you could finish up thes commission and then put them up on furbuy or discounted prices. or leave it as sketches and if an amount goes high enough, they get a coloured piece

should add.... coloured pieces might need to be "generic" animals, or if its auctioned, they get the choice of generic or their character when coloured

or just sell the pose from the commission as a pre-pose auction

That's actually a viable idea!

Interesting idea, but the whole problem would be solved if artists would ask for cash up front.

But commissioners don't always trust artists, because artists can flake out.

Not bad. The only problem I see is that the person who commissioned will still get the piece once it's done in a way. So he still wins.

I do say this though. The needs to be a list of commissioners and artist that commissioned or was commissioned that shafted the other. So people know who to watch out for So people don't get robbed and stuff

Have the customer pay in full before you start drawing.