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COMMISSIONS: Research Questions for Those Who Buy and Sell
12 years ago
I'm working on a little project with nanuk, and as part of this I'm gathering data on the overall experience on both ends.
Are you an artist?
* Do you take a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
* How do you generally take commissions?
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to take commissions?
Are you a buyer?
* Do you buy a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
* How do you generally engage with artists?
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to purchase commissions?
Are you an artist?
* Do you take a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
* How do you generally take commissions?
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to take commissions?
Are you a buyer?
* Do you buy a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
* How do you generally engage with artists?
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to purchase commissions?
Do you buy a lot of commissions? I buy way too many. Why or why not? I just love collecting art of my character
How do you generally engage with artists? I usually send them a note or meet them at a convention and talk with them
What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to purchase commissions? Paypal fees... Cause sometimes I have to send extra
I dont take commissions anymore, but I use to take them every chance I got. The money was reasonable for being unemployed, and never made enough to have to pay taxes.
I took them via notes, or comments on commission journals then notes
Already ranted on Nanuk's journal XD But making more money then you spent on the tablet or whatever you use feels profitable and awesome.
* Do you buy a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
- I have purchsed a good amount of my gallery's art, and some have been gifts. Why do I do this? I'm not much of an artist (save for some basic coloring skill), but I do have fantasies and stories I want to have illustrated. Yes, it's a form of escapism, but that's what I feel the fandom is all about.
* How do you generally engage with artists?
- Most of the time, I send a note with interest and a reference, gauging their own ability on the subject (since not many folks are able/willing to draw centaurs) and if they are open in the first place. If they prefer another method, I contact them in that way. But first and foremost, respect their wishes.
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to purchase commissions?
- Paypal has been my usual method, and I have had no problems by following a certain procedure. Most problems that can arise from using Paypal are usually by not reading the rules set by the site and the commissioner (ie: Not putting any details of the commission you're getting. All I put in the subject line is my FA handle and what kind of payment it is. That's it).
* Do you buy a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
I buy alot of commissions because I love how every artist has his own style. There's something awesome in knowing that someone put his heart into drawing something for me and I appreciate their hard work. + some personal reasons but those are mine to keep.
* How do you generally engage with artists?
I usually respect the things they say in their userpage. If it's stated that they open via journal, I simply wait for a spot to open and hope to get lucky. There are only a few times that I tried asking via email or note, but they went unseen/unreplied or with a negative response.
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to purchase commissions?
With paypal? The only rewarding thing it has is for me so far is that the currency changes. What annoys is that some artists don't know about the fee in purchasing good and sent notes asking 'where's the full amount?' xD!
That said, paypal is really simple to use and that's what I like the most. I used 2 other paying sites and that was just once each and they felt out of place and too complicating!
1. i dont get a lot of them, mainly because im not well known enough, or my art isnt great, probably both
2. i usually finish a rough sketch before asking the commissioner to pay for said commission, once they pay, i finish it and usually start with the easier commissions
3. The rewarding part is MONEY....... oh and something about progression of art skills or something
As an artist...
-I take a fair amount of commissions. The majority of them, I take because it's good to have a little extra money when possible, but I've also taken some commissions in order to help out friends who are having difficulty paying bills.
-I generally take commissions by posting a journal, announcing that a certain amount of slots are available for commissions of a certain price, and what style the commissions will be done in. (Sketch, ink, etc.) People who want to commission must leave me a note, where details of what I'll be drawing are discussed, and then payment is made.
-I just wish there was some way to merge physical and digital media. In digital media, the canvas can be as large as I need, and it's really, really easy to edit mistakes, but I simply don't feel a tablet is as accurate as my pencils and pens are, so I end up making tons more mistakes when doing digital line art and spend hours correcting them. There's no outright superior method.
As a buyer...
-I do not buy many commissions. The reasoning is twofold. For one, I'm often at a loss for ideas and don't really know what to ask for, or if the idea I've come up with is good enough to invest money into. The second issue -- and I know this sounds pretentious -- is finding an artist who can actually draw something that I couldn't just make myself. There's so many times where I just think "they might not get it right. I might as well draw that idea." XD
-It's been so long. I can't remember if I used notes or an e-mail. One or the other.
-I have no opinion on the tools used to purchase commissions.
* Do you take a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
I don't take a lot of commissions, and I believe it is because I do not actively try to aquire them. I am still finding a style that I can market as my "brand" of artwork and replicate, right now even the commissions I take tend to be experimental in nature.
* How do you generally take commissions?
Usually people approach me directly for commissions and I tend to take all of them, the workload has been pretty light so far. Also a majority tends to be friends and aquaintances.
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to take commissions?
I do not understand this question.
* Do you take a lot of commissions? Why or why not?
Yes! I'm currently studying and so far I'm living with and off my parents; having my own "job" gives one a sense of accomplishment and independence. It is nice to have an extra money and right now I'm saving to bring my fiancée here from a LDR.
* How do you generally take commissions?
So far I've been putting all the requesters in a waiting list for free, keep their turn number and call them one by one so they make the payment beforehand. Then I start to draw, I work on each rather quickly so the waiting times are rather short. I also like to bother them with Notes, or talk to them via Skype to show them screencaps and talk so the work turns out the way they want, and there's no problem with refunds or redraws.
* What do you find most rewarding and frustrating about the tools you use to take commissions?
Maybe the response time in Notes. Again I do work quick, and having to wait for the commissioner to answer and review the WIP cramps my pace of work. For all the rest I'm quite happy with my current tools of the craft. As for the rewards, seeing a happy commissioner is the most rewarding thing for me. I know it sounds cheesy as heck but I really do like the feeling of a job well done.