just cause, I don't want to have them work for me. Being nice goes a long way. The latter has only happened once, thankfully. And very very rarely have I ever gotten a rude client! I consider myself lucky to have such a varied amount of people I've done work for over the years.

I try to be as nice as possible, largely because I'm known for being very particular about commissioned pieces. To the point of being known as a nitpicker. >w< I try to be respectful as I can though.

Most of my FA friends are artists themselves and tell me downright horror stories about how awful some of their commissioners have been. I'd honestly encourage artists not to deal with people who have bad attitudes.

There are a few artists renowned for their shitty attitudes (S********r and Z*****a being two of the most in?-famous) who have turned out to be outright scammers so...yeah.

I always approach artists with a happy demeanor, a question of if they would be willing to do X art idea, and a few questions to get things figured out for the commission. I've not been treated poorly by anyone I've talked to. But I am sure that if they were rude I might be more likely to look elsewhere for commission work. That is unless perhaps I really want that artists unique style... Then I might dredge through a bad demeanor.