Friends have a higher chance of me commissioning them.
soo.. friendship? :D

So, basically someone with an open personality? =o

Well, someone whos nice and stuff, like you are. Its hard to explain. D:
But like peeople who dont judge instantly and stuff?

Also prices too, atleast for me.

Gotta love dem cheap-o artists XP

But, what do you feel is fair when it comes to the price/quality ratio?

Generally i tend to buy sketches/inked for around 5 - $15 or so, depending on whatever the artist is charging. I dont tend to buy colour as its a lot of work and it's not too fair on the artist to do it that cheap

What do I look for when commissioning someone?

Quite a few things. There is no particular order, and if you wished I could try to nail them into a set order.

I look for an honest person. Someone who tells me what they are/ aren't capable of doing be it for comfort ability or skill reasons. I'm more than willing to work with a person who tells me upfront. That's how I am.

With quality of work, every artist has a different style and likewise an audience tailored to it. If I was to commission someone, I want to know that they are doing their very best on the subject matter. If they are confident and proud of the work, I will be too.

Speed of production/ Turn out rate is important. If the piece normally takes the artist say 5 hours, I would expect five hours to be fair. If it is unusual or complex, I expect a longer time till completion. If something crops up in real life, I'd like the artist to inform me and provide an estimation, if possible, of when they can get back on track. I would want the artist to take all the time that is needed. Haste makes waste.

I agree with this picture:

http://rickhughes.net/wp-content/up.....fastcheap1.gif

If I like the artist's style of presentation, I am likely to commission them. Simple and clean, but with the signature charm of the artist. I look at her/his gallery and see what styles they are comfortable with. If they are interested I would pitch a new one to them.

Content wise same as presentation. I would ask the artist for what the a comfortable with; that is if I do not see a posting on the Do and Don't.

I want them to treat me like a person. Talk with me, tell me how the project is going, share ideas, etc. Show me that you are genuinely interested in what I have to say not b/c you want what is in my wallet.

I'm certain there is more, but this is what I have for now.

Hot dog! Man, you really put a ton of thought into this. Your input is really appreciated!

There are other aspects of the commissioning process, like capturing someone's attention initially. I suppose that would fall under advertising/presentation. But if you were to choose one aspect that made you say, "This is the right one, I'm commissioning them" what aspect would that be?

The selling point would be the that fact that I could go to this person and I know know that I would be in good hands. I can put my complete and total faith in this person without a shadow of a doubt. Goes back to treating the customer like a person.

That's so hard to do! =P

Seriously speaking, though, this is a two headed coin. On the commissioner's end, they want the best service that the artist can provide, customer service wise. On the artists end, they, ultimately, do want what's in the commissioner's wallet. That's the reason an artists opens up for commissions. So, what I can conclude is that reputation plays a bit of a role in this equation, yes?

Yeah, it is indeed tow sided. If only we were a simple creature.

I won't deny that an artist does want what is the the wallet. For some that is a bill, a meal, entertainment money,or etc. Thus the commissions come into play.

You got to do commissions to get people to get you to do commissions for people. Circular logic I know. Wording things this late is a tad fussy for me.

Yes reputation plays a bit into it. I liken it to trying out for a job or role. First time is the hardest, but each time after should come easier or feel more natural.

And once the first commission is made, the trickle down effect comes into play. Reputation>customer service > price/turnout rate >presentation/quality of work and finally, location location location XD

Anywho, it is getting pretty late. Though I'm down for discussing this further, I do want to thank you for all of your input in the matter! =D

No problem. Happy to help.

I don't really commission anyone, but the artist choice mostly depends on art style.
Quality or turnout rate are not as important to me, but rather picking an artist who's style is similar to what I'm envisioning in my head.
I guess that doesn't really help if your trying to appeal to more commissioners :/

Ha ha! It's cool, man.I understand what you're getting at, though. This leaves little room for disappointment in the end, I'm assuming.

I'm not a fan of turnaround time that exceeds say, a couple months, but no, I don't expect it the same week. Like many folks, I am of course eager to see the finished product, but I understand artists have lives and often don't intend to have a wicked fast turnaround time.

I'm also intimidated by massive queues, but if an artist seems to have a good idea of what the wait time is like, I trust them.

Quality of work and style of work are probably the most important, though I'm willing to give a little on either trait if the price is also more... attractive.

Naturally, I have a price ceiling, just because I can't justify spending beyond a certain amount on art that's just for the sake of fandom stuff. If there's something special, I usually lift that ceiling.

I'd say really, it comes down to whether or not the style meet my needs. I'm typically not inclined to wade through tons of images though, so I'll often settle for second-best. But that's more a customer quirk. Really, I'd say style is the deciding factor - if I'm going to pay for a piece, it should have the "flavor" I want.

I just can't be that guy who gets a finished work, sees it, goes "No, that's not right at all, redraw it," and tries to send it back like a plate of incinerated meat at a restaurant.

Lastly, of course, extraneous things like actually *knowing* the artist help. And repeat business. I like repeat business, unless the artist really mucks things up or seems like they're only dealing with me because they feel like they *have* to, but would rather not. After all, if you've already been trained in drawing a particular character, or I have a better understanding of what you want from me and how you interpret the details I give you, it's easier for me to judge how future pieces will turn out.

I've been commissioning you in particular for a while, and there's definitely been some improvement over the last 9 months, but at the same time, I've definitely learned some things about bits of your style or composition that I'm not so big on. It really just helps me know what I should or shouldn't ask for, and what to focus on most. That aside, I think overall I think your work has been the "best experience" overall for me. Kind of a balance between knowing you, being able to work with what you show me, price, and general satisfaction with what you produce.

Not sure that was entirely helpful... I think I was rambling and reading between the lines.